海角大神

Jack聽Vance, an award-winning mystery, fantasy and science fiction author who wrote more than 60 books, has died. He was 96.

Vance聽died Sunday evening at his home in Oakland, his son John聽Vance聽II told The Associated Press.

Jack聽Vance, whose legal name was John Holbrook, published most of his work as聽Jack聽Vance, but he also wrote 11 mysteries as John Holbrook聽Vance聽and three as Ellery Queen, as well as books under the pen names of Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See and Jay Kavanse, according to the聽Jack聽Vance聽website, which is maintained by family and friends.

"This is a complex guy, and (there's) an awful lot to say about him," John聽Vance聽told The AP.

In 2009, a profile in the New York Times Magazine described聽Vance聽as "one of American literature's most distinctive and undervalued voices," according to the website.

Vance聽collected a number of awards over the years, including Hugo Awards for "The Dragon Masters" in 1963, "The Last Castle" in 1967, and for his memoir "This is Me,聽Jack聽Vance!" in 2010.

"Author, friend, father and grandfather, there will never be another like聽Jack聽Vance," his son said.

Born in San Francisco,聽Vance聽graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1942. He worked for a while as an electrician in the naval shipyards at Pearl Harbor, leaving about a month before the Japanese attack there, according to the website.

Described as a "blue-collar guy" by his son,聽Vance聽worked over the years as a seaman, a surveyor and carpenter. His first book was published in 1945, but聽Vance聽did not establish himself as a writer until the 1970s.

Although legally blind since the 1980s,聽Vance聽continued to write with the aid of software, including his most recent novel, "Lurulu," his son said.聽Vance聽had said "Lurulu" would be his final book, but he completed his memoir, which was published in July 2009.

In his later years,聽Vance聽suffered from poor kidney health and diabetes, which he which he maintained by diet control, his son said.