History YMMV / DyingEarth

** Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as {{Human Shield}}s. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your ATM card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from Literature/AClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' was published, [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common]]).

* AnAesop: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that nuclear war hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment. The books' repeated LaserGuidedKarma and AesopAmnesia deride the behavior of the StrawNihilist characters.

* TheWoobie: Shalukhe the Swimmer. One of 5642 people, the best of their generation, placed in suspended animation to found a new golden age, she is revived to find that she's the last of her kind. In the hundred centuries since she was recruited, the power protecting them faded, and cannibals found the sleepers easy prey. Her 5641 comrades have already been eaten, and she's next on the menu. Rhialto saves her life, but she's left alone at the end of time. Everything and everyone she knew has been dust for millennia, and none of her skills are of the slightest use.

** Also, the Dying Earth is a CrapsackWorld turned up to eleven, where 99 percent of the inhabitants are complete and utter assholes without any conscience. That does not exempt Cugel from his atrocities – but the Dying Earth was never ''meant'' to be a good place to live in, unlike Gor, which is a [[FetishFuelFuture Fetish-Fuel Planet]] MarySuetopia that not only tries to give excuses for its societies, but tries to paint it as a more honest place than our ’hypocrite Earth’.

** Also, the Dying Earth is a CrapsackWorld turned UpToEleven, where 99 percent of the inhabitants are complete and utter assholes without any conscience. That does not exempt Cugel from his atrocities – but the Dying Earth was never ''meant'' to be a good place to live in, unlike Gor, which is a [[FetishFuelFuture Fetish-Fuel Planet]] MarySuetopia that not only tries to give excuses for its societies, but tries to paint it as a more honest place than our ’hypocrite Earth’.

*** Cudgel is a mixed example; his behavior (especially rape) is clearly intended to make him unsympathetic, often to the point of being an UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist, but at the same time he's still treated as more sympathic than he would be in most modern books, and often more comically than irredeemably evil. Mostly the books use BlackComedyRape more than is common today and treat it as just another entry in his list of sins rather than as [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil a special kind of evil]].

** Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as {{Human Shield}}s. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your ATM card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from Literature/AClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as {{Human Shield}}s. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your ATM card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from Literature/AClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

* AnAesop: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that nuclear war hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment. The books' repeated LaserGuidedKarma and AesopAmnesia deride the behavior of the NietzscheWannabe characters.

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as {{Human Shield}}s. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your ATM card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as {{Human Shield}}s. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your ATM card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as {{Human Shield}}s. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).
** Also, the Dying Earth is a CrapsackWorld turned UpToEleven, where 99 percent of the inhabitants are complete and utter assholes without any conscience. That does not exempt Cugel from his atrocities – but the Dying Earth was never ''meant'' to be a good place to live in, unlike Gor, which is a [[FetishFuelFuture Fetish-Fuel Planet]] MarySuetopia that not only tries to give excuses for its societies, but tries to paint it as a more ingenuous place than our ’hypocrite Earth’.

* AnAesop: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that nuclear war hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment. The books' repeated LaserGuidedKarma and AesopAmnesia deride the behavior of the NietzscheWannabe characters.

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search for that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, could use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and he was always considered a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

* AnAesop: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that nuclear war hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment. The books' subtext deride the sociopathic behaviors of its NietzscheWannabe characters.

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] is ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, can use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and he was always considered as a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** Also, the Dying Earth is a CrapsackWorld turned UpToEleven, where 99 percent of the inhabitants are complete and utter assholes without any conscience. That does not exempt Cugel from his atrocities – but the Dying Earth was never meant to be a good place to live in, unlike Gor, which is a [[FetishFuelFuture Fetish-Fuel Planet]] MarySuetopia that not only tries to give excuses for its societies, but tries to paint it as a more ingenuous place than our ’hypocrite Earth’.

* AnAesop: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that nuclear war hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment. The books' subtext deride the sociopathic tendency of its NietzscheWannabe characters.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that nuclear war hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment.

* AnAesop: There's a possible parallel between the Dying Earth and the ColdWar period when the books were written. In the books, the people of Earth have turned to sybaritic self-indulgence, outright villainy and various other fatalistic behaviors because the Earth could die at any moment. In RealLife, the books were written when many people were struggling with the fact that MutualAssuredDestruction hung over their heads and the Earth could die at any moment.

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, can use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and he was always considered as a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] ''intended'' to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, can use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and always considered as a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] was intended to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that previously had belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, can use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and always considered as a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] was intended to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that belonged to the family of an old man, who had taken his whole life to search that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, how he, Cugel, can use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused to help, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and always considered as a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

** Also, the Dying Earth is a CrapsackWorld turned UpToEleven, where 99 percent of the inhabitants are complete and utter assholes without any conscience. That does not exempt Cugel from his atrocities – but the Dying Earth was never meant to be a good place to live in, unlike Gor, which is a [[FetishFuelFuture Fetish-Fuel Planet]] MarySuetopia that not only tries to give excuses for its societies, but tries to paint it as a more ingenuous place than our ’hypocrite Earth’. So, [[YourMileageMayVary I do think]] it is rather DeliberateValuesDissonance.

** To be fair, Cugel the [[IronicName Clever]] was intended to be a VillainProtagonist. He uses and manipulates everybody around him – for example, he cons pilgrims to accompany him on a dangerous journey, using them as HumanShields. When he found a relic that belonged to the family of an old man, who took his whole life to search that artifact, he did not give it to said person – instead, he expected from the old man to explain, who he, Cugel, can use it (which is, needless to say, the equivalent of somebody who found your credit card asking for its pin code). And when the old man refused it, our hero called him petty. He is almost on par with Alex from ClockworkOrange, and always considered as a bastard (mind you, when the Eye of the Overworld was published, Cugel-like anti-heroes were not common).

* ValuesDissonance: Hoo boy. While not as bad as ''Literature/{{Gor}}'', its treatment of women can be cringe-inducing to modern readers. Many of Cugel's antics have slid from AntiHero to VillainProtagonist territory over time.

* ValuesDissonance: Hoo boy. While not as bad as ''{{Gor}}'', its treatment of women can be cringe-inducing to modern readers. Many of Cugel's antics have slid from AntiHero to VillainProtagonist territory over time.