Rumfuddle-Jack Vance novella

Rumfuddle-Jack Vance novella

Rumfuddle is a 57 page novella that was initially published in 1973 in an anthology called Three Trips in Time and Space.  It had been commissioned for a collection of three stories on the same theme by three different authors. It is an odd and rather lose story about portals that open to different universes.  The portals also allow time travel (backwards but not forward) and one might even encounter multiple selves that exist in alternate universes.  Initially the portals were used to solve social, economic and other problems, but some people are now using the portals for entertainment purposes and even mischief.  If you can go with the flow of this story and accept the loose ends, it can be entertaining and humorous.  Where else would you encounter a football team where the quarterback is Machiavelli and the front line is manned by Achilles, Charlemagne, Hercules, Goliath, Samson, Richard the Lion Hearted and Billy the Kid? This is not a story that will appeal to everyone, but I’ve read it several times and really liked it so rated it a 4.

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Best of Jack Vance (1976)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Wild Thyme, Green Magic (2009)

Included in the Jack Vance collection Moon Moth and Other Stories (2012 Spatterlight)

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