Magnus Ridolph eBook Jack Vance
Download As PDF : Magnus Ridolph eBook Jack Vance 
"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.
Cover art by C. Michael Taylor
Magnus Ridolph eBook Jack Vance
I've been reading science fiction since the 1970s, and while I have read Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever, Dying Earth, The Last Castle, The Moon Moth, and other Vance stories, I'd never gotten wind of Vance's curious interstellar detective Magnus Ridolph. I'm almost positively grateful that they were accidentally saved for me to read in my 50s, rather than being gobbled down by my voracious teenage incarnation.These stories were written by Vance in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and there provenance shows, which is part of the charm. Sometimes the characters speak like they were in a James Cagney movie. There are microlibraries and transgraf slots and mnemiphots doing their mysterious work long before the silicon chip. People are constantly making short jaunts to primitive pleasure planets for a layabout as if they were visiting Africa. Good stuff.
In this cultured and cultivated world, wanders Magnus Ridolph, mathematician, con-man and detective. Ridolph is always a trifle short of cash, having blown the last fortune he made in the last improbable adventure on some strange scheme or having been swindled by someone else cagier than himself. Ridolph is a mysterious loner, notwithstanding his age, impeccably barbered beard and usual costume of white and blue suit. My mental impression of his appearance was of a thin Colonel Sanders. Strangely my mental impression of his voice was that of Charlie Chan, given his tendency to cryptic aphorisms. I tried to change that last mental impression by reading it with a southern accent without much success.
I also found it interesting that I could see traces of Vance's trademark vocabulary flourishes and his subsequent interest in decadence that we see in The Dying Earth and The Last Castle. So, we have references to penneplains and tonneaus, both of which required that I stop and consult my Kindle dictionary, and Magnus Ridolph is quite content to leave his fellow humans at the mercy of the warring 2 foot tall aliens on the planet where they gamble on the outcome of the battles fought by these aliens. As a Vance fan, that kind of glimpse into the development of his writing was very interesting.
The stories are classics of the Golden Age (the post-World War II Golden Age, that is). They read quickly. They are satisfying and refreshing. If you like Vance or classic Science Fiction, you should check them out.
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Magnus Ridolph eBook Jack Vance Reviews
An amusing set of short stories; I enjoyed them, but they lack the depth and breadth of Jack Vance's longer works where
the great pleasure is the complex plots and immersion in baroque, imaginative and meticulous descriptions.
This is a collection of short mysteries. Perhaps not Vance's best work, it nonetheless showcases his lyrical story-telling ability. Enjoy!
Magnus Ridolph is not Vance at his very best, but it's still enjoyable. If you know and love Jack Vance, don't hesitate, this will not disappoint. Oh, and if you like Magnus Ridolph, then you owe it to yourself to check out Matthew Hughes's wonderful books, Majestrum, The Spiral Labyrinth, Hespira, and 9 Tales of Hengis Hapthorn, all of which feature Hughes's own take on the "galactic private eye," if you will, in a gracious and eloquent style that is both reminiscent of Vance and, at the same time, original and unique. And while Vance is the grand master, sans doute, in this particular sub-genre, I do believe Hughes excels even Vance. So, by all means, read Magnus Ridolph, and then check out Hughes.
These stories have long been among my favorite Vance and it's so cool to now be able to have them with me on whenever I want them!
Jack Vance at his best, but then he always was. Imaginative and witty, neither too dark nor disturbing. Sophisticated enough for any age, clean enough for any age.
The writing, as always with Vance, is clever with great description of character and scene.
The stories are fun to read, but don't expect them to reveal any great moral themes! Just enjoy!
Magnus Ridolph is one of Jack Vance's best heroes. Unheroic in appearance, Ridolph solves crimes and gets retribution by brains, study, and clever application of both. These stories are full of humor, variety, and surprise -- revealing a character that you want to get to know in situations that are fun and interesting. A great read -- you'll wish for more of these stories!
I've been reading science fiction since the 1970s, and while I have read Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever, Dying Earth, The Last Castle, The Moon Moth, and other Vance stories, I'd never gotten wind of Vance's curious interstellar detective Magnus Ridolph. I'm almost positively grateful that they were accidentally saved for me to read in my 50s, rather than being gobbled down by my voracious teenage incarnation.
These stories were written by Vance in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and there provenance shows, which is part of the charm. Sometimes the characters speak like they were in a James Cagney movie. There are microlibraries and transgraf slots and mnemiphots doing their mysterious work long before the silicon chip. People are constantly making short jaunts to primitive pleasure planets for a layabout as if they were visiting Africa. Good stuff.
In this cultured and cultivated world, wanders Magnus Ridolph, mathematician, con-man and detective. Ridolph is always a trifle short of cash, having blown the last fortune he made in the last improbable adventure on some strange scheme or having been swindled by someone else cagier than himself. Ridolph is a mysterious loner, notwithstanding his age, impeccably barbered beard and usual costume of white and blue suit. My mental impression of his appearance was of a thin Colonel Sanders. Strangely my mental impression of his voice was that of Charlie Chan, given his tendency to cryptic aphorisms. I tried to change that last mental impression by reading it with a southern accent without much success.
I also found it interesting that I could see traces of Vance's trademark vocabulary flourishes and his subsequent interest in decadence that we see in The Dying Earth and The Last Castle. So, we have references to penneplains and tonneaus, both of which required that I stop and consult my dictionary, and Magnus Ridolph is quite content to leave his fellow humans at the mercy of the warring 2 foot tall aliens on the planet where they gamble on the outcome of the battles fought by these aliens. As a Vance fan, that kind of glimpse into the development of his writing was very interesting.
The stories are classics of the Golden Age (the post-World War II Golden Age, that is). They read quickly. They are satisfying and refreshing. If you like Vance or classic Science Fiction, you should check them out.
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