author
R. V. (Richard Voorhees) Risley
1874–1904
An American novelist and magazine writer from the late 19th century, he published a small run of books before dying very young in 1904. His work includes five novels, among them The Sentimental Vikings, showing a brief but active literary career.
1 Audiobook
The Sentimental Vikings
by R. V. (Richard Voorhees) Risley
About the author
Born in New York on November 8, 1874, Richard Voorhees Risley was an American author who wrote under the form R. V. Risley. Reference works agree that he contributed to English and American magazines as well as publishing novels during the 1890s and early 1900s.
The works most consistently attributed to him are The Sentimental Vikings (1897), Men's Tragedies (1899), The Sledge (1900), The Anvil (1901), and The Life of a Woman (1902). His surviving bibliography suggests a short but productive writing life centered on fiction.
Risley died in 1904, only about 29 years old. Because reliable biographical detail is limited, what stands out most today is the compact body of work he left behind and the glimpse it offers of a promising career cut short.