The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph

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Summary: Classics from a master storyteller
Review: Jack Vance is a writer known to many for his excellent work in the field of fantasy fiction. His classics have inspired a generation of modern fantasy fiction authors. What many do not know is that Jack Vance was equally at home in the field of science fiction. His latest works have all been in that subject, but he came to it years ago with his Demon Princes series, the Planet of Adventure series and the Cadwal Conservancy trilogy. He got his start in the genre writing for pulps, but his style is significantly different from normal pulp stylings. As evidence, examine the Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. Collecting stories heretofore only available in pulp format, or rarely added to sci-fi anthologies, these stories are detective fiction set in a grand future. Magnus Ridolph is a gentlemanly rogue with keen insight and clever repartee. Predating Asimov's sci-fi/detective fiction stories by some years, this book provides some excellent yarns. His classics 'The Kokod Warriors' and 'The King of Thieves' are in there, along with little known works such as 'The Howling Bounders' and 'Spa in the Sky'. Although some of the stories fail to live up to the quality of the best in the book, this is still a must-have for Vance fans.