Author Jack Vance Dies At 96: Sci-Fi Author Wrote Over 20 Books After Becoming Legally Blind

A lack of sight didn't stop one writer from satisfying his readers.

Award-winning fantasy and science fiction author Jack Vance, who passed away last Sunday, penned over 20 books after he was declared legally blind during the 1980s.

While the famed author wrote over 60 books, including his highly praised "The Dying Earth" and "The Dragon Masters," about a third of his books were written after his diagnosis.

But Vance didn't let that stop him.

Using the assistance of voice recognition software, Vance was able to continue writing despite his disability, his son John Vance II told the Associated Press.

Vance was even able to write his autobiography, "This is Me, Jack Vance," in 2009 with the program's assistance.

"This is a complex guy, and (there's) an awful lot to say about him," John Vance told the Associated Press. "Author, friend, father and grandfather, there will never be another like Jack Vance."

Although Vance held several different jobs, including a position as a carpenter and electrician in the naval yards at Pearl Harbor, he was best known for his edge-of-the-seat thrillers.

He published his first book in 1945 and officially launched his writing career in the early 1970s.  

Vance received numerous awards throughout his tenure, earning himself the Hugo Award in 1963 for "The Dragon Masters" and in 2010 for the autobiography he wrote a year before.

The celebrated author encountered declining health from failing kidneys coupled with diabetes.

Vance is recognized as one of America's most well-known science fiction and fantasy writers.