Matthew Hughes frequently channels Jack Vance and writes stories and novels that capture the style and substance of Vance’s classic Dying Earth series. Hughes’s latest novel, The Ghost-Wrangler, deals with some dark issues that cloud the far, far future.
Galabras Nachecko is a necromancer who controls two spirits who serve to deliver him information that he can sell like “Where did I lose my wallet?” or “Is my husband seeing another woman?” But, it’s Nachecko’s ability to discover secrets that leads him into the orbit of the ruling Duke Simisson whose treacherous seneschal demands Nachecko capture the ghost of an executed land pirate…or else! While Nachecko successfully captures the ghost, the secrets he learns sends him on a dangerous mission as an unlikely secret agent to learn even more secrets.
Nachecko’s adventures are perfect Summer Reading for those who enjoy the exploits of mad wizards, demons, and powerful rulers who complicate the life of a necromancer. GRADE: B
He seems to write a lot, or maybe it just seems that you are frequently reviewing one of his books or another. Or is that wrong? Anyway, sounds moderately interesting.
Jeff, I try to read and review every book Matthew Hughes writes. He’s one of those writers who always pleases me with the quality of his work.
I don’t think Vance or Gene Wolfe are at all underrated…but Hughes end up being so, if he tracks in the tailwinds of Vance for his entire career…I hadn’t realized he has been active (as was Vance!) as a crime fiction writer as well…https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hughes_matthew
http://www.philsp.com/homeville/fmi/i03/i03413.htm#A6 for a biblio.
Good list, but it’s missing some recent items: two short stories, “The Dire Delusion” in the May/June F&SF and “The Porter,” to be published this fall as a promotional item by the makers of the “The Free City of Vadashar” role playing game. Plus an urban fantasy novella “Modie,” a burlesque mash-up of Moby Dick and The Rockford Files.
For anyone who’s interested, I have a pretty comprehensive Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Hughes_(writer)
My own web page has faded to a blank because of some software update in the server that hosted it.
Todd, Matthew Hughes has branched out and wrote a variety of novels: a historical, crime, and fantasy. However, I enjoy his pastiches of Jack Vance the most!
I’m a big Matthew Hughes’s fan. I have this but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.
Steve, I found THE GHOST-WRANGLER a bit more down-beat than most Matthew Hughes works.