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Magnus Ridolph #1-10
Magnus Ridolph
"Magnus Ridolph didn't look like an interstellar troubleshooter, at first. He was not tall and muscular, ... and his voice and manner seemed far too mild for an adventurer. Yet there was a chill hardness in his mild eyes that warned of the deceptiveness of his appearance..."
This is a collection of all stories featuring Magnus Ridolph, troubleshooter for hire. Invariably those with whom he associates try to either cheat him or take advantage of him, but Magnus Ridolph always comes up with the answer to their problem and, usually with an unexpected twist, manages to collect his full fee from the cheater.
This is a collection of all stories featuring Magnus Ridolph, troubleshooter for hire. Invariably those with whom he associates try to either cheat him or take advantage of him, but Magnus Ridolph always comes up with the answer to their problem and, usually with an unexpected twist, manages to collect his full fee from the cheater.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Jack Vance
805 books1,644 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, Ellery Queen, Alan Wade.
John Holbrook Vance was an American writer widely celebrated for his imaginative contributions to science fiction, fantasy, and mystery literature. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, he became known for richly detailed worlds, inventive language, and stories that combined adventure with sharp social observation. His work influenced generations of speculative fiction writers and helped expand the literary possibilities of the genre. Vance wrote more than sixty books and numerous short stories, many first appearing in science fiction magazines before later being expanded into novels and collections. His fiction was widely translated and developed an international readership.
Vance grew up in California and spent part of his youth on a ranch near the Sacramento River delta, where he developed a love of the outdoors and an appetite for reading. The family experienced financial hardship during the Great Depression, prompting him to take a variety of jobs before completing his studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During these years he worked in several trades and cultivated interests in music, travel, and sailing, experiences that later informed many of the settings and themes in his fiction. Before becoming a full-time writer he held numerous occupations, including shipyard worker, merchant seaman, carpenter, and surveyor.
His earliest published story appeared in the mid 1940s in a science fiction magazine, marking the beginning of a long writing career. Throughout the following decades he produced stories across multiple genres, though he became best known for science fiction and fantasy cycles that combined imaginative settings with elaborate cultures and social systems. Among his most famous works are The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle, both of which received Hugo Awards. The Last Castle also earned the Nebula Award, confirming Vance's reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in speculative fiction. His fantasy trilogy Lyonesse later received the World Fantasy Award, while his memoir This Is Me, Jack Vance! earned another Hugo decades later.
In addition to speculative fiction, Vance wrote several mystery novels, some under pseudonyms including Ellery Queen. These works often blended crime elements with psychological or social themes and sometimes anticipated ideas that later appeared in his science fiction. His storytelling frequently emphasized cultural conflict, moral ambiguity, and intricate social customs rather than large-scale warfare, setting him apart from many contemporaries in the genre.
Vance maintained close friendships with other science fiction writers and participated in literary communities that shaped postwar American speculative fiction. He traveled widely with his family and spent extended periods abroad, experiences that influenced the exotic settings and cosmopolitan tone found in many of his books. Music also played a role in his life and writing, reflecting his long-standing enthusiasm for traditional jazz.
Despite gradually losing his eyesight later in life, Vance continued writing with the aid of specialized software and completed both fiction and autobiography in his later years. Over time his reputation grew steadily, and he received numerous honors, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and recognition as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Critics and fellow writers often praised his distinctive style, wit, and imagination, and his stories remain widely read within the science fiction and fantasy community.
John Holbrook Vance was an American writer widely celebrated for his imaginative contributions to science fiction, fantasy, and mystery literature. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, he became known for richly detailed worlds, inventive language, and stories that combined adventure with sharp social observation. His work influenced generations of speculative fiction writers and helped expand the literary possibilities of the genre. Vance wrote more than sixty books and numerous short stories, many first appearing in science fiction magazines before later being expanded into novels and collections. His fiction was widely translated and developed an international readership.
Vance grew up in California and spent part of his youth on a ranch near the Sacramento River delta, where he developed a love of the outdoors and an appetite for reading. The family experienced financial hardship during the Great Depression, prompting him to take a variety of jobs before completing his studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During these years he worked in several trades and cultivated interests in music, travel, and sailing, experiences that later informed many of the settings and themes in his fiction. Before becoming a full-time writer he held numerous occupations, including shipyard worker, merchant seaman, carpenter, and surveyor.
His earliest published story appeared in the mid 1940s in a science fiction magazine, marking the beginning of a long writing career. Throughout the following decades he produced stories across multiple genres, though he became best known for science fiction and fantasy cycles that combined imaginative settings with elaborate cultures and social systems. Among his most famous works are The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle, both of which received Hugo Awards. The Last Castle also earned the Nebula Award, confirming Vance's reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in speculative fiction. His fantasy trilogy Lyonesse later received the World Fantasy Award, while his memoir This Is Me, Jack Vance! earned another Hugo decades later.
In addition to speculative fiction, Vance wrote several mystery novels, some under pseudonyms including Ellery Queen. These works often blended crime elements with psychological or social themes and sometimes anticipated ideas that later appeared in his science fiction. His storytelling frequently emphasized cultural conflict, moral ambiguity, and intricate social customs rather than large-scale warfare, setting him apart from many contemporaries in the genre.
Vance maintained close friendships with other science fiction writers and participated in literary communities that shaped postwar American speculative fiction. He traveled widely with his family and spent extended periods abroad, experiences that influenced the exotic settings and cosmopolitan tone found in many of his books. Music also played a role in his life and writing, reflecting his long-standing enthusiasm for traditional jazz.
Despite gradually losing his eyesight later in life, Vance continued writing with the aid of specialized software and completed both fiction and autobiography in his later years. Over time his reputation grew steadily, and he received numerous honors, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and recognition as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Critics and fellow writers often praised his distinctive style, wit, and imagination, and his stories remain widely read within the science fiction and fantasy community.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 12, 2023
Magnus Ridolph has been my favorite Vance character for a long time. I've had a copy of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph, half of an old Ace Double, for years, and posted this about it: "Magnus Ridolph...is my favorite Vance character. (Yes, I remember he wrote "that" and "that" and won a Hugo for the other one...) Ridolph is one of the great charming rogues of the field, a spiritual brother of Nicholas van Rijn and Gulliver Foyle, a forerunner of Zelazny's Conrad, Niven's Beowulf Schaefer, and even Han Solo. In the six stories collected here he solves problems, solves mysteries, rights wrongs, sets things to rights, and always comes out on top through cleverness and wit. This old Ace Double has very nice interior illustrations and -two- lovely covers, all by the great Jack Gaughan." I recently discovered that Vance wrote ten stories in the series, so I tracked down a copy of the current volume so I could read the other four. Nine of the stories first appeared in Startling and Thrilling Wonder stories, true pulp magazines edited by Sam Merwin, between 1948-1952, and the last one was published in Super Science Stories, a digest edited by W.W. Scott, in 1958. They're grand old pulp puzzles-stories for the most part, and I'll add James Bond and Sherlock Homes to the list of characters I thought had similar traits. They hold up remarkably well for seventy-year-old pieces that weren't intended to be scientifically accurate or socially relevant to begin with. Vance was a unique stylist, but he was primarily having fun with Ridolph, not trying to make a statement. Of the four that were new to me, Vance fans will appreciate that one of the stories, The Sub-standard Sardines, even has a footnote... I doubt that there's any other writer in the history of the field who could make that work in a story about exploding fish! It's entertaining, fun stuff- don't be put off by the uninspired cover.
March 2, 2020
This collection of all of Vance's stories about interstellar trouble shooter Magnus Ridolph for me illustrates why Vance, despite his massive output and great popularity, never quite made it into the first rank of SF authors. Ridolph is a mixture of Sherlock Holmes, even stealing his quotes, and an older, milder James Bond, with very little of the action, but quite a bit of the cocktail lifestyle. As a result of his lavish spending and a certain naiveté with respect to investment, he often is forced into his adventures because he runs out of money.
While the premise is interesting, and the writing is competent, most of the stories suffer from the fact that the core idea is either not very good or (and this is not an exclusive or) very implausible. As an example, in To B Or Not To C Or To D, a planet circles a system of three suns (one of them "black") in such a way that every 84 days, the gravity of the black sun overcomes the surface gravity on part of the planet, pulling people off the surface and thus repeatedly depopulating two outposts without any trace. This is both physically impossible (the planet would be within the Roche limit of the sun) and practically implausible (is nobody ever under a roof at the critical time? Buildings remain...). Moreover, the solution often depends on a bit of knowledge that is hidden from the reader, sometimes quite explicitly (in The Unspeakable McInch, the reader is left waiting with the Sheriff, while Ridolph extracts the critical information from the postmaster).
The second problem is that 9 of the 10 the stories were originally published between 1948 and 1951 (the last one was published in 1957), and have aged very badly. The universe is typical Golden Age - a lot of planets with aliens (mostly what Star Trek would call "M class"), and space ships going between them roughly like ocean liners and tramp ships in the first half of the 20th century did between ports on Earth. Most of the aliens are relatively primitive (culturally, not biologically), and the predominant culture is human. As a result, the major viewpoint is not sense of wonder for a diverse universe, but paternalistic colonialism, with the "Terran Intelligence Corps" keeping order around the galaxy. The only mentioning of a women in the first seven stories was that of a singer on TV in the workers barracks, "singing and contorting her body with approximately equal vehemence". Women do play a slightly larger role in the later stories, but not usually in a positive way - in The Kokod Warriors, they appear as somewhat hysterical members of a temperance society, trying to eliminate betting on the ritual battles of an alien species.
Usually, I would give this a solid 3 stars, with the caveat that the stories must be taken in the context of the time they were written in. I very nearly docked one star for The Howling Bounders, where the premise really goes beyond acceptable even for 1948. Ridolph buys a rubber plantation which is (unknown to him, but not the seller) plagued by the eponymous aliens, who rip up and eat the rubber plants. He figures out that the aliens themselves are mostly rubber (or "resilian"), traps them, and basically melts them down to make up his losses. This quasi-industrial mass murder is presented to the reader completely uncritical as a sign of Ridolph's resourcefulness.
However, more often than not, Vance kept me going. I particularly enjoyed The Sub-Standard Sardines, less for the writing, but more for the idea and the resolution, and The Kokod Warriors, for the sympathetic portrayal of the alien culture. Overall, however, it is a book that probably nobody needs to read - there is more and better of this type out there.
While the premise is interesting, and the writing is competent, most of the stories suffer from the fact that the core idea is either not very good or (and this is not an exclusive or) very implausible. As an example, in To B Or Not To C Or To D, a planet circles a system of three suns (one of them "black") in such a way that every 84 days, the gravity of the black sun overcomes the surface gravity on part of the planet, pulling people off the surface and thus repeatedly depopulating two outposts without any trace. This is both physically impossible (the planet would be within the Roche limit of the sun) and practically implausible (is nobody ever under a roof at the critical time? Buildings remain...). Moreover, the solution often depends on a bit of knowledge that is hidden from the reader, sometimes quite explicitly (in The Unspeakable McInch, the reader is left waiting with the Sheriff, while Ridolph extracts the critical information from the postmaster).
The second problem is that 9 of the 10 the stories were originally published between 1948 and 1951 (the last one was published in 1957), and have aged very badly. The universe is typical Golden Age - a lot of planets with aliens (mostly what Star Trek would call "M class"), and space ships going between them roughly like ocean liners and tramp ships in the first half of the 20th century did between ports on Earth. Most of the aliens are relatively primitive (culturally, not biologically), and the predominant culture is human. As a result, the major viewpoint is not sense of wonder for a diverse universe, but paternalistic colonialism, with the "Terran Intelligence Corps" keeping order around the galaxy. The only mentioning of a women in the first seven stories was that of a singer on TV in the workers barracks, "singing and contorting her body with approximately equal vehemence". Women do play a slightly larger role in the later stories, but not usually in a positive way - in The Kokod Warriors, they appear as somewhat hysterical members of a temperance society, trying to eliminate betting on the ritual battles of an alien species.
Usually, I would give this a solid 3 stars, with the caveat that the stories must be taken in the context of the time they were written in. I very nearly docked one star for The Howling Bounders, where the premise really goes beyond acceptable even for 1948. Ridolph buys a rubber plantation which is (unknown to him, but not the seller) plagued by the eponymous aliens, who rip up and eat the rubber plants. He figures out that the aliens themselves are mostly rubber (or "resilian"), traps them, and basically melts them down to make up his losses. This quasi-industrial mass murder is presented to the reader completely uncritical as a sign of Ridolph's resourcefulness.
However, more often than not, Vance kept me going. I particularly enjoyed The Sub-Standard Sardines, less for the writing, but more for the idea and the resolution, and The Kokod Warriors, for the sympathetic portrayal of the alien culture. Overall, however, it is a book that probably nobody needs to read - there is more and better of this type out there.
January 30, 2019
This collection of pulp sci-fi short stories, all featuring Magnus Ridolph, aging intergalactic sleuth, is clearly not among Vance's very best. Yet along with some duds there are some nice surprises, with flashes of Vance's brilliant talent for vivid alien world building.
Magnus Ridolph himself is a Sherlock Holmes type, solving mysteries without much pretense. He lacks the flair found in Vance's typically young, impetuous protagonists, relying on the use of logic, analytical skill, a bit of conniving and only a bare minimum of daring.
There is no continuity among the stories, they can be read in any order, and I would suggest skipping the duds noted below. Recommended for Jack Vance fans.
Hard Luck Diggings 2/5
Sanatoris Short-cut 2/5
The Sub-Standard Sardines 2/5
The Unspeakable McInch 3.5/5
The King of Thieves 3.5/5
To B or Not to C or to D 3/5
The Howling Bounders 3/5
The Spa of the Stars 2.5/5
The Kokod Warriors 3.5/5
Coup de Grace 2.5/5
Magnus Ridolph himself is a Sherlock Holmes type, solving mysteries without much pretense. He lacks the flair found in Vance's typically young, impetuous protagonists, relying on the use of logic, analytical skill, a bit of conniving and only a bare minimum of daring.
There is no continuity among the stories, they can be read in any order, and I would suggest skipping the duds noted below. Recommended for Jack Vance fans.
Hard Luck Diggings 2/5
Sanatoris Short-cut 2/5
The Sub-Standard Sardines 2/5
The Unspeakable McInch 3.5/5
The King of Thieves 3.5/5
To B or Not to C or to D 3/5
The Howling Bounders 3/5
The Spa of the Stars 2.5/5
The Kokod Warriors 3.5/5
Coup de Grace 2.5/5
May 11, 2017
Complete Magnus Ridolph
This is the 1990 hardcover edition of all ten of Vance's Magnus Ridolph stories. I've read these many times and like them even better after rereading them. Vance fans and those who like well written science fiction short stories should enjoy all ten stories. Below is a brief description of each in alphabetical order.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
"Coup de Grace" is a twenty one page short story published initially in 1958 in the magazine Super Science Fiction. Magnus Ridolph is relaxing on a private space station called the Hub which is visited by many beings from other planets. Magnus is approached by an anthropologist who recognizes him and tries to hire him because he is fearful someone is trying to kill him. Magnus, however, is on vacation and declines the job offer. The next morning the anthropologist is found dead and Magnus is asked by the owner of the space station if he will help investigate because no law enforcement authorities have jurisdiction over a private space station and he wants to see that the murder is brought to justice. Magnus feels he cannot decline the offer so begins to investigate. Because there are so many alien beings with different customs and cultures, Magnus decides to conduct what he refers to as a "cultural analysis" to narrow down who might be the most likely suspects. One of the aliens, for example, is from a warrior culture where it would be extremely shameful to kill another except in face to face combat. Another is from a culture where human sacrifice is done for religious purposes, but the anthropologist was not killed in the ritualistic way that this culture requires. It is a murder mystery with various colorful aliens as suspects, all cleverly investigated by Magnus. My rating: 3.5
Hard Luck Diggings is an eight page short story that was first published in 1948 in the magazine Startling Stories. It features the main character Magnus Ridolph, a private investigator who accepts contracts on other worlds to solve crimes and mysteries. He is hired for a job investigating an off planet mining company where two to three men are being mysteriously strangled every day. This happens in only at "Diggings B" one of two mining operations. Three hundred minors are assigned to this digging, but they are being killed faster than they can be replaced. Murders have happened in locked rooms, showers, toilets and other places, always when a man is by himself with no witnesses. The only creatures on the planet are panthers, four armed apes and rodents, none of which would be able to enter a locked room to kill. The leopards and apes use to kill men at Diggings B until they installed an electric fence to keep them out. They do not need an electric fence at Diggings A because it is surrounded by extensive underbrush full of thorns. Ridolph is not only a private investigator but "an eminent mathematician" and uses math and logic to analyze all of the clues. He proceeds with solving the mystery by setting up an experiment that makes no sense to the mining superintendent. This is an interesting science fiction mystery that I rated a 4.
Howling Bounders is an eighteen page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1949. Magnus Ridolph finds a business opportunity and cannot believe his good fortune. He is offered a plantation at a price that seems too good to be true. After moving in, however, he discovers that his crops are being attacked and destroyed by creatures called "Howling Bounders." Ridolph is too clever and persevering to give up, though, and devises a scheme to deal with the Howling Bounders and the seller who cheated him. I rated it a 3.
"The King of Thieves" is an eighteen page short story that was first published in 1949 in the magazine Startling Stories. This one is pure fun and places Magnus Ridolph on a planet where the inhabitants admire thievery and honor the most successful thieves, such as their king. Ridolph bets with another visitor that he can maintain more of his possessions, and the visitor agrees to place the bet with him. This visitor cheated Ridolph previously so he is bent on revenge. Both of them seem to have no limits on what they will do to win as each tries to outsmart the other. I was quite amused and rated it a 4.
"The Kokod Warriors," a 34 page novelette first published in 1951, is one of the Magnus Ridolph series. The "Women's League Committee for the Preservation of Moral Values" hires Ridolph to investigate and stop ritualistic battles on another planet (Kodod) where tribes of dwarf like creatures have bloody fights with each other while tourists with their tour guide watch for entertainment. The hotel in the region makes huge profits from the tourists who visit the planet just to watch these killings. Ridolph devises a clever scheme in this interesting and easy to read story that is arguably the finest of the Magnus Ridolph stories. I rated it 5.
Sanatoris Short-cut is a ten page short story that was first published in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. It features the interplanetary private investigator, and eccentric Magnus Ridolph who is a white haired old man with a goat like beard who is totally underwhelming in appearance and manner of presentation. (Think the complete opposite of an attractive, dashing James Bond.) But Ridolph is a math wizard and amazingly analytical and down to earth and is able to solve baffling problems and outwit others, often using humor, innovation, math, unusual ideas and eccentric behavior. In this story Ridolph goes to Fan, The "Pleasure-Planet," where the Terrestrial Corps of Intelligence lacks authority. He decided to visit because his research on telepathy had exhausted his funds. Ridolph enters the "Hall of Doubtful Destiny" to try his hand at roulette wheels, but only after carefully examining them and statistically calculating his odds of winning by timing the wheel, estimating the mass and radial throw of the ball, guessing at the coefficient of skin friction, etc. He wins a large amount of money. When collecting his winnings Ridolph engages in a bet with the proprietor of the gambling hall, a notorious and feared crime figure, Acco May. May agrees to sign a confession of his crimes to bet as collateral toward Ridolph's gambling winnings. If Ridolph wins he will be given the confession. If May wins he will get back his casino's loss to Ridolph. The nature of the bet and Ridolph's actions to attempt to win the bet are the main substance of the story which is amusing and worth reading. I rated it a 3.
"Spa of the Stars" is a nineteen page short story that initially came out in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. A huge luxury hotel and resort is opened on the planet Kolama but has only three paying guests because of attacks on guests by half ton "gorilla-things", flying snakes, dragons and twenty foot aquatic pincher beetles. For some reason there were no such attacks during construction, but only after opening. Management thinks the local creatures called Mollies who assisted with building the resort were somehow able to keep these predators away, possibly by their odor. Magnus is hired to investigate, but the people who hire him do not act in good faith. This is an easy to read, enjoyable story with humor and local color. I rated it a 4.
"The Sub-Standard Sardines" is as strange a story as the title suggests. First published in the magazine Startling Stories it is a twenty two page short story and one of two stories not included in the Ace edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. It is in the DAW edition and in the Complete Magnus Ridolph. Magnus is invited to a gourmet dinner of broiled grouse with truffles and compote of Marchisand cherries, Queen Persis salad, Sirius Fifth artichokes, incredible wines from three planets, and a final course of canned sardines. The dinner is magnificent until the end when he opens the can of sardines and they explode. Magnus is then hired by the sardine firm to investigate why some of their gourmet cans of sardines are bad and appear to have been tampered with. Magnus investigates by getting a job undercover at the sardine factory. It is a funny, bizarre, very creative story that even involves talking fish. I rated it a 4.
“To B or Not to C or to D” is a twenty page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. It is also known as "Cosmic Hotfoot." It is one of the two Magnus Ridolph stories that are included in the DAW edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph but are omitted from the Ace edition. Ridolph is deeply in debt and trying to hide from bill collectors when he is approached with an offer that will pay off his bills if he investigates why minors keep dying on a private planet called Jexjeka. Magnus is in debt because of the expenses of managing his own personal zoo, "that howling menagerie of monsters," so accepts the assignment after cleverly negotiating a contract. Magnus puts himself at great risk to investigate and is unsure if he can trust his employer, a "scowling man" with "carbuncle eyes" who has a reputation for being an "unscrupulous blackguard." I liked the story and rated it a 3.
"The Unspeakable McInch" is a seventeen page short story that was issued initially in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. Magnus Ridolph is hired to visit the planet of Sclerotto to identify and deal with a murderer named McInch, whose real identify is unknown. The planet was settled by aliens from many different worlds who, despite their many differences, seem to get along and to have a functioning society. Tourists visit the planet just to see the many strange residents who live and work there. The authorities suspect that McInch is one of the city officials, each of whom is a different species. After arriving at the planet Magnus makes the rounds to interview all of the major city officials. The story is filled with bizarre, colorful alien creatures who make up the society. It is very entertaining, humorous and simply fun to read. I rated it a 4.
This is the 1990 hardcover edition of all ten of Vance's Magnus Ridolph stories. I've read these many times and like them even better after rereading them. Vance fans and those who like well written science fiction short stories should enjoy all ten stories. Below is a brief description of each in alphabetical order.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
"Coup de Grace" is a twenty one page short story published initially in 1958 in the magazine Super Science Fiction. Magnus Ridolph is relaxing on a private space station called the Hub which is visited by many beings from other planets. Magnus is approached by an anthropologist who recognizes him and tries to hire him because he is fearful someone is trying to kill him. Magnus, however, is on vacation and declines the job offer. The next morning the anthropologist is found dead and Magnus is asked by the owner of the space station if he will help investigate because no law enforcement authorities have jurisdiction over a private space station and he wants to see that the murder is brought to justice. Magnus feels he cannot decline the offer so begins to investigate. Because there are so many alien beings with different customs and cultures, Magnus decides to conduct what he refers to as a "cultural analysis" to narrow down who might be the most likely suspects. One of the aliens, for example, is from a warrior culture where it would be extremely shameful to kill another except in face to face combat. Another is from a culture where human sacrifice is done for religious purposes, but the anthropologist was not killed in the ritualistic way that this culture requires. It is a murder mystery with various colorful aliens as suspects, all cleverly investigated by Magnus. My rating: 3.5
Hard Luck Diggings is an eight page short story that was first published in 1948 in the magazine Startling Stories. It features the main character Magnus Ridolph, a private investigator who accepts contracts on other worlds to solve crimes and mysteries. He is hired for a job investigating an off planet mining company where two to three men are being mysteriously strangled every day. This happens in only at "Diggings B" one of two mining operations. Three hundred minors are assigned to this digging, but they are being killed faster than they can be replaced. Murders have happened in locked rooms, showers, toilets and other places, always when a man is by himself with no witnesses. The only creatures on the planet are panthers, four armed apes and rodents, none of which would be able to enter a locked room to kill. The leopards and apes use to kill men at Diggings B until they installed an electric fence to keep them out. They do not need an electric fence at Diggings A because it is surrounded by extensive underbrush full of thorns. Ridolph is not only a private investigator but "an eminent mathematician" and uses math and logic to analyze all of the clues. He proceeds with solving the mystery by setting up an experiment that makes no sense to the mining superintendent. This is an interesting science fiction mystery that I rated a 4.
Howling Bounders is an eighteen page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1949. Magnus Ridolph finds a business opportunity and cannot believe his good fortune. He is offered a plantation at a price that seems too good to be true. After moving in, however, he discovers that his crops are being attacked and destroyed by creatures called "Howling Bounders." Ridolph is too clever and persevering to give up, though, and devises a scheme to deal with the Howling Bounders and the seller who cheated him. I rated it a 3.
"The King of Thieves" is an eighteen page short story that was first published in 1949 in the magazine Startling Stories. This one is pure fun and places Magnus Ridolph on a planet where the inhabitants admire thievery and honor the most successful thieves, such as their king. Ridolph bets with another visitor that he can maintain more of his possessions, and the visitor agrees to place the bet with him. This visitor cheated Ridolph previously so he is bent on revenge. Both of them seem to have no limits on what they will do to win as each tries to outsmart the other. I was quite amused and rated it a 4.
"The Kokod Warriors," a 34 page novelette first published in 1951, is one of the Magnus Ridolph series. The "Women's League Committee for the Preservation of Moral Values" hires Ridolph to investigate and stop ritualistic battles on another planet (Kodod) where tribes of dwarf like creatures have bloody fights with each other while tourists with their tour guide watch for entertainment. The hotel in the region makes huge profits from the tourists who visit the planet just to watch these killings. Ridolph devises a clever scheme in this interesting and easy to read story that is arguably the finest of the Magnus Ridolph stories. I rated it 5.
Sanatoris Short-cut is a ten page short story that was first published in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. It features the interplanetary private investigator, and eccentric Magnus Ridolph who is a white haired old man with a goat like beard who is totally underwhelming in appearance and manner of presentation. (Think the complete opposite of an attractive, dashing James Bond.) But Ridolph is a math wizard and amazingly analytical and down to earth and is able to solve baffling problems and outwit others, often using humor, innovation, math, unusual ideas and eccentric behavior. In this story Ridolph goes to Fan, The "Pleasure-Planet," where the Terrestrial Corps of Intelligence lacks authority. He decided to visit because his research on telepathy had exhausted his funds. Ridolph enters the "Hall of Doubtful Destiny" to try his hand at roulette wheels, but only after carefully examining them and statistically calculating his odds of winning by timing the wheel, estimating the mass and radial throw of the ball, guessing at the coefficient of skin friction, etc. He wins a large amount of money. When collecting his winnings Ridolph engages in a bet with the proprietor of the gambling hall, a notorious and feared crime figure, Acco May. May agrees to sign a confession of his crimes to bet as collateral toward Ridolph's gambling winnings. If Ridolph wins he will be given the confession. If May wins he will get back his casino's loss to Ridolph. The nature of the bet and Ridolph's actions to attempt to win the bet are the main substance of the story which is amusing and worth reading. I rated it a 3.
"Spa of the Stars" is a nineteen page short story that initially came out in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. A huge luxury hotel and resort is opened on the planet Kolama but has only three paying guests because of attacks on guests by half ton "gorilla-things", flying snakes, dragons and twenty foot aquatic pincher beetles. For some reason there were no such attacks during construction, but only after opening. Management thinks the local creatures called Mollies who assisted with building the resort were somehow able to keep these predators away, possibly by their odor. Magnus is hired to investigate, but the people who hire him do not act in good faith. This is an easy to read, enjoyable story with humor and local color. I rated it a 4.
"The Sub-Standard Sardines" is as strange a story as the title suggests. First published in the magazine Startling Stories it is a twenty two page short story and one of two stories not included in the Ace edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. It is in the DAW edition and in the Complete Magnus Ridolph. Magnus is invited to a gourmet dinner of broiled grouse with truffles and compote of Marchisand cherries, Queen Persis salad, Sirius Fifth artichokes, incredible wines from three planets, and a final course of canned sardines. The dinner is magnificent until the end when he opens the can of sardines and they explode. Magnus is then hired by the sardine firm to investigate why some of their gourmet cans of sardines are bad and appear to have been tampered with. Magnus investigates by getting a job undercover at the sardine factory. It is a funny, bizarre, very creative story that even involves talking fish. I rated it a 4.
“To B or Not to C or to D” is a twenty page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. It is also known as "Cosmic Hotfoot." It is one of the two Magnus Ridolph stories that are included in the DAW edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph but are omitted from the Ace edition. Ridolph is deeply in debt and trying to hide from bill collectors when he is approached with an offer that will pay off his bills if he investigates why minors keep dying on a private planet called Jexjeka. Magnus is in debt because of the expenses of managing his own personal zoo, "that howling menagerie of monsters," so accepts the assignment after cleverly negotiating a contract. Magnus puts himself at great risk to investigate and is unsure if he can trust his employer, a "scowling man" with "carbuncle eyes" who has a reputation for being an "unscrupulous blackguard." I liked the story and rated it a 3.
"The Unspeakable McInch" is a seventeen page short story that was issued initially in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. Magnus Ridolph is hired to visit the planet of Sclerotto to identify and deal with a murderer named McInch, whose real identify is unknown. The planet was settled by aliens from many different worlds who, despite their many differences, seem to get along and to have a functioning society. Tourists visit the planet just to see the many strange residents who live and work there. The authorities suspect that McInch is one of the city officials, each of whom is a different species. After arriving at the planet Magnus makes the rounds to interview all of the major city officials. The story is filled with bizarre, colorful alien creatures who make up the society. It is very entertaining, humorous and simply fun to read. I rated it a 4.
September 28, 2025
The collected Magnus Ridolph stories. I read these long ago as part of the Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. These definitely fall into Vance's learning phase, combining two of his interests: sci-fi and mystery. Ridolph is a cerebral detective, a somewhat amoral Holmes, in a noir future where all the villains talk like gangsters from 30s movies.
These stories are definitely Vance, with some of the humor and unique world-building, but for the most part they need work. Very pulpy, so if you want a dose of pulp sci-fi these are more fun than most.
The one standout is the Kokod Warriors, which is a fun, comic romp with very sympathetic aliens and a hat tip to Wodehouse. Any but Vancian-completionists should seek out that story in The Jack Vance Treasury (or another collection) and skip this one.
I read Miro Hetzel Galactic Effectuator at the same time. Those two stories are basically the same sci-fi detective genre but written 20 years later. The Dogtown Detective Agency is better written but not significantly better than the Ridoplh stories and the second Hetzel story is really odd.
These stories are definitely Vance, with some of the humor and unique world-building, but for the most part they need work. Very pulpy, so if you want a dose of pulp sci-fi these are more fun than most.
The one standout is the Kokod Warriors, which is a fun, comic romp with very sympathetic aliens and a hat tip to Wodehouse. Any but Vancian-completionists should seek out that story in The Jack Vance Treasury (or another collection) and skip this one.
I read Miro Hetzel Galactic Effectuator at the same time. Those two stories are basically the same sci-fi detective genre but written 20 years later. The Dogtown Detective Agency is better written but not significantly better than the Ridoplh stories and the second Hetzel story is really odd.
April 2, 2013
This is copy 52 of 200 signed numbered copies.
April 23, 2021
English version from Spatterlight press.
None of the stories are bad, most aren’t especially great, but there’s a certain Sherlockian charm.
None of the stories are bad, most aren’t especially great, but there’s a certain Sherlockian charm.
November 11, 2023
This is the 2017 Spatterlight Press trade paperback edition of all ten of Vance's Magnus Ridolph stories. These are early stories but should still be of interest to Vance fans. Below is a brief description of each in alphabetical order.
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
"Coup de Grace" is a 20 page short story published initially in 1958 in the magazine Super Science Fiction. Magnus Ridolph is relaxing on a private space station called the Hub which is visited by many beings from other planets. Magnus is approached by an anthropologist who recognizes him and tries to hire him because he is fearful someone is trying to kill him. Magnus, however, is on vacation and declines the job offer. The next morning the anthropologist is found dead and Magnus is asked by the owner of the space station if he will help investigate because no law enforcement authorities have jurisdiction over a private space station and he wants to see that the murder is brought to justice. Magnus feels he cannot decline the offer so begins to investigate. Because there are so many alien beings with different customs and cultures, Magnus decides to conduct what he refers to as a "cultural analysis" to narrow down who might be the most likely suspects. One of the aliens, for example, is from a warrior culture where it would be extremely shameful to kill another except in face to face combat. Another is from a culture where human sacrifice is done for religious purposes, but the anthropologist was not killed in the ritualistic way that this culture requires. It is a murder mystery with various colorful aliens as suspects, all cleverly investigated by Magnus. My rating: 3.5
"Hard Luck Diggings" is an 8 page short story that was first published in 1948 in the magazine Startling Stories. It features the main character Magnus Ridolph, a private investigator who accepts contracts on other worlds to solve crimes and mysteries. He is hired for a job investigating an off planet mining company where two to three men are being mysteriously strangled every day. This happens in only at "Diggings B" one of two mining operations. Three hundred minors are assigned to this digging, but they are being killed faster than they can be replaced. Murders have happened in locked rooms, showers, toilets and other places, always when a man is by himself with no witnesses. The only creatures on the planet are panthers, four armed apes and rodents, none of which would be able to enter a locked room to kill. The leopards and apes use to kill men at Diggings B until they installed an electric fence to keep them out. They do not need an electric fence at Diggings A because it is surrounded by extensive underbrush full of thorns. Ridolph is not only a private investigator but "an eminent mathematician" and uses math and logic to analyze all of the clues. He proceeds with solving the mystery by setting up an experiment that makes no sense to the mining superintendent. This is an interesting science fiction mystery that I rated a 4.
"Howling Bounders" is an 18 page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1949. Magnus Ridolph finds a business opportunity and cannot believe his good fortune. He is offered a plantation at a price that seems too good to be true. After moving in, however, he discovers that his crops are being attacked and destroyed by creatures called "Howling Bounders." Ridolph is too clever and persevering to give up, though, and devises a scheme to deal with the Howling Bounders and the seller who cheated him. I rated it a 3.
"The King of Thieves" is an 18 page short story that was first published in 1949 in the magazine Startling Stories. This one is pure fun and places Magnus Ridolph on a planet where the inhabitants admire thievery and honor the most successful thieves, such as their king. Ridolph bets with another visitor that he can maintain more of his possessions, and the visitor agrees to place the bet with him. This visitor cheated Ridolph previously so he is bent on revenge. Both of them seem to have no limits on what they will do to win as each tries to outsmart the other. I was quite amused and rated it a 4.
"The Kokod Warriors," a 34 page novelette first published in 1951, is one of the Magnus Ridolph series. The "Women's League Committee for the Preservation of Moral Values" hires Ridolph to investigate and stop ritualistic battles on another planet (Kodod) where tribes of dwarf like creatures have bloody fights with each other while tourists with their tour guide watch for entertainment. The hotel in the region makes huge profits from the tourists who visit the planet just to watch these killings. Ridolph devises a clever scheme in this interesting and easy to read story that is arguably the finest of the Magnus Ridolph stories. I rated it 5.
Sanatoris Short-cut is a 10 page short story that was first published in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. It features the interplanetary private investigator, and eccentric Magnus Ridolph who is a white haired old man with a goat like beard who is totally underwhelming in appearance and manner of presentation. (Think the complete opposite of an attractive, dashing James Bond.) But Ridolph is a math wizard and amazingly analytical and down to earth and is able to solve baffling problems and outwit others, often using humor, innovation, math, unusual ideas and eccentric behavior. In this story Ridolph goes to Fan, The "Pleasure-Planet," where the Terrestrial Corps of Intelligence lacks authority. He decided to visit because his research on telepathy had exhausted his funds. Ridolph enters the "Hall of Doubtful Destiny" to try his hand at roulette wheels, but only after carefully examining them and statistically calculating his odds of winning by timing the wheel, estimating the mass and radial throw of the ball, guessing at the coefficient of skin friction, etc. He wins a large amount of money. When collecting his winnings Ridolph engages in a bet with the proprietor of the gambling hall, a notorious and feared crime figure, Acco May. May agrees to sign a confession of his crimes to bet as collateral toward Ridolph's gambling winnings. If Ridolph wins he will be given the confession. If May wins he will get back his casino's loss to Ridolph. The nature of the bet and Ridolph's actions to attempt to win the bet are the main substance of the story which is amusing and worth reading. I rated it a 3.
"Spa of the Stars" is a 19 page short story that initially came out in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. A huge luxury hotel and resort is opened on the planet Kolama but has only three paying guests because of attacks on guests by half ton "gorilla-things", flying snakes, dragons and twenty foot aquatic pincher beetles. For some reason there were no such attacks during construction, but only after opening. Management thinks the local creatures called Mollies who assisted with building the resort were somehow able to keep these predators away, possibly by their odor. Magnus is hired to investigate, but the people who hire him do not act in good faith. This is an easy to read, enjoyable story with humor and local color. I rated it a 4.
"The Sub-Standard Sardines," a 24 page short story, is as strange as the title suggests. First published in the magazine Startling Stories it is a twenty two page short story and one of two stories not included in the Ace edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. It is in the DAW edition and in the Complete Magnus Ridolph. Magnus is invited to a gourmet dinner of broiled grouse with truffles and compote of Marchisand cherries, Queen Persis salad, Sirius Fifth artichokes, incredible wines from three planets, and a final course of canned sardines. The dinner is magnificent until the end when he opens the can of sardines and they explode. Magnus is then hired by the sardine firm to investigate why some of their gourmet cans of sardines are bad and appear to have been tampered with. Magnus investigates by getting a job undercover at the sardine factory. It is a funny, bizarre, very creative story that even involves talking fish. I rated it a 4.
“To B or Not to C or to D” is a 20 page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. It is also known as "Cosmic Hotfoot." It is one of the two Magnus Ridolph stories that are included in the DAW edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph but are omitted from the Ace edition. Ridolph is deeply in debt and trying to hide from bill collectors when he is approached with an offer that will pay off his bills if he investigates why minors keep dying on a private planet called Jexjeka. Magnus is in debt because of the expenses of managing his own personal zoo, "that howling menagerie of monsters," so accepts the assignment after cleverly negotiating a contract. Magnus puts himself at great risk to investigate and is unsure if he can trust his employer, a "scowling man" with "carbuncle eyes" who has a reputation for being an "unscrupulous blackguard." I liked the story and rated it a 3.
"The Unspeakable McInch" is a 17 page short story that was issued initially in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. Magnus Ridolph is hired to visit the planet of Sclerotto to identify and deal with a murderer named McInch, whose real identify is unknown. The planet was settled by aliens from many different worlds who, despite their many differences, seem to get along and to have a functioning society. Tourists visit the planet just to see the many strange residents who live and work there. The authorities suspect that McInch is one of the city officials, each of whom is a different species. After arriving at the planet Magnus makes the rounds to interview all of the major city officials. The story is filled with bizarre, colorful alien creatures who make up the society. It is very entertaining, humorous and enjoyable to read. I rated it a 4.
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
"Coup de Grace" is a 20 page short story published initially in 1958 in the magazine Super Science Fiction. Magnus Ridolph is relaxing on a private space station called the Hub which is visited by many beings from other planets. Magnus is approached by an anthropologist who recognizes him and tries to hire him because he is fearful someone is trying to kill him. Magnus, however, is on vacation and declines the job offer. The next morning the anthropologist is found dead and Magnus is asked by the owner of the space station if he will help investigate because no law enforcement authorities have jurisdiction over a private space station and he wants to see that the murder is brought to justice. Magnus feels he cannot decline the offer so begins to investigate. Because there are so many alien beings with different customs and cultures, Magnus decides to conduct what he refers to as a "cultural analysis" to narrow down who might be the most likely suspects. One of the aliens, for example, is from a warrior culture where it would be extremely shameful to kill another except in face to face combat. Another is from a culture where human sacrifice is done for religious purposes, but the anthropologist was not killed in the ritualistic way that this culture requires. It is a murder mystery with various colorful aliens as suspects, all cleverly investigated by Magnus. My rating: 3.5
"Hard Luck Diggings" is an 8 page short story that was first published in 1948 in the magazine Startling Stories. It features the main character Magnus Ridolph, a private investigator who accepts contracts on other worlds to solve crimes and mysteries. He is hired for a job investigating an off planet mining company where two to three men are being mysteriously strangled every day. This happens in only at "Diggings B" one of two mining operations. Three hundred minors are assigned to this digging, but they are being killed faster than they can be replaced. Murders have happened in locked rooms, showers, toilets and other places, always when a man is by himself with no witnesses. The only creatures on the planet are panthers, four armed apes and rodents, none of which would be able to enter a locked room to kill. The leopards and apes use to kill men at Diggings B until they installed an electric fence to keep them out. They do not need an electric fence at Diggings A because it is surrounded by extensive underbrush full of thorns. Ridolph is not only a private investigator but "an eminent mathematician" and uses math and logic to analyze all of the clues. He proceeds with solving the mystery by setting up an experiment that makes no sense to the mining superintendent. This is an interesting science fiction mystery that I rated a 4.
"Howling Bounders" is an 18 page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1949. Magnus Ridolph finds a business opportunity and cannot believe his good fortune. He is offered a plantation at a price that seems too good to be true. After moving in, however, he discovers that his crops are being attacked and destroyed by creatures called "Howling Bounders." Ridolph is too clever and persevering to give up, though, and devises a scheme to deal with the Howling Bounders and the seller who cheated him. I rated it a 3.
"The King of Thieves" is an 18 page short story that was first published in 1949 in the magazine Startling Stories. This one is pure fun and places Magnus Ridolph on a planet where the inhabitants admire thievery and honor the most successful thieves, such as their king. Ridolph bets with another visitor that he can maintain more of his possessions, and the visitor agrees to place the bet with him. This visitor cheated Ridolph previously so he is bent on revenge. Both of them seem to have no limits on what they will do to win as each tries to outsmart the other. I was quite amused and rated it a 4.
"The Kokod Warriors," a 34 page novelette first published in 1951, is one of the Magnus Ridolph series. The "Women's League Committee for the Preservation of Moral Values" hires Ridolph to investigate and stop ritualistic battles on another planet (Kodod) where tribes of dwarf like creatures have bloody fights with each other while tourists with their tour guide watch for entertainment. The hotel in the region makes huge profits from the tourists who visit the planet just to watch these killings. Ridolph devises a clever scheme in this interesting and easy to read story that is arguably the finest of the Magnus Ridolph stories. I rated it 5.
Sanatoris Short-cut is a 10 page short story that was first published in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. It features the interplanetary private investigator, and eccentric Magnus Ridolph who is a white haired old man with a goat like beard who is totally underwhelming in appearance and manner of presentation. (Think the complete opposite of an attractive, dashing James Bond.) But Ridolph is a math wizard and amazingly analytical and down to earth and is able to solve baffling problems and outwit others, often using humor, innovation, math, unusual ideas and eccentric behavior. In this story Ridolph goes to Fan, The "Pleasure-Planet," where the Terrestrial Corps of Intelligence lacks authority. He decided to visit because his research on telepathy had exhausted his funds. Ridolph enters the "Hall of Doubtful Destiny" to try his hand at roulette wheels, but only after carefully examining them and statistically calculating his odds of winning by timing the wheel, estimating the mass and radial throw of the ball, guessing at the coefficient of skin friction, etc. He wins a large amount of money. When collecting his winnings Ridolph engages in a bet with the proprietor of the gambling hall, a notorious and feared crime figure, Acco May. May agrees to sign a confession of his crimes to bet as collateral toward Ridolph's gambling winnings. If Ridolph wins he will be given the confession. If May wins he will get back his casino's loss to Ridolph. The nature of the bet and Ridolph's actions to attempt to win the bet are the main substance of the story which is amusing and worth reading. I rated it a 3.
"Spa of the Stars" is a 19 page short story that initially came out in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. A huge luxury hotel and resort is opened on the planet Kolama but has only three paying guests because of attacks on guests by half ton "gorilla-things", flying snakes, dragons and twenty foot aquatic pincher beetles. For some reason there were no such attacks during construction, but only after opening. Management thinks the local creatures called Mollies who assisted with building the resort were somehow able to keep these predators away, possibly by their odor. Magnus is hired to investigate, but the people who hire him do not act in good faith. This is an easy to read, enjoyable story with humor and local color. I rated it a 4.
"The Sub-Standard Sardines," a 24 page short story, is as strange as the title suggests. First published in the magazine Startling Stories it is a twenty two page short story and one of two stories not included in the Ace edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. It is in the DAW edition and in the Complete Magnus Ridolph. Magnus is invited to a gourmet dinner of broiled grouse with truffles and compote of Marchisand cherries, Queen Persis salad, Sirius Fifth artichokes, incredible wines from three planets, and a final course of canned sardines. The dinner is magnificent until the end when he opens the can of sardines and they explode. Magnus is then hired by the sardine firm to investigate why some of their gourmet cans of sardines are bad and appear to have been tampered with. Magnus investigates by getting a job undercover at the sardine factory. It is a funny, bizarre, very creative story that even involves talking fish. I rated it a 4.
“To B or Not to C or to D” is a 20 page short story that was first published in Startling Stories magazine in 1950. It is also known as "Cosmic Hotfoot." It is one of the two Magnus Ridolph stories that are included in the DAW edition of The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph but are omitted from the Ace edition. Ridolph is deeply in debt and trying to hide from bill collectors when he is approached with an offer that will pay off his bills if he investigates why minors keep dying on a private planet called Jexjeka. Magnus is in debt because of the expenses of managing his own personal zoo, "that howling menagerie of monsters," so accepts the assignment after cleverly negotiating a contract. Magnus puts himself at great risk to investigate and is unsure if he can trust his employer, a "scowling man" with "carbuncle eyes" who has a reputation for being an "unscrupulous blackguard." I liked the story and rated it a 3.
"The Unspeakable McInch" is a 17 page short story that was issued initially in the magazine Startling Stories in 1948. Magnus Ridolph is hired to visit the planet of Sclerotto to identify and deal with a murderer named McInch, whose real identify is unknown. The planet was settled by aliens from many different worlds who, despite their many differences, seem to get along and to have a functioning society. Tourists visit the planet just to see the many strange residents who live and work there. The authorities suspect that McInch is one of the city officials, each of whom is a different species. After arriving at the planet Magnus makes the rounds to interview all of the major city officials. The story is filled with bizarre, colorful alien creatures who make up the society. It is very entertaining, humorous and enjoyable to read. I rated it a 4.
March 20, 2022
Jacka Vance si dávkuji a užívám ho po kapkách. Ono, číst ho není úplně jednoduché. I když psal v nějakých padesátých letech, tak přišel s geniálním způsobem, jak se postarat, aby jeho knížky nezestárly – jeho sci-fi se sice odehrávají v daleké budoucnosti, ale jsou psaná tak, jako by se odehrávaly někdy v dávných stoletích.
Magnus Ridolph je sborník povídek s typickým Vanceovským hrdinou. Nepříliš morálním, snažícím se většinu situací využít k svému obohacení, bez nějakých emocí. Tady je to navíc snobský, takový Hercule Poirot ve vesmíru. Kostra povídek je obvykle taková, že je hrdina na začátku postavený před neřešitelný problém, který ve finále nejenže vyřeší, ale vyřeší ho i tak, aby mu přinesl nějaký finanční zisk. Ať už jsou to záhadné vraždy, mizení lidí ze specifických míst, klanové války, nekvalitní sardinky, či obchod s planetou plnou zlodějů. Příběhy nejsou nijak komplikované a pointy vás neohromí, přesto to oplývá příjemným retro a lehkým stylem a hrdinou, který se sám považuje za vrchol civilizace. Vanceho fantasy série mě baví o něco víc… možná i pro větší kontrast mezi bizarními světy a jejich krvavostí, s neemočním přístupem hrdinů, ale tohle je taky fajn. Obávám se, že nakonec opět skončím u toho, že si přečtu Vanceho celého. Ale po kapkách.
Magnus Ridolph je sborník povídek s typickým Vanceovským hrdinou. Nepříliš morálním, snažícím se většinu situací využít k svému obohacení, bez nějakých emocí. Tady je to navíc snobský, takový Hercule Poirot ve vesmíru. Kostra povídek je obvykle taková, že je hrdina na začátku postavený před neřešitelný problém, který ve finále nejenže vyřeší, ale vyřeší ho i tak, aby mu přinesl nějaký finanční zisk. Ať už jsou to záhadné vraždy, mizení lidí ze specifických míst, klanové války, nekvalitní sardinky, či obchod s planetou plnou zlodějů. Příběhy nejsou nijak komplikované a pointy vás neohromí, přesto to oplývá příjemným retro a lehkým stylem a hrdinou, který se sám považuje za vrchol civilizace. Vanceho fantasy série mě baví o něco víc… možná i pro větší kontrast mezi bizarními světy a jejich krvavostí, s neemočním přístupem hrdinů, ale tohle je taky fajn. Obávám se, že nakonec opět skončím u toho, že si přečtu Vanceho celého. Ale po kapkách.
July 21, 2019
Science Fiction Mystery Stories with a Memorable Detective
I read about half of these stories as a teenager, and they have certainly held up. That is, the mysteries are for the most part satisfying little puzzles, but the main interest is the detective, the cultured intellectual man-about-the-galaxy, Magnus Ridolph. Debonair, clever, and always looking out for a way to support his rich but not excessive lifestyle, Magnus Ridolph goes about the far-future settled galaxy, interacting with a plethora of races and species, solving problems for the baffled and impatient, and always coming out on top. He’s a futuristic peer of Sherlock, Mycroft, and Nero, functioning in a complex society with all the color and squalor of a 19th century colonial setting.
I read about half of these stories as a teenager, and they have certainly held up. That is, the mysteries are for the most part satisfying little puzzles, but the main interest is the detective, the cultured intellectual man-about-the-galaxy, Magnus Ridolph. Debonair, clever, and always looking out for a way to support his rich but not excessive lifestyle, Magnus Ridolph goes about the far-future settled galaxy, interacting with a plethora of races and species, solving problems for the baffled and impatient, and always coming out on top. He’s a futuristic peer of Sherlock, Mycroft, and Nero, functioning in a complex society with all the color and squalor of a 19th century colonial setting.
August 27, 2023
A book of ten stories that all feature Vance's science fictional sleuth Magnus Ridolph. In the earliest stories, Vance makes some obvious nods to Sherlock Holmes, although Ridolph is a far lighter character. The comparison to the SH stories is apt because the stories tend to be mysteries or problem stories. Why are people being killed at one work site and not another?, who is sabotaging shipments of the best sardines in the universe?, or how can Ridolph solve the problem of the Kokod Warriors? These are among Vance's earlier stories (mostly 1948 - 50) so his writing is more conventional than his later more baroque works. If you like Vance, you will enjoy these stories, but this is not the place to start to get a real sense of Vance's SF.
January 9, 2021
Lesser Vance is still Vance
Tales of scoundrels and aliens with truly alien attitudes, but while mostly structured as mysteries they're not very satisfying mysteries since they usually turn on some made-up technology or fact about alien culture known to Magnus but not the reader until the reveal.
Tales of scoundrels and aliens with truly alien attitudes, but while mostly structured as mysteries they're not very satisfying mysteries since they usually turn on some made-up technology or fact about alien culture known to Magnus but not the reader until the reveal.
February 1, 2023
Ten funny short stories which are not quite mysteries. Ridolph is hired to solve mysteries, but only two or three would be called a "fair" mystery. The are meant to be funny, and they succeed. While lining his own pocket, Ridolph brings a variety of scallywags to justice, economic ruin, or both. Good fun!
June 11, 2019
Delightful!
Few modern writers display Vance's ability to transform English into a tapestry of subtle wit. These stories, short as they are, manage to wrap up nicely, leaving the reader with a smile.
Few modern writers display Vance's ability to transform English into a tapestry of subtle wit. These stories, short as they are, manage to wrap up nicely, leaving the reader with a smile.
April 17, 2026
Dnf about 1/3 through, read 3 stories
I think this is a product of its time. It's not bad, but the stories are lacking. Not enough show.
I came to these stories as I heard they were an inspiration to GRRM and his Tuf Voyaging which is fantastic. I see how it inspired him.
I think this is a product of its time. It's not bad, but the stories are lacking. Not enough show.
I came to these stories as I heard they were an inspiration to GRRM and his Tuf Voyaging which is fantastic. I see how it inspired him.
July 28, 2018
Not all stories are of the same level; I'd rather keep the first, earlier ones, than most of the later.
May 30, 2020
Early Vance
Classic SF detective stories in Jack Vance’s inimitable style.
Hints of his later more complex world building are to be found here.
Classic SF detective stories in Jack Vance’s inimitable style.
Hints of his later more complex world building are to be found here.
May 23, 2022
Alle verhalen over Magnus Ridolph in één bundel, inclusief twee tot op heden onvertaald gebleven werken. De garantie voor een avondje of twee onbekommerd leesplezier verzorgd door Jack Vance, één van mijn absolute jeugd idolen. Vaak worden de verhalen uit de nadagen van het gouden tijdperk van de science fiction achterhaald door de tijd en niet gered door sprankelend proza of een onderhoudende verteltrant. De verhalen van Magnus Ridolph zijn na meer dan 50 jaar rijping nog steeds prima leesbaar.
Deze bundel is een uitgave van Spatterlight, een reeks heruitgaven in het Nederlands die hersteld zijn naar zoals Vance het bedoeld had en herzien zijn waar het de Nederlandse vertaling betreft, de verhalen glimmen weer als een vintage klassieker die met liefde gerestaureerd en in de lak gezet is.
Omdat ik net twee boeken van Agatha Christie gelezen had, werd ik sterk getroffen door de overeenkomsten tussen Magnus Ridolph en Hercule Poirot. Beide zijn zelfingenomen dandy's met een exquise smaak, buitengewoon observatievermogen en vlijmscherp intellect. Hun reputatie gaat ze ver vooruit, niet zelden een handje geholpen door de onderhavige ijdeltuit zelf. Een zekere rekkelijke moraal en droogkomische feilbaarheid van de held zorgt voor de amusantste momenten van de verhalen. De overeenkomst zal wel vooral in mijn beleving zijn, maar ik vind de vergelijking zeker geen belediging voor Vance of Christie.
Wat mij het meest treft in deze verhalen van Vance is hoe hij in staat is, in enkele pennenstreken een hele buitenaardse wereld in je hoofd op te roepen, deze te bevolken met wonderlijke rassen, bedrieglijke buitenaardsen, arrogante kwasten, welbespraakte schelmen en onbeschaafde rabauwen. Zijn dialogen zijn onderkoeld humoristisch en drijven op de vileine interactie van zeer geciviliseerde schurken met buitengewoon kwaadwillende intenties, waar Magnus Ridolph vaak slechts zeer marginaal de morele opperhand behoudt terwijl hij een niet van wraaklust gespeend plan bedenkt om de net wat meer gewetenloze boef te beroven van zijn geld en algemeen kwalijke invloed op de opdrachtgever. Het verhaal de Kokod-krijgers is daar een uitnemend voorbeeld van.
Wat ook opvalt aan deze verhalen die net na de tweede wereldoorlog geschreven zijn, is de vaak achteloze wreedheid van zowel de schurken als de hoofdpersonen. Onze held is niet te beroerd om als hij denkt dat hij er een grijpstuiver aan kan verdienen. De verhalen van Vance zijn zeker niet politiek correct en terwijl ik daar met een zeker schuldig geweten van kan genieten is het zeker niet voor elk publiek geschikt.
Maar kort en goed, de verhalen van Magnus Ridolph. Als je ze nog nooit gelezen had en je wakkerheid kan tegen een stootje, schaf je dan deze prima herziene editie van de Spatterlight serie aan. Staat goed in je kast en garant voor leesplezier.
Deze bundel is een uitgave van Spatterlight, een reeks heruitgaven in het Nederlands die hersteld zijn naar zoals Vance het bedoeld had en herzien zijn waar het de Nederlandse vertaling betreft, de verhalen glimmen weer als een vintage klassieker die met liefde gerestaureerd en in de lak gezet is.
Omdat ik net twee boeken van Agatha Christie gelezen had, werd ik sterk getroffen door de overeenkomsten tussen Magnus Ridolph en Hercule Poirot. Beide zijn zelfingenomen dandy's met een exquise smaak, buitengewoon observatievermogen en vlijmscherp intellect. Hun reputatie gaat ze ver vooruit, niet zelden een handje geholpen door de onderhavige ijdeltuit zelf. Een zekere rekkelijke moraal en droogkomische feilbaarheid van de held zorgt voor de amusantste momenten van de verhalen. De overeenkomst zal wel vooral in mijn beleving zijn, maar ik vind de vergelijking zeker geen belediging voor Vance of Christie.
Wat mij het meest treft in deze verhalen van Vance is hoe hij in staat is, in enkele pennenstreken een hele buitenaardse wereld in je hoofd op te roepen, deze te bevolken met wonderlijke rassen, bedrieglijke buitenaardsen, arrogante kwasten, welbespraakte schelmen en onbeschaafde rabauwen. Zijn dialogen zijn onderkoeld humoristisch en drijven op de vileine interactie van zeer geciviliseerde schurken met buitengewoon kwaadwillende intenties, waar Magnus Ridolph vaak slechts zeer marginaal de morele opperhand behoudt terwijl hij een niet van wraaklust gespeend plan bedenkt om de net wat meer gewetenloze boef te beroven van zijn geld en algemeen kwalijke invloed op de opdrachtgever. Het verhaal de Kokod-krijgers is daar een uitnemend voorbeeld van.
Wat ook opvalt aan deze verhalen die net na de tweede wereldoorlog geschreven zijn, is de vaak achteloze wreedheid van zowel de schurken als de hoofdpersonen. Onze held is niet te beroerd om als hij denkt dat hij er een grijpstuiver aan kan verdienen. De verhalen van Vance zijn zeker niet politiek correct en terwijl ik daar met een zeker schuldig geweten van kan genieten is het zeker niet voor elk publiek geschikt.
Maar kort en goed, de verhalen van Magnus Ridolph. Als je ze nog nooit gelezen had en je wakkerheid kan tegen een stootje, schaf je dan deze prima herziene editie van de Spatterlight serie aan. Staat goed in je kast en garant voor leesplezier.
January 21, 2019
Although I have been a fan of the author's books for fifty years this is the first time I have read this collection. It contains ten short stories featuring Magnus Ridolph, who is a sort of galactic trouble shooter. Nine of the stories were first published between 1948 and 1952 with the final story being a little later from 1958. It's humorous stuff with most stories featuring outlandish aliens. Probably not a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with the author's work but if you enjoyed the author's later books this collection is worth a read.
August 6, 2013
My least favorite Vance
July 11, 2023
Funny and entertaining stories of this modern day Cugel.
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