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The Early Jack Vance #3
Magic Highways: The Early Jack Vance, Volume Three
The third of three volumes. The Ultimate Grandeur. Fantasy and Science Fiction Grandmaster Jack Vance is very much a writer of the Space Age. His time 'traveling' the magic highways of his imagination spans the period bracketed by the final years of World War II and the Cassini Huygens probe reaching Saturn space in late 2004, the year he brought his magnificent career to a close.
In those first thrilling, dangerous, heady days, science did seem to promise all the answers, and it was in a 'double' universe of the familiar workaday world and the utterly unlimited one of the imagination that the ever-practical yet romantic, diligently physics-savvy yet as often wildly improvisational Jack Vance worked.
Even as he wrote tales set in the far future of his acclaimed Dying Earth, even as he produced mysteries and suspense stories of a much less fanciful kind, Jack's determined quest to become a 'million words a year' man saw him ranging a universe criss-crossed with busy interstellar highways: a network of flourishing trade and tourist routes leading to new frontiers, far-flung colonies, alien worlds, with ample room for exotic races, travelers, traders and scoundrels, even space pirates, ample opportunity for grand schemes of every kind.
Magic Highways gathers sixteen of those early space adventures from that exciting first decade, spanning the years 1946 to 1956. In these frequently inventive, often surprising space operas, Jack takes us to vivid destinations along the vast interstellar highways of a future where anything is possible.
Contents, 16 stories:
Introduction: The Ultimate Grandeur • essay by Terry Dowling and Jonathan Strahan;
Phalid's Fate (1946); --
Planet of the Black Dust (1946); --
Dead Ahead (variant of Ultimate Quest 1950) (1986); --
The Ten Books (1951); --
The Uninhibited Robot (variant of The Plagian Siphon) (1951); --
Dover Spargill's Ghastly Floater (1951); --
The Visitors (variant of Winner Lose All) (1951); --
Sabotage on Sulfur Planet (1952); --
The House Lords (1957); --
Sanatoris Short-Cut [Magnus Ridolph] (1948); --
The Unspeakable McInch [Magnus Ridolph] (1948); --
The Sub-Standard Sardines [Magnus Ridolph] (1949); --
The Howling Bounders [Magnus Ridolph] (1949); --
The King of Thieves [Magnus Ridolph] (1949); --
The Spa of the Stars [Magnus Ridolph] (1950); --
To B or Not to C or to D [Magnus Ridolph] (1950).
Cover illustration: Tom Kidd.
In those first thrilling, dangerous, heady days, science did seem to promise all the answers, and it was in a 'double' universe of the familiar workaday world and the utterly unlimited one of the imagination that the ever-practical yet romantic, diligently physics-savvy yet as often wildly improvisational Jack Vance worked.
Even as he wrote tales set in the far future of his acclaimed Dying Earth, even as he produced mysteries and suspense stories of a much less fanciful kind, Jack's determined quest to become a 'million words a year' man saw him ranging a universe criss-crossed with busy interstellar highways: a network of flourishing trade and tourist routes leading to new frontiers, far-flung colonies, alien worlds, with ample room for exotic races, travelers, traders and scoundrels, even space pirates, ample opportunity for grand schemes of every kind.
Magic Highways gathers sixteen of those early space adventures from that exciting first decade, spanning the years 1946 to 1956. In these frequently inventive, often surprising space operas, Jack takes us to vivid destinations along the vast interstellar highways of a future where anything is possible.
Contents, 16 stories:
Introduction: The Ultimate Grandeur • essay by Terry Dowling and Jonathan Strahan;
Phalid's Fate (1946); --
Planet of the Black Dust (1946); --
Dead Ahead (variant of Ultimate Quest 1950) (1986); --
The Ten Books (1951); --
The Uninhibited Robot (variant of The Plagian Siphon) (1951); --
Dover Spargill's Ghastly Floater (1951); --
The Visitors (variant of Winner Lose All) (1951); --
Sabotage on Sulfur Planet (1952); --
The House Lords (1957); --
Sanatoris Short-Cut [Magnus Ridolph] (1948); --
The Unspeakable McInch [Magnus Ridolph] (1948); --
The Sub-Standard Sardines [Magnus Ridolph] (1949); --
The Howling Bounders [Magnus Ridolph] (1949); --
The King of Thieves [Magnus Ridolph] (1949); --
The Spa of the Stars [Magnus Ridolph] (1950); --
To B or Not to C or to D [Magnus Ridolph] (1950).
Cover illustration: Tom Kidd.
333 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
774 books1,604 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 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 1, 2013
Originally posted at FanLit. http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Subterranean Press continues collecting the early works of Jack Vance with Volume 3, titled Magic Highways, which was released last month (the previous editions were Hard-Luck Diggings and Dream Castles). Magic Highways includes a 6½ page introduction by editors Terry Dowling and Jonathan Strahan and 16 “space adventures” which Jack Vance wrote during the decade from 1946 (when he was 29 years old) to 1956. Seven of these are Magnus Ridolph stories. The stories are:
“Phalid’s Fate” — (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1946) To get revenge on the aliens who killed his brother, a human man volunteers to have his brain transplanted into an alien body so he can infiltrate their spaceship. So he can fit in, he has the alien visual and language systems grafted into his human brain. This exciting novelette explores one of my favorite Jack Vance themes — how perception changes when the brain changes.
“Planet of the Black Dust” — (Startling Stories, Summer 1946) This space story shows us what happens when a dishonest cargo ship captain plans to falsely collect insurance on his cargo. It’s exciting, but lacks Vance’s characteristic humor.
“Dead Ahead” (aka “Ultimate Quest”) — (Super Science Stories, September 1950) A space captain is taking the first trip to circumnavigate the universe. Unfortunately his financer’s son, a new space navigator, is also going, and they have a disagreement about how to stay on a straight course in space. This story explores both the vast awesomeness of space and the delight of a warm safe place at home.
“The Ten Books” (aka “Men of the Ten Books”) — (Startling Stories, March 1951) An explorer and his wife discover a planet of humans who descended from a crashed spaceship 271 years ago. This colony has only ten books which exaggerate (in typical Vanceian style) the accomplishments of their forefathers on Earth.
“The Uninhibited Robot” (aka “The Plagian Siphon” or “The Planet Machine”) — (Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1951) A mechanic is sent to an unknown world to fix a malfunctioning machine which will kill him if its attention is ever unoccupied for more than three seconds. This is one of those stories (actually, it’s a novelette) that only Jack Vance could have written.
“Dover Spargill’s Ghastly Floater” — (Marvel Science Fiction, November 1951) A spoiled young man who has inherited his father’s fortune decides to buy the moon. This story features one of Jack Vance’s typical cleverer-than-he-looks protagonists who outwits those trying to cheat him.
“The Visitors” (aka “Winner Lose All”) — (Galaxy Science Fiction, December 1951) Three different life forms tangle with each other and fight for survival on a newly discovered planet. This one illustrates Vance’s talent for creating imaginative worlds and really weird aliens.
“Sabotage on Sulfur Planet” — (Startling Stories, June 1952) A greedy spaceship captain tries to exploit the resources of a planet of dumb creatures he discovered.
“The House Lords” — (Saturn, October 1957) Explorers from Earth discover a planet ruled by “House Lords” who speak English but have never heard of Earth. This one has a twist at the end that will make you go back and read the story again.
“Sanatoris Short-cut” — (Startling Stories, September 1948) Magnus Ridolph is out of money and his creditors are nagging (as usual) so he goes to a casino called the House of Doubtful Destiny. But, of course, Magnus Ridolph is too clever to gamble (“the gambler is one of an inferior lickspittle breed who turns himself belly-upward to the capricious deeds of Luck”). Instead he uses statistics to cheat the casino. And catches a notorious criminal.
“The Unspeakable McInch” — (Startling Stories, November 1948) Magnus Ridolph must solve a murder on one of Jack Vance’s most bizarre and most dangerous planets. But don’t worry. As Ridolph says, “I am, so to speak, a latter-day gladiator. Logic is my sword, vigilance is my shield. And also I will wear air-filters up my nostrils and will spray myself with antiseptic. To complete my precautions, I’ll carry a small germicidal radiator.”
“The Sub-Standard Sardines” — (Startling Stories, January 1949 In this very weird and amusing story, Magnus Ridolph investigates a bad tin of sardines. There is some imagery in this story that I’ll never forget.
“The Howling Bounders” — (Startling Stories, March 1949) After being cheated in a land deal, Magnus Ridolph tries to recoup his losses. You know he will, it’s just a matter of how.
“The King of Thieves” — (Startling Stories, November 1949) Magnus Ridolph needs money again. To score some coveted telex crystals he goes to visit a clan of thieves and tries to beat them at their own game.
“The Spa of the Stars” — (Startling Stories, July 1950) Magnus Ridolph is asked to rid a new resort of the dragons, gorillas, and sea beetles that have suddenly started killing the tourists.
“To B or Not to C or to D” (aka “Cosmic Hotfoot”) — (Startling Stories, September 1950) Miners are disappearing every 84 days from an otherwise uninhabited planet, so Magnus Ridolph is hired to figure out what’s going on. Can he solve the mystery before he disappears, too?
When you start a story by Jack Vance, you never know what’s coming, but you can count on clever characters, dry humor, and a plot that is truly original and usually bizarre. Nobody out-imagines Jack Vance and I know of no SFF author who can so thoroughly delight both my mind and my ear. The stories in Magic Highways are no exception — they’re typical Vance, and that’s a very good thing.
Magic Highways has a beautiful cover painted by Tom Kidd, one of my favorite SFF artists. His imagination and Jack Vance’s fit perfectly together. It’s always a pleasure to see his art on Vance’s books.
Subterranean Press continues collecting the early works of Jack Vance with Volume 3, titled Magic Highways, which was released last month (the previous editions were Hard-Luck Diggings and Dream Castles). Magic Highways includes a 6½ page introduction by editors Terry Dowling and Jonathan Strahan and 16 “space adventures” which Jack Vance wrote during the decade from 1946 (when he was 29 years old) to 1956. Seven of these are Magnus Ridolph stories. The stories are:
“Phalid’s Fate” — (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1946) To get revenge on the aliens who killed his brother, a human man volunteers to have his brain transplanted into an alien body so he can infiltrate their spaceship. So he can fit in, he has the alien visual and language systems grafted into his human brain. This exciting novelette explores one of my favorite Jack Vance themes — how perception changes when the brain changes.
“Planet of the Black Dust” — (Startling Stories, Summer 1946) This space story shows us what happens when a dishonest cargo ship captain plans to falsely collect insurance on his cargo. It’s exciting, but lacks Vance’s characteristic humor.
“Dead Ahead” (aka “Ultimate Quest”) — (Super Science Stories, September 1950) A space captain is taking the first trip to circumnavigate the universe. Unfortunately his financer’s son, a new space navigator, is also going, and they have a disagreement about how to stay on a straight course in space. This story explores both the vast awesomeness of space and the delight of a warm safe place at home.
“The Ten Books” (aka “Men of the Ten Books”) — (Startling Stories, March 1951) An explorer and his wife discover a planet of humans who descended from a crashed spaceship 271 years ago. This colony has only ten books which exaggerate (in typical Vanceian style) the accomplishments of their forefathers on Earth.
“The Uninhibited Robot” (aka “The Plagian Siphon” or “The Planet Machine”) — (Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1951) A mechanic is sent to an unknown world to fix a malfunctioning machine which will kill him if its attention is ever unoccupied for more than three seconds. This is one of those stories (actually, it’s a novelette) that only Jack Vance could have written.
“Dover Spargill’s Ghastly Floater” — (Marvel Science Fiction, November 1951) A spoiled young man who has inherited his father’s fortune decides to buy the moon. This story features one of Jack Vance’s typical cleverer-than-he-looks protagonists who outwits those trying to cheat him.
“The Visitors” (aka “Winner Lose All”) — (Galaxy Science Fiction, December 1951) Three different life forms tangle with each other and fight for survival on a newly discovered planet. This one illustrates Vance’s talent for creating imaginative worlds and really weird aliens.
“Sabotage on Sulfur Planet” — (Startling Stories, June 1952) A greedy spaceship captain tries to exploit the resources of a planet of dumb creatures he discovered.
“The House Lords” — (Saturn, October 1957) Explorers from Earth discover a planet ruled by “House Lords” who speak English but have never heard of Earth. This one has a twist at the end that will make you go back and read the story again.
“Sanatoris Short-cut” — (Startling Stories, September 1948) Magnus Ridolph is out of money and his creditors are nagging (as usual) so he goes to a casino called the House of Doubtful Destiny. But, of course, Magnus Ridolph is too clever to gamble (“the gambler is one of an inferior lickspittle breed who turns himself belly-upward to the capricious deeds of Luck”). Instead he uses statistics to cheat the casino. And catches a notorious criminal.
“The Unspeakable McInch” — (Startling Stories, November 1948) Magnus Ridolph must solve a murder on one of Jack Vance’s most bizarre and most dangerous planets. But don’t worry. As Ridolph says, “I am, so to speak, a latter-day gladiator. Logic is my sword, vigilance is my shield. And also I will wear air-filters up my nostrils and will spray myself with antiseptic. To complete my precautions, I’ll carry a small germicidal radiator.”
“The Sub-Standard Sardines” — (Startling Stories, January 1949 In this very weird and amusing story, Magnus Ridolph investigates a bad tin of sardines. There is some imagery in this story that I’ll never forget.
“The Howling Bounders” — (Startling Stories, March 1949) After being cheated in a land deal, Magnus Ridolph tries to recoup his losses. You know he will, it’s just a matter of how.
“The King of Thieves” — (Startling Stories, November 1949) Magnus Ridolph needs money again. To score some coveted telex crystals he goes to visit a clan of thieves and tries to beat them at their own game.
“The Spa of the Stars” — (Startling Stories, July 1950) Magnus Ridolph is asked to rid a new resort of the dragons, gorillas, and sea beetles that have suddenly started killing the tourists.
“To B or Not to C or to D” (aka “Cosmic Hotfoot”) — (Startling Stories, September 1950) Miners are disappearing every 84 days from an otherwise uninhabited planet, so Magnus Ridolph is hired to figure out what’s going on. Can he solve the mystery before he disappears, too?
When you start a story by Jack Vance, you never know what’s coming, but you can count on clever characters, dry humor, and a plot that is truly original and usually bizarre. Nobody out-imagines Jack Vance and I know of no SFF author who can so thoroughly delight both my mind and my ear. The stories in Magic Highways are no exception — they’re typical Vance, and that’s a very good thing.
Magic Highways has a beautiful cover painted by Tom Kidd, one of my favorite SFF artists. His imagination and Jack Vance’s fit perfectly together. It’s always a pleasure to see his art on Vance’s books.
August 17, 2019
A pleasant set of somewhat dated stories have still aged better than most stories of the era. Vance's dry humour and wonderful word choices ("a forearm the size of a rolled-up welcome mat") are in all the stories. About half the book is Magnus Ridolph stories, about a problem-solver who is always the smartest person in the room, combining logical reasoning with a remarkable ability to fleece people.
Good stuff.
Good stuff.
March 24, 2023
I'm not a huge reader of science fiction - this is the first book of it I've picked up in quite a while - but boy was it worth it! I haven't read all these tales but I've read enough of them to enjoy the crisp, science-based prose - and to discern a theme that really sets Vance apart from the limited amount of science fiction that I've read. This theme is that in Vance's vision (at least in the tales collected here) space is not a place to be explored by nobly-intentioned, public-good focused, government-backed expeditions. Nope, it's somewhere that cold-blooded uber-capitalists go to make a buck. Ruthless spaceship captains who hate any regulations imposed on them by galactic authorities, real estate investors who buy parts of the moon in the hope of big profits, and a whole bunch of other shady characters, plus the occasional good one, made the tales I have read so far a delight. Also the descriptions of other worlds and other-worldly creatures. I was familiar with the name Jack Vance for a long time and now, after finally sampling some of his work, I can see why that name is so prominent in the science-fiction canon.
December 1, 2019
Magnus Ridolf is one of my favorite characters.
Its amazing how well most of these stories hold up
Its amazing how well most of these stories hold up
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews