100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🏆Don't forget Father's Day this Sunday! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

Lance

Series: Penguin Modern
3.34 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 1,300 ratings, 194 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Lance by Vladimir Nabokov is a science fiction novella that explores themes of exploration and existentialism. It follows the protagonist, Lance, on an interstellar journey that tests the boundaries of human experience and perception. The story delves deeply into the psyche of its characters, blending vivid imagery with philosophical reflections.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$699
Backorder
STOCK ARRIVING MID SEPTEMBER Order now to secure your copy from our next shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love captivating stories that blend elements of science fiction with profound philosophical reflections. Nabokov's writing offers a unique, imaginative narrative that delves into the human condition, making it an intriguing read for those who appreciate rich and thought-provoking fiction.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry.

'The illegible signature of teetering disaster'

Three great stories—The Aurelian, Signs and Symbols, and Lance—the latter is both a derisive attack on science fiction and an attempt to imagine the real pain and horror that would accompany space travel.

Series: Penguin Modern

View all
  • Create Dangerously
    Create Dangerously by Albert Camus is a compelling and thought-provoking collection of essays that delve into the intricate relationship between art and society. Written with the precision and eloquence that only Camus can offer, this collection is a profound exploration of the artist's duty in a time of sociopolitical turmoil. The title essay, "Create Dangerously," lays bare the inherent risks...
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Investigations of a Dog
    Investigations of a Dog by Franz Kafka presents a unique and imaginative journey into the mind of a canine philosopher. Through the eyes of a curious and introspective dog, Kafka dissects the intricacies of existence, perception, and the limits of understanding. The narrator, a dog deeply engrossed in the quest for knowledge, embarks on a thoughtful exploration of his world,...
    Paperback
    $600
    Usually:
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Dark Days
    Dark Days by James Baldwin is a powerful collection of essays that vividly reflects on Baldwin's own experiences of racial prejudice and systemic injustice in mid-20th century America. As a seminal voice in the civil rights movement, Baldwin unflinchingly explores the deeply entrenched racism that pervades society and envisions a more equitable and hopeful world. Through these searing essays, Baldwin...
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. I am Black and lesbian, and what you hear in my voice is fury, not suffering. From the self-described 'black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet', these soaring, urgent essays on the power of women, poetry and anger...
    Paperback
    $499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Letter from Birmingham Jail
    Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail is an incisive and inspiring piece of writing that remains a touchstone in the history of civil rights and social justice. Composed in 1963 while King was imprisoned for his participation in nonviolent protests against racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, the letter is a powerful and eloquent defence of civil disobedience in...
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    14% off
    The Distance of the Moon
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. Time is a catastrophe, perpetual and irreversible. Science and fiction interweave delightfully in these playful Cosmicomic short stories.
    Paperback
    $600
    Usually:
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Notes on Nationalism
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. 'The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs.' Biting and timeless reflections on patriotism, prejudice, and power, from the man who wrote about his nation better than...
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • I Have More Souls Than One
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. I Have More Souls Than One showcases the poignant poetry of Fernando Pessoa. In these verses: 'But no, she's abstract, is a bird Of sound in the air of air soaring, And her soul sings unencumbered...
    Paperback
    $699
    Backorder
    Ships mid September
  • Notes on Camp
    In Notes on Camp, Susan Sontag explores the intriguing and often misunderstood aesthetic of "camp," delving into the reasons why certain art forms, fashion, and cultural expressions resonate uniquely with audiences. Through incisive analysis and sharp insights, Sontag unravels the complex interplays between taste, irony, and exaggerated style. This essay is a compelling exploration of the pseudo-serious, the extravagant, and...
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Missing Girl
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. "Of course, no one would want to say anything about a girl like this that's missing..." Malice, paranoia, and creeping dread lie beneath the surface of ordinary American life in these chilling miniature masterworks of unease....
    Paperback
    $699
    Backorder
    Ships mid September
  • Fame
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. Good b.o means good "box office." You can smell it from a mile away The legendary sixties New York pop artist Andy Warhol presents hilarious and insightful vignettes and aphorisms on the topics of love, fame,...
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Garden of Forking Paths
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. Summer was drawing to a close, and I realized that the book was monstrous. Fantastical tales of mazes, puzzles, lost labyrinths, and bookish mysteries, from the unique imagination of a literary magician.
    Paperback
    $699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Lance by Vladimir Nabokov, described in reviews, captivates with its intricate narrative and philosophical depth. Readers applaud Nabokov's masterful use of language and his ability to weave complex themes seamlessly into the storytelling. Some critiques highlight a challenge in the plot's accessibility, yet many readers find it a compelling exploration of human consciousness and creativity.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241339527

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 February 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 5.0mm

Width: 110.0mm

Height: 159.0mm

Weight: 46g

Pages: 64

About the Author

Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), born in St Petersburg, exiled in Cambridge, Berlin, and Paris, became the greatest Russian writer of the first half of the twentieth century. Fleeing to the US with his family in 1940, he then became the greatest writer in English of the second half of the century, and even 'God's own novelist' (William Deresiewicz). He lived in Europe from 1959 onwards, and died in Montreux, Switzerland. All his major works - novels, stories, an autobiography, poems, plays, lectures, essays and reviews - are published in Penguin Modern Classics.

Also by Vladimir Nabokov

View all
  • Lolita
    Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is a profoundly provocative and masterfully written novel that explores themes of obsession, passion, and moral ambiguity. The narrative follows Humbert Humbert, a sophisticated and erudite European émigré, who becomes infatuated with his twelve-year-old stepdaughter, Dolores Haze, whom he affectionately nicknames "Lolita." Their illicit and tumultuous relationship drives Humbert into a labyrinth of deception, manipulation, and...
    Paperback
    $1500
    Elsewhere:
    $1599
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Pale Fire
    Pale Fire is a novel constructed around the last great poem of a fictional American poet, John Shade, and an account of his death. The poem appears in full, and the narrative develops through the lengthy, and increasingly eccentric, notes by his posthumous editor.
    Paperback
    $2100
    Usually:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Lolita
    Vladimir Nabokov's shocking masterpiece, now in a beautifully designed clothbound edition. Poet and pervert, Humbert Humbert becomes obsessed by twelve-year-old Lolita and seeks to possess her, first carnally and then artistically, out of love, 'to fix once for all the perilous magic of nymphets'. Is he in love or insane? A silver-tongued poet or a pervert? A tortured soul or...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pnin
    Professor Timofey Pnin, late of Tsarist Russia, is now precariously perched on a college campus in the fast beating heart of the USA. In a series of funny and sad misunderstandings, Pnin does halting battle with American life and language.
    Paperback
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Collected Stories
    A man at his desk is interrupted by the appearance of a woodland elf in his room; the piano maestro Bachmann ends his career; a barber shaves the face of a man who once tortured him; a shy dreamer makes a deal with the Devil. In these sixty-five stories of magic and melancholy, Nabokov displays an astonishing range of inventiveness,...
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Lolita
    One of the best-known novels of the 20th century, Lolita tells the controversial story of Humbert Humbert who falls in love with twelve-year-old Lolita. Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta- the tip of my tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo....
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Nabokov's Dozen
    Thirteen strangely wrought stories make up Nabokov's Dozen. In some of these stories, shadowy people pass through, cooped up by life, mangled by it, with nowhere to escape to. Their dreams lie stifled, smothered by routine and repetition, and frustrations lurk in all the corners. In others, there are elusive glimpses of fleeting happiness, which flutter away before they can...
    Paperback
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Despair
    This dark satire follows the egotistical Hermann Hermann, a murderer who thinks himself an artist. Self-satisfied, delighting in the many fascinating quirks of his own personality, Hermann is perhaps not to be taken too seriously. But then a chance meeting with a man he believes to be his double reveals a frightening 'split' in Hermann's nature. With shattering immediacy, Nabokov...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Collected Poems
    A landmark collection of verse from one of the twentieth century's supreme writers. These masterly poems span the decades of Nabokov's career, from Music, written in 1914, to the short, playful To Vera, composed in 1974. The University Poem, one of Nabokov's major poetic works, is here in English for the first time. This extraordinary autobiographical poem looks back at...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Ada or Ardor
    Nabokov's other great love story, following an extraordinary relationship across decades and continents. Written in mischievous and magically flowing prose, Ada or Ardor is a romance that follows Ada from her first childhood meeting with Van Veen on his uncle's country estate, in a 'dream-bright' America, through eighty years of rapture, as they cross continents, are continually parted and reunited....
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Defense
    The Defense is Vladimir Nabokov's early novel about a chess-playing genius, reissued in Modern Classics as part of the Nabokov relaunch. This dazzling story features the coarse, strange yet oddly endearing chess-playing genius Luzhin. Discovering his prodigious gift in boyhood and rising to the rank of International Grandmaster, Luzhin develops a lyrical passion for chess that renders the real world...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Nabokov's Dozen
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics — irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Thirteen ingeniously crafted stories make up Vladimir Nabokov's baker's dozen. In some of these stories, shadowy people pass through, cooped up by life, with nowhere to escape. In others, elusive glimpses of fleeting happiness, which...
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fourth Wing
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Iron Flame
    The instant number one Sunday Times bestseller and thrilling sequel to the global phenomenon, Fourth Wing! DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'Fear not, levels of fighting, rebelliousness and all-round sexiness are still sky-high' Daily Mail...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    New Release
    Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series—now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition. Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl
    The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Silver Flames
    The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    20% off
    New Release
    The Ballad of Falling Dragons [Special Deluxe edition]
    The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragons… Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor – a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the...
    Hardback
    $4800
    Usually:
    $5999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. An unmissable companion tale to the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fourth Wing New ANZ Limited Edition
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
    In A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, readers are invited to revisit the enchanting world of Prythian in a heartwarming and introspective narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Winter Solstice, Feyre Archeron and her mate Rhysand return to centre stage as they strive to restore the Night Court after the devastating conflicts of A Court...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!