Mike Resnick

[knivesout]

I've been seeing some books by this writer turning up on the shelves out here. Any views on him? Themes, style, etc?

[dwndrgn]

I've only read a couple of his works. His big one, Santiago is being re-released and that might be why you are hearing about him. Santiago is a space-opera that was very well done - the kind you don't like to put down. I don't remember much about it (I think I read it over 10 years ago) other than the fact that the title character is sort of an anti-hero. I think he was an assassin that became a good guy. Or some such thing. You'll have to find a synopsis somewhere, I may have that all wrong. I just remember enjoying it. He also has a few modern/scifi/fantasy/mystery mixes that usually are written with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor. I read one or two of these and enjoyed them but they are mostly popcorn, short enjoyable silly stories.

[knivesout]

Thanks, dwndrgn. Santiago is indeed the book I've seen on the shelves. Hmmm...why can't the distributors be this prompt with the new China Mieville or the new Ken MacLeod.

[Jimmy]

Probably majority of his works are popcorn enjoyable stories, but among them hides 'Kirinyaga' - beautiful, sad and intelligent story about Africa (like many other Resnick's stories), utopia, people's right to free choice and borders between traditional living in happy utopia and rights of people with "modern philosphy of life" to interfere...

[Connavar]

I read my first story of Mike Resnick in 20 Years of The Year's Best SF.

The short story called Kirinyaga was excellent written with wisdom and insight. The dialogue and prose was sharp.
The story is about Utopian planetoid named Kirinyaga where the Kikuyu, a Kenyan people who returns to their roots, farming the land and worshipping the god Ngai without technological or cultural interference.

In the real Kenya of the story is polluted cities crawl up the side of Mount Kirinyaga. The magnificent animal herds of the past are but distant memories and native crops have been supplanted by European imports.
The White man came,conquered them and destroyed their old ways of life. The main character of the story called the real Kenya a mechanezied country with western way of life.

Interesting stories and im glad to hear there is a series of short stories that have been collected into one book.

First time reading this author and it made want to read more. I will get his famous PI fantasy Stalking the Unicorn and the rest of this series of short stories.

This thread is so old, has anyone views on this author,his books/short stories ?

[iansales]

I've always found Resnick a bit unmemorable. His Kirinyaga stories struck me as a bit preachy - you could see there was a moral in the tale from miles away.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by iansales

I've always found Resnick a bit unmemorable. His Kirinyaga stories struck me as a bit preachy - you could see there was a moral in the tale from miles away.

No need to spoil it

I can see the moral coming too specially when the infantcide was brought up but still it was a good portrayal of an african people like that in a wierd future. Atleast in the first story.

I found his writing and world interesting enough to read more.

You havent read anything of him you liked ?

[Omphalos]

Resnick is hit or miss. He's been as productive as people like Robert Silverberg in his long career. Ian is correct that Kirinyaga comes off a bit preachy, but that was because that was the main character trait of the protaganist. But you have to realize that the preaching that the protagonist was doing was not the main point of the book. Koriba was banging the villagers across the brow, trying to create a Kikuyu promised land. But the point of the book is that if you hold on too hard to ancient and outdated elements of society and culture, you will fail. Modern life will creep in and take the hearts and souls of your flock. So in that sense the preachiness really was a story element, not necessarially a consequence of the author's outlook. Though I don't doubt that Resnick has some of Koriba in him too.

Resnick has a lot of other Africa-inspired or set-in-Africa works, and for the most part he really shines when he writes them. Here is a link to the few of the Africa-inspired tales that I have read and reviewed. I will have one more coming out soon.

Omphalos' Book Reviews: Search Books

And, I note that Subterranean is coming out with a bound novella soon about a Maasai social experiment along the lines of the Kikuyu experiment from Kirinyaga. Here is a link for that:

Resnick, Kilimanjaro: a Fable of Utopia (preorder): Subterranean Press

Pyr/Prometheus is reprinting some of his older vampire stories. They are humor, and never really appealed to me. Check their website to see if you think you would like them.

He also wrote a series of books about a hollwed out asteroid called the Velvet Comet. It was a brothel. None of them were very good, IMHO.

Finally I read some of his Starship books that came out a few years ago and was not too pleased, though it seemed like they sold well.

My reccomendation is that you try anything by him that is set in Africa or inspired by African culture, then move on to the other stuff if you like that. Though personally, I dont see how anyone could dislike those books.

[Mark Robson]

Mike Resnick has the unique qualification of being the only author to ever make me exclaim out loud when I got to the end of one of his novels. The book in question was 'Santiago' and my comment was 'You can't do that!'

It was a space opera about bounty hunters - a lot of fun and memorable for the wicked twist at the end.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by Omphalos

Resnick is hit or miss. He's been as productive as people like Robert Silverberg in his long career. Ian is correct that Kirinyaga comes off a bit preachy, but that was because that was the main character trait of the protaganist. But you have to realize that the preaching that the protagonist was doing was not the main point of the book. Koriba was banging the villagers across the brow, trying to create a Kikuyu promised land. But the point of the book is that if you hold on too hard to ancient and outdated elements of society and culture, you will fail. Modern life will creep in and take the hearts and souls of your flock. So in that sense the preachiness really was a story element, not necessarially a consequence of the author's outlook. Though I don't doubt that Resnick has some of Koriba in him too.

Resnick has a lot of other Africa-inspired or set-in-Africa works, and for the most part he really shines when he writes them. Here is a link to the few of the Africa-inspired tales that I have read and reviewed. I will have one more coming out soon.

Omphalos' Book Reviews: Search Books

And, I note that Subterranean is coming out with a bound novella soon about a Maasai social experiment along the lines of the Kikuyu experiment from Kirinyaga. Here is a link for that:

Resnick, Kilimanjaro: a Fable of Utopia (preorder): Subterranean Press

Pyr/Prometheus is reprinting some of his older vampire stories. They are humor, and never really appealed to me. Check their website to see if you think you would like them.

He also wrote a series of books about a hollwed out asteroid called the Velvet Comet. It was a brothel. None of them were very good, IMHO.

Finally I read some of his Starship books that came out a few years ago and was not too pleased, though it seemed like they sold well.

My reccomendation is that you try anything by him that is set in Africa or inspired by African culture, then move on to the other stuff if you like that. Though personally, I dont see how anyone could dislike those books.

I hope all his African stories isnt about the savage old ways people like Kikuya....

Only minus with that story was how extreme thier old culture was. It gave "the modern way" right too easy when Koriba and his people was too extreme in their ways.

As African i look forward to seeing a rated SF author writing SF stories in that setting in or inspired by African culture. Its not common concept in SF stories exactly that contintent....

I was really surprised when i stared with Resnick in a collection with much more famous authors. I didnt expect to read a story about African Utopia .
I had read a review of Stalking The Unicorn and had his name stuck in my mind because of that.

I will read that book before being sure if Resnick is for me or not.

Whats in his favour is that he is famous for his short stories. Im getting sick of reading too much novels, SF,Fantasy short story format is appealing more and more to me. You can read many quality stories by good short story writer in one sitting.

[Omphalos]

As African i look forward to seeing a rated SF author writing SF stories in that setting in or inspired by African culture.

Are you African, Connovar? I never realized that. I saw "Sweeden" under your avatar and thought immeiately that you were Scandinavian. I have a fondness for African-inspired SF too. Other of my favorite books that are African-inspired or otherwise have African themes or settings are J.G. Ballard's The Crystal World, Ian MacDonald's Chaga sequence, Octavia Bulter's Wild Seed and Michael Bishop's No Enemy but Time. Chad Oliver set a lot of his stories in Africa too, and his entire body of work is being republished by NESFA these days. I also read a pretty good anthology a while ago called Dark Matters, or something like that. I remember really liking it. Do you know of any other African insipred SF works? Im always eager to find more.

Im betting that the new Maasai book by Resnick will have more conflict than Kirinyaga. Resnick always makes a point of saying that the Maasia's main tool was the spear, while the Kikuyu's was a hoe. Personally I cant wait for it to be published.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by Omphalos

Are you African, Connovar? I never realized that. I saw "Sweeden" under your avatar and thought immeiately that you were Scandinavian. I have a fondness for African-inspired SF too. Other of my favorite books that are African-inspired or otherwise have African themes or settings are J.G. Ballard's The Crystal World, Ian MacDonald's Chaga sequence, Octavia Bulter's Wild Seed and Michael Bishop's No Enemy but Time. Chad Oliver set a lot of his stories in Africa too, and his entire body of work is being republished by NESFA these days. I also read a pretty good anthology a while ago called Dark Matters, or something like that. I remember really liking it. Do you know of any other African insipred SF works? Im always eager to find more.

Im betting that the new Maasai book by Resnick will have more conflict than Kirinyaga. Resnick always makes a point of saying that the Maasia's main tool was the spear, while the Kikuyu's was a hoe. Personally I cant wait for it to be published.

Im born in Somalia, sweden is my second home in that i have grown up here in 15 of my 26 years.


African inspired books you mentioned only Crystal World i knew of because i read alittle of it when i tried Ballard. Every other book,story you mentioned was new to me so thanks

Good to know about Octavia Butler story i was planning on reading her in my quest to read more female SF authors.


Talking about Masai and the spear i liked how mythical Kirinyaga started with Masai taking the spear,Kikuya the hoe from Nagai etc

[Omphalos]

Octavia Butler is one of my favorite authors. I think there is a thread around here with female SF authors that we like. I remember rambling on and on about her in that one.

[Taltos]

Connavar - if you like detective stories - ok, I'm too lazy to check - then Stalking the Unicorn - has one of the most memorable beginnings I can recall. And the rest of the story didn't disappoint either.
Other than that I'd suggest - Widowmaker books, which take place in an universe, which very much resembles American wild west, and where most of his ooks take place.
I've read some of his other books as well, but Stalking and Widowmaker have been most memorable of his books.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by Taltos

Connavar - if you like detective stories - ok, I'm too lazy to check - then Stalking the Unicorn - has one of the most memorable beginnings I can recall. And the rest of the story didn't disappoint either.
Other than that I'd suggest - Widowmaker books, which take place in an universe, which very much resembles American wild west, and where most of his ooks take place.
I've read some of his other books as well, but Stalking and Widowmaker have been most memorable of his books.

Actually i remember you praising Stalking the Unicorn in that SFF detective thread. One of the reasons i want that book. I know your taste is similar to mine specially in those kind of books.

Widowmaker books appealed to alot me too. I picked up the western vibe from the synopsis.