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The Brains of Earth / The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph
Ace Double M-141
The Brains of Earth by Jack Vance (108 pgs)
The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph by Jack Vance (146 pgs)
The Brains of Earth by Jack Vance (108 pgs)
The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph by Jack Vance (146 pgs)
- GenresScience FictionFiction
254 pages, paperback
First published January 1, 1966
42 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
779 books1,591 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 9, 2023
humans unwittingly host invisible, transdimensional parasites that coil around our brains and control our emotions. the planet Ixax has decimated itself due to these parasites that have transported themselves from our planet to theirs. the Ixaxians have had enough: kidnapping a human scientist, they free him from his parasite and then return him home, giving him but a few weeks to rid the Earth of this menace, or else a scorched-earth solution will be enacted. despite the pure pulp of the premise, this is an especially cerebral outing for the already-dry Jack Vance. the humor is scarce here, and as with those other novels where Vance has kept his wit at a minimum (Languages of Pao, Dragon Masters), the result is a narrative that is more distancing than involving. still, this is a worthwhile experience, due to its exploration of free will (or the illusion of free will), group-think, and the automatic antipathy that tribes will feel towards outsiders. is this a cautionary tale critiquing communism or, preferably, an allegory in favor of nonbinary thinking? shades of Colin Wilson.
September 22, 2019
The Brains of Earth is a short novel in the tradition of Heinlein's Puppet Masters and Russell's Sinister Barrier. Had I read it without knowing the author I would have guessed it was a mediocre A.E. van Vogt offering, big on concept but short on character; somewhat rushed and confused. Magnus Ridolph, on the other hand, 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.
May 30, 2025
This was a collection that defied my expectations in a good way. While Jack Vance is typically classed among the greats from the golden age of science fiction, his name is regrettably less well known today as that of writers such as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, or Ray Bradbury. This was why seeing this tête-bêche collection of his science fiction stories aroused my curiosity with little accompanying familiarity. I knew the name and enjoyed what of his work that I had read, so I decided to give this a try. Of the two, The Brains of Earth appeared the more appealing so I decided to start with that one first. The story was one that was similar to many of the others from that era that I had read before, namely the “alien puppeteers secretly controlling humanity” type. While enjoyable, and possessing a twist that elevated it above others of the form, it was nothing spectacular and I finished it with a pleasant impression and little more.
This left The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph, the bombastic cover copy for which – “the man who masterminded the planets” – reminded me too much of the Gary Stu superhuman-esque sort of stories that were annoyingly all too common in mid-20th century science fiction. This made it all the more pleasant of a surprise to discover instead that it was a collection of tales about a futuristic troubleshooter who solved problems using his brains rather than a blaster. The plots themselves provided a demonstration of Vance’s impressive range as an author, demonstrating his skills as a mystery writer as well as those of a science fiction visionary. I finished the last one with more than a little regret that there were no more to follow, which for me is always a sign of enjoyment. There’s only one solution to that problem, which is to add Vance to the list of authors whose works I plan to explore further.
This left The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph, the bombastic cover copy for which – “the man who masterminded the planets” – reminded me too much of the Gary Stu superhuman-esque sort of stories that were annoyingly all too common in mid-20th century science fiction. This made it all the more pleasant of a surprise to discover instead that it was a collection of tales about a futuristic troubleshooter who solved problems using his brains rather than a blaster. The plots themselves provided a demonstration of Vance’s impressive range as an author, demonstrating his skills as a mystery writer as well as those of a science fiction visionary. I finished the last one with more than a little regret that there were no more to follow, which for me is always a sign of enjoyment. There’s only one solution to that problem, which is to add Vance to the list of authors whose works I plan to explore further.
May 4, 2025
This Ace Double includes six short stories called The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph and a 108 page novella titled Brains of the Earth. Both are entertaining and will appeal to Vance fans. I liked the Magnus Ridolph stories even better the second and third time I read them and rate them a 4 overall. Brief reviews are listed below.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Brains of the Earth
"Brains of the Earth" is a 99 to 108 page novella that was first released in book form in 1966 in an Ace Double under the title "Brains of the Earth." The title was changed to "Nopalgarth" in 1980 when it was issued by DAW publishers. The work is also listed under this title in the Spatterlight Press trade paperback collection titled Chateau D'If and Other Stories. Nopalgarth was Vance's preferred title. I verified with Vance's son that there is no series titled Nopalgarth. Our story begins on Ixax, a dreary planet where an amphibian like creature "evolved into an intelligent andromorph." For over a century a terrible war has been going on between the Tauptu and the Chitumih. When all of the Chitumihs are finally defeated and eliminated, the Tauptu decide that they have only won a local victory and that they must continue their war on the planet they call Nopalgarth, which turns out to be their name for planet Earth. A research scientist, Paul Burke, on Earth receives a parcel that contains a strange dollar sized metal disc that is able to defy gravity and float in the air. Then he receives a phone call from a person, Sam Gibbons, asking him if he received the package and suggesting that the two meet. Intrigued by the disc, Burke drives to the Gibbon's home. Gibbons brings Burke into his house where they meet a tall creature, "with a skin rough and gray as elephant hide. His head was narrow and long, his eyes blank and blind-looking, like cabochons of beer-colored quartz. A bony crest rose from his scalp, studded with three bony knobs. Striking down from his brow the crest because a nose, thin as a scimitar. The chest was deep and narrow, the arms and legs corded and ropy with sinew." Vance always provides such fascinating descriptions of his aliens and other characters. His description of Nopals and their behavior is especially vivid. Burke is abducted by this alien creature who is a Xaxan named Pttdu Apiptix. After being taken to the planet Ixax, Burke is offered the responsibility of saving humans on Earth by helping eliminate a parasite called "nopals." These are parasites that attach themselves to Xaxans or to humans and can influence the feelings, thoughts, perceptions and behavior of their host. Nopals are usually invisible because they are not composed of matter and are from the "para-cosmos." The Xaxans call Earth "Nopalgarth" because all people on Earth are infected with nopals. The nopals on Earth use it as a breeding grounds and then travel to other planets to infect the Xaxans and other. The Xaxans are planning a mass assault on Earth to kill all nopals if Burke does not accept the proposal and succeed. Unfortunately the process of killing the nopals will also kill all humans. The Xaxans transport Burke back to earth and provide him with 100 kilograms of gold and instructions for a making a machine that detaches nopals one at a time from persons infected. Unfortunately they also give him a time deadline that seems impossible to meet. Will Burke be able to meet the deadline to save residents of Earth? Who or what are the mysterious Nopals? Note that "Chitumih" and "Taukptu" are not two different species. A Chitumih is any human, Xaxan or other creature who is infected with a nopal. Taukptu is an individual who is not infected with a nopal. I found this rather confusing the first time I read this novel. Some of the prose and the discussions between the scientists was rather flat for Vance, a master writer, but this odd story about nopals, ghers, Xaxans and mind control readily held my interest and is recommended to Vance fans. It is not one of Vance's better works, but it is still interesting and worth reading. I've read it four times so far now and rate it a 3+ "Liked it+"
The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph has 6 of the 10 Magnus Ridolph stories Vance originally published in pulp fiction magazines in the 1940s and 50s. (All 10 stories were released together in 1984 in The Complete Magnus Ridolph.) Ridolph is an interplanetary private detective who performs clever investigations while outwitting others. Below is a brief description of the six stories:
"The Kodod 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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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 "Liked it."
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Brains of the Earth
"Brains of the Earth" is a 99 to 108 page novella that was first released in book form in 1966 in an Ace Double under the title "Brains of the Earth." The title was changed to "Nopalgarth" in 1980 when it was issued by DAW publishers. The work is also listed under this title in the Spatterlight Press trade paperback collection titled Chateau D'If and Other Stories. Nopalgarth was Vance's preferred title. I verified with Vance's son that there is no series titled Nopalgarth. Our story begins on Ixax, a dreary planet where an amphibian like creature "evolved into an intelligent andromorph." For over a century a terrible war has been going on between the Tauptu and the Chitumih. When all of the Chitumihs are finally defeated and eliminated, the Tauptu decide that they have only won a local victory and that they must continue their war on the planet they call Nopalgarth, which turns out to be their name for planet Earth. A research scientist, Paul Burke, on Earth receives a parcel that contains a strange dollar sized metal disc that is able to defy gravity and float in the air. Then he receives a phone call from a person, Sam Gibbons, asking him if he received the package and suggesting that the two meet. Intrigued by the disc, Burke drives to the Gibbon's home. Gibbons brings Burke into his house where they meet a tall creature, "with a skin rough and gray as elephant hide. His head was narrow and long, his eyes blank and blind-looking, like cabochons of beer-colored quartz. A bony crest rose from his scalp, studded with three bony knobs. Striking down from his brow the crest because a nose, thin as a scimitar. The chest was deep and narrow, the arms and legs corded and ropy with sinew." Vance always provides such fascinating descriptions of his aliens and other characters. His description of Nopals and their behavior is especially vivid. Burke is abducted by this alien creature who is a Xaxan named Pttdu Apiptix. After being taken to the planet Ixax, Burke is offered the responsibility of saving humans on Earth by helping eliminate a parasite called "nopals." These are parasites that attach themselves to Xaxans or to humans and can influence the feelings, thoughts, perceptions and behavior of their host. Nopals are usually invisible because they are not composed of matter and are from the "para-cosmos." The Xaxans call Earth "Nopalgarth" because all people on Earth are infected with nopals. The nopals on Earth use it as a breeding grounds and then travel to other planets to infect the Xaxans and other. The Xaxans are planning a mass assault on Earth to kill all nopals if Burke does not accept the proposal and succeed. Unfortunately the process of killing the nopals will also kill all humans. The Xaxans transport Burke back to earth and provide him with 100 kilograms of gold and instructions for a making a machine that detaches nopals one at a time from persons infected. Unfortunately they also give him a time deadline that seems impossible to meet. Will Burke be able to meet the deadline to save residents of Earth? Who or what are the mysterious Nopals? Note that "Chitumih" and "Taukptu" are not two different species. A Chitumih is any human, Xaxan or other creature who is infected with a nopal. Taukptu is an individual who is not infected with a nopal. I found this rather confusing the first time I read this novel. Some of the prose and the discussions between the scientists was rather flat for Vance, a master writer, but this odd story about nopals, ghers, Xaxans and mind control readily held my interest and is recommended to Vance fans. It is not one of Vance's better works, but it is still interesting and worth reading. I've read it four times so far now and rate it a 3+ "Liked it+"
The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph has 6 of the 10 Magnus Ridolph stories Vance originally published in pulp fiction magazines in the 1940s and 50s. (All 10 stories were released together in 1984 in The Complete Magnus Ridolph.) Ridolph is an interplanetary private detective who performs clever investigations while outwitting others. Below is a brief description of the six stories:
"The Kodod 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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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 "Liked it."
November 27, 2011
Entertaining but limited stories. I'd like to be Magnus Ridolph when I grow up.
August 6, 2023
An enjoyable Vancian trifle.
July 20, 2017
The Brains of Earth was a pretty captivating piece, dealing with psionic sciences, masses of parasitic aliens, and the para-cosmos, taking place on "present day (1966)" Earth. Other planets are involved, but its odd to read a Vance novel where the primary civilization is our own present day culture. Odd, but still enjoyable!
The Magnus Ridolph short stories are more what we're used to from the author, and they are perfect little episodes starring a very capable, intellectual, somewhat mischievous "free-lance problem-solver" (I think they must be a part of his Gaean Reach universe? It doesnt specify, but it certainly fits well enough).
The Magnus Ridolph short stories are more what we're used to from the author, and they are perfect little episodes starring a very capable, intellectual, somewhat mischievous "free-lance problem-solver" (I think they must be a part of his Gaean Reach universe? It doesnt specify, but it certainly fits well enough).
February 10, 2019
This is of course two books in one paperback edition: The Mangus Ridolph books are detective-y romps through sci-fi settings with Vancian themes of revenge via contract. Light and even a little whimsical for Vance's stuff. Brains of the Earth was a downright creepy story of "modern" (1960s) earth haunted by unseen powers that manipulate human brains. It also has alien species with the same problems, other brain critters and is kind of a pseudo-sciency, half-baked mess. The parts are consumed with the dread of his situation knowing that he's invisibly unlike everyone else on Earth... the worst devolve into tangled exposition.
January 7, 2024
I recently read a complete Magnus Ridolph, so only read the other half of this book, "The Brains of Earth." A scientist is abducted by some pretty nasty single-minded aliens and told to beware an invasion by even nastier aliens. Can he and just two friends thwart an invasion?
Not as witty as we expect of Vance. Just OK.
Not as witty as we expect of Vance. Just OK.
June 16, 2014
I'm starting to understand Vance: one way to read him is to simply run with him as he invents interesting settings, just sort of bask in the variety and color. I'm still not feeling completely satisfied reading his stuff, but maybe that'll change as I consume more...
(Note 1, this set of stories, while nice, didn't quite have the extreme other-worldly feel I found in "The Dying Earth".)
(Note 2, In this particular set, it was all pretty neat except the first two Ridolph stories, which were a little bland.)
(3.51 / 5 stars.)
(Note 1, this set of stories, while nice, didn't quite have the extreme other-worldly feel I found in "The Dying Earth".)
(Note 2, In this particular set, it was all pretty neat except the first two Ridolph stories, which were a little bland.)
(3.51 / 5 stars.)
April 16, 2021
A juvenile work of Vance, before he elaborated his signature style. It is on parasites on human brains and it has a lot of common with Masters of Puppets by Heinlein...but it is different, just few protagonists and few places... it is not his masterpiece, but it shows the future depths and reaches (Gaean ;-) probably) his future works will have. Though titled "Nopalgarth" later and listed as the first in a series, its is a standalone novel, "serialization" was just the publishers trick.
June 22, 2014
Classic, silly, not in the mood.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews