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A Logical Magician #1
A Logical Magician
When Jack Collins answers an ad asking for a young man with a background in mathematics and fantastic literature, he finds himself working for the legendary Merlin and battling an evil computer hacker who has summoned an ancient demon to terrorize Chicago
232 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1994
2 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Robert Weinberg
193 books57 followersAlso published as Harrison Denmark.
Robert Weinberg (also credited as Bob Weinberg) was an American author. His work spans several genres including non-fiction, science fiction, horror, and comic books.
Weinberg sold his first story in 1967. Most of his writing career was conducted part-time while also owning a bookstore; he became a full time writer after 1997.
Weinberg was also an editor, and edited books in the fields of horror, science fiction and western. In comics, Weinberg wrote for Marvel Comics; his first job was on the series Cable, and he later created the series Nightside.
Wikipedia entry: Robert Weinberg
Robert Weinberg (also credited as Bob Weinberg) was an American author. His work spans several genres including non-fiction, science fiction, horror, and comic books.
Weinberg sold his first story in 1967. Most of his writing career was conducted part-time while also owning a bookstore; he became a full time writer after 1997.
Weinberg was also an editor, and edited books in the fields of horror, science fiction and western. In comics, Weinberg wrote for Marvel Comics; his first job was on the series Cable, and he later created the series Nightside.
Wikipedia entry: Robert Weinberg
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 11, 2017
I'm pretty sure it doesn't deserve 5 stars for the quality of the writing and characterisations, but alongside books like Wizard's Bane, The Reluctant Sorcerer and Off to be the Wizard I can't help but be thrown madly into these geeky, cute fantasy works.
July 14, 2018
I have an incredible urge to bury this book under a tree to fertilise it in memory of all those trees that were cut down to produce the paper for this piece of shit. Some people should just give the idea to those who can write.
Honestly this one has the laziest writing and ugliest sentences I ever read. It looks like Weinberg read a couple (maybe 3) of fantasy books, had an idea and got the impression that he could be a writer. Well it didn't work. The characters are all over the place and boring. They form a party just because a hero needs his sidekicks and because side characters are so bored they have nothing else to do. Everybody is so trusty just because there is no time for personal development or bonding. Everybody is in danger just because the author said the god was evil. There is no one to care for and since they are all magical all that they do "is in their nature".
The story has no real build up - oh it tries but I was literally waiting the whole book to see what grand modern logical solution Jack would come up after extensive repetitious blabbering about order to fight chaos and light defeating the dark and it turns out we exchanged iron swords with lightsabers. The "quest puzzles" are so unimaginative and Jacks solutions are a hoax.
Jack as a math student is presented as epitome of logical magic but all he does is one little completely unnecessary calculation on who gets to the door first. The answer is the one who runs faster or tries harder to do that.
Other things that bug me:
- I presume a car and an auto aren't the same thing in this book as both word come up in the same paragraphs for the same thing when describing their mode of transportation? Repeatedly.
- Rectangular plastic disc. I thought discs are slim round objects not rectangular. It turns out it was a floppy disk -.- You can't call it a disc until you define it with a proper name and we all know this was dragged out until the battle for suspense.
- "It's in their/my nature." I still can't figure out what that nature is supposed to be but this repeats every 3 pages.
- Cassandra Cole. "Think of her as the cavalry, Captain America, Hulk Hogan, and the Force combined in to one. Cassandra makes Wonder Woman look like a twinkie." Cassandra is an Amazon. ... ... Wonder Woman is an Amazon too. Somebody didn't do their research properly and is undermining one of the strongest female super heroes.
Honestly this one has the laziest writing and ugliest sentences I ever read. It looks like Weinberg read a couple (maybe 3) of fantasy books, had an idea and got the impression that he could be a writer. Well it didn't work. The characters are all over the place and boring. They form a party just because a hero needs his sidekicks and because side characters are so bored they have nothing else to do. Everybody is so trusty just because there is no time for personal development or bonding. Everybody is in danger just because the author said the god was evil. There is no one to care for and since they are all magical all that they do "is in their nature".
The story has no real build up - oh it tries but I was literally waiting the whole book to see what grand modern logical solution Jack would come up after extensive repetitious blabbering about order to fight chaos and light defeating the dark and it turns out we exchanged iron swords with lightsabers. The "quest puzzles" are so unimaginative and Jacks solutions are a hoax.
Jack as a math student is presented as epitome of logical magic but all he does is one little completely unnecessary calculation on who gets to the door first. The answer is the one who runs faster or tries harder to do that.
Other things that bug me:
- I presume a car and an auto aren't the same thing in this book as both word come up in the same paragraphs for the same thing when describing their mode of transportation? Repeatedly.
- Rectangular plastic disc. I thought discs are slim round objects not rectangular. It turns out it was a floppy disk -.- You can't call it a disc until you define it with a proper name and we all know this was dragged out until the battle for suspense.
- "It's in their/my nature." I still can't figure out what that nature is supposed to be but this repeats every 3 pages.
- Cassandra Cole. "Think of her as the cavalry, Captain America, Hulk Hogan, and the Force combined in to one. Cassandra makes Wonder Woman look like a twinkie." Cassandra is an Amazon. ... ... Wonder Woman is an Amazon too. Somebody didn't do their research properly and is undermining one of the strongest female super heroes.
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January 7, 2021This has been on my TBR list for a while as an earlier (but not among the earliest) UF work. It isn't as fresh as it might have been when first published, but interesting for comparison with more current UF. In fact, it feels dated even for 1994, and a bit naive wish-fulfillment.
Good points. The MC is not super-powered. In fact, his primary qualifications are to be logical and have an imagination. The pace is quick. It's an interesting concept.
Bad points. While the concept is interesting, the execution is a little dull. It could use more plot layers and more suspense. The MC feels like the only "real" character, even with the alternate POV.
Good points. The MC is not super-powered. In fact, his primary qualifications are to be logical and have an imagination. The pace is quick. It's an interesting concept.
Bad points. While the concept is interesting, the execution is a little dull. It could use more plot layers and more suspense. The MC feels like the only "real" character, even with the alternate POV.
September 5, 2024
Reads a lot like Piers Anthony - weak characterisation, weak plot, and sexist "male fan service" portrayals of female characters. Several plot points date it fairly badly, but that would be forgivable if it had any other redeeming features. To add to its other sins, it does a poor job of convincing any half-way educated reader that its protagonist is a pure math postgrad.
September 4, 2021
Not a bad read, but difficult for it to feel modern now when it is from 1993.
January 21, 2022
Republished under the title "A Modern Magician"
November 6, 2014
If you are looking for a nice little book to take your mind off of things, this is a book for you. If you like Merlin, wizards, demons, or the supernatural, this is the book for you. It is a good concept about how the human world and mathematics could have similarities to magic and the supernatural. It was fun to read and a quick read too. It is part of a series so I might try to read another one at some point.
Read it , it might be fun. :)
Read it , it might be fun. :)
April 24, 2012
I bought this book in a second hand bookstore. When I started reading it, the story just captured my whole attention and I couldn't put the book down til it was finished. Hilarious characters and interesting twist in well known characters' personalities, it is just regrettable that the third book didn't materialized. But at least I have the second book too after much search.
June 27, 2012
I'm not too big on straight up fantasy but I read it from time to time. I liked this book because it mixed the fantasy world with our modern world. Jack Collins is selected by Merlin (yes, that Merlin) to help track down a demon in Chicago. Along the way, he meets other magical folk and tries to beat the bad guys by using logic.
June 29, 2013
Evil is afoot in the world, and only someone with a solid grounding in math and logic can overcome it.
Sounds like an unlikely basis for a fantasy novel, but Mr. Weinberg makes it work, along with a healthy dose of humor along the way.
The first of two, I look forward to reading the second.
Sounds like an unlikely basis for a fantasy novel, but Mr. Weinberg makes it work, along with a healthy dose of humor along the way.
The first of two, I look forward to reading the second.
October 30, 2014
Sadly both A Modern Magician & it's sequel A Calculated Magic have not aged well. They both feel very 80's
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews