Comments:

First published in two parts in Galaxy, December 1963 and February 1964.

From Wikipedia:

Star King (also published as The Star King) is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the first in his Demon Princes series. It tells the story of a young man, Kirth Gersen, who sets out to track down and revenge himself upon the first of the Demon Princes, the five arch-criminals who massacred or enslaved nearly all the inhabitants of his colony world when he was a child.

The antagonist of the book was originally known as Grendel the Monster, and was subsequently renamed Attel Malagate for the novel version. (Accessed 12 March 2019)

Quotes:

   “Will you stay awhile, Mr. Gersen?”
   “Two or three days, perhaps. I have things to think over.”
   Smade nodded in profound understanding. “We’re slack just now; just you and the Star King. You’ll find all the quiet you need.”
   “I’ll be pleased for that,” said Gersen, which was quite true; his just-completed affairs had left him with a set of unresolved qualms. He turned away, then halted and looked back as Smade’s words penetrated his consciousness. “There’s a Star King here at the tavern?”
   “He has presented himself so.”
   “I’ve never seen a Star King. Not that I know of.”
   Smade nodded politely to indicate that the gossip had reached to the allowable limits of particularity. He indicated the tavern clock: “Our local time; better set your watch. Supper at seven o’clock: just half an hour.”

   Tristano fell back, now startled. For an instant he sat laxly asprawl. Gersen caught Tristano’s leg and ankle in a lock, threw over his weight, and felt the bone snap. Tristano sucked in his breath. Snatching for his knife, he left his throat exposed; Gersen hacked backhand at the larynx. Tristano’s throat was well-muscled, and he retained consciousness, to fall back, feebly waving his knife. Gersen kicked it away, edged forward carefully, for Tristano might be equipped with one or a dozen secret built-in weapons.
   Leave me be,” croaked Tristano. “Leave me be, go your way.” He dragged himself to the wall.

Republished as The Star King and in the collection Demon Princes, both Spatterlight, 2012.

• Part one at the Internet Archive
• Part two at the Internet Archive

Comments:

There seem to be significant differences between the serialized version for Galaxy and the later book (I’m looking at the Spatterlight edition now). Most of the first two chapters of the book is missing from the magazine version. I’m guessing Vance added material to the book version, but that’s just a guess.

Also missing from the magazine version are the extensive epigraphs which I found so charming when I first started reading Jack Vance as a teenager. Foreverness writes that Frederik Pohl, who was at that time the editor of Galaxy, had removed them. And moreover, that this cutting disgusted Vance so much that he put off writing the concluding sequels of the Demon Princess series for a long time! (ref)

Quote:

Gersen knocked at the door. There was no response. Gersen knocked again. The door was flung violently open; a sleepy unshaven man peered forth. His age was indeterminate; he was thin, spindle-shanked, with a twisted beak of a nose, rumpled hair of no particular color, eyes which though perfectly set gave the impression of looking in two directions at once. His manner was wild and truculent. “Is there no privacy left in the world? Off the boat, at once. Whenever I settle for a moment’s rest, some sheep-faced functionary, some importunate peddler of tracts insists on pounding me out of my couch. Will you not depart? Have I not made myself clear? I warn you, I have a trick or two up my sleeve …”

Republished as The Palace of Love and in the collection Demon Princes, both Spatterlight, 2012.

The serialized version on the Internet Archive:

• part one
• part two
• part three