Mike Resnick

Bick

Bick

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I've seen a few comments on particular Resnick novels, but I've not seen any general comments here on Resnick. I wondered what Chronite views were? I've been lucky to pick up his Widowmaker novels and his novel "Second Contact" from a used book store at a good price. Anyone have any comments in these books specifically, by any chance, as well as any general thoughts? Which other authors is he similar to? Thanks.
 
Perhaps no-one has read any Resnick? I shall read one over the next month or so, now I have a couple on the tbr shelf, and get back to y'all.
 
Bick said:
Perhaps no-one has read any Resnick?
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I have, and started one of those threads "on particular Resnick novels" myself, without much response, either.

All I know is that he wrote a couple of Burroughs-like novels in the late 60s before turning his attention elsewhere. He returned to the field inauspiciously with a Battlestar Galactica tie. Then he went more into standard SF - I think I've only read one of those - Walpurgis III - which was okay. Since Birthright around '82 (and including Walpurgis), most of his stuff is supposed to be in a very loose continuum - the "Birthright Universe". Things really took off when he start doing short SF seriously - he'd written a handful earlier but he started getting into it around '87-88 and very quickly started the Kirinyaga cycle of stories in which an African tribe re-establishes its traditional ways... on a very untraditional orbital habitat. It's these and Ivory and the Galactic Comedy trilogy of Africa-based SF tales that I think are his best, or at least what I've read the most of. But he also does a lot of comedy SF and adventure SF and has even written a military space opera quintet I've read. He likes bigger-than-life mythical characters and the "frontier" and "Wild West" aspects of exploration/adventure SF. (I've read some of his Lucifer Jones stuff which combines Africa and other places, adventure, larger-than-life figures, comedy - everything, basically.) He's a big fan of Teddy Roosevelt. He's been showered with awards since the late 80s. I've interacted with him in email and he seems like a great guy. That's about all I know. It's hard to think of another writer quite like him. As far as what you've got, I have the Widowmaker trilogy omnibus (there's now a 4th book - maybe more) and Second Contact is one I'm also interested in getting but I haven't gotten it or read Widowmakers yet. But I hope those are good choices myself. :)
 
I really like Mike Resnick's stuff. I've read the three Widowmakers, Soothsayer, Oracle, Paradise, and a couple of others I can't remember. They are mostly high-quality potboilers, with engaging characters. I think he does some excellent short work. His Kirinyga stories have some of the smoothest prose writing I've seen. I also have Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge.

He is prolific and know's how to make SF writing pay as well as rack-up the awards.

For a short time I was a member of an online writers/critiquing group back in the nineties, where he would sometimes pop in to give encouragement, and I met him at Worldcon in Glasgow. He was a little bit in your face for a British temperament like mine, but a really nice guy when you got to know him.

I haven't read much from him in the intervening years because he really isn't that available in the UK and I don't tend to buy for pleasure online. I can't remember the last time I saw his work in Forbidden Planet (at least anything I haven't already got).
 
I just read a Mike Resnick book, and so I ran a search for a Resnick thread to put my comments in, only to find the most relevant titular thread was one I started over 3 years ago. Ha!

So, since starting this thread I've now read a few of his books, and they a have all been terrifically entertaining. The Widowmaker was great fun, Soothsayer was perhaps even better, and now I've read Second Contact, which was a real page turner. Its a bit of a thriller and reminded me of the kind of airport novel you might get from the likes of Crichton.

If you've never tried Resnick, and you want an exciting page turner, give him a go. He's no Chekhov, but his books are perfect as a holiday page turner.
 
Bick said:
I just read a Mike Resnick book, and so I ran a search for a Resnick thread to put my comments in, only to find the most relevant titular thread was one I started over 3 years ago. Ha!

So, since starting this thread I've now read a few of his books, and they a have all been terrifically entertaining. The Widowmaker was great fun, Soothsayer was perhaps even better, and now I've read Second Contact, which was a real page turner. Its a bit of a thriller and reminded me of the kind of airport novel you might get from the likes of Crichton.

If you've never tried Resnick, and you want an exciting page turner, give him a go. He's no Chekhov, but his books are perfect as a holiday page turner.
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Ive read one book by him The Soul Eater . An excellent read.:)
 
I used to very much enjoy his Kirinyaga stories in whichever magazine that was. They became a book of the same name. :)
 
I found a copy of Santiago in a used book store last summer, and finally got around to reading it this past weekend. Came on here to ask a few questions about Mike Resnick's novels, and read that he has just passed away. Sad news.

I found Santiago a fun, light read with some interesting comments on politics sprinkled in along the way. Definitely not hard science fiction by a long shot. I've read a few of Resnick's short stories over the years, and I recalled having read Outpost years and years ago, a novel in the same setting as Santiago.

Wikipedia lists almost 70 novels. Does anyone know which ones take place in the same universe as Santiago (Inner Frontier)? I also noticed there is a sequel to Santiago: The Return of Santiago. Anybody read it?

Will
 
Since I was last on this thread, I've also read more Resnick, including Santiago (very enjoyable) and the award winning novella Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge (excellent). I must read more Resnick; I have the Widowmaker sequels on the shelf...
 
DeltaV said:
Wikipedia lists almost 70 novels. Does anyone know which ones take place in the same universe as Santiago (Inner Frontier)? I also noticed there is a sequel to Santiago: The Return of Santiago. Anybody read it?
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I believe most of his adventurous SF is set in the same 'Birthright Universe'. Certainly, the Soothsayer/Oracle trilogy, and Santiago books cross reference some outlaws and characters, and I believe Widowmaker is set there also, as well as the Galactic Midway and Velvet Comet sequences. That makes 19 novels (listed below). But, I believe most of his books fall within this 'Universe' (See here). Second Contact, which I've read, is a standalone though.

Far Future History
  1. Birthright (1982)
  2. Santiago (1980)
  3. The Dark Lady (1987)
  4. The Return of Santiago (2003)
Oracle
  1. Soothsayer (1991)
  2. Oracle (1992)
  3. Prophet (1993)
Widowmaker
  1. The Widowmaker (1996)
  2. The Widowmaker Reborn (1997)
  3. The Widowmaker Unleashed (1998)
  4. A Gathering Of Widowmakers (2006)
Galactic Midway
  1. Sideshow (1982)
  2. The Three-legged Hootch Dancer (1983)
  3. The Wild Alien Tamer (1983)
  4. The Best Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gunslinger in the Whole Damned Galaxy (1983)
Velvet Comet
  1. Eros Ascending (1984)
  2. Eros At Zenith (1984)
  3. Eros Descending (1985)
  4. Eros At Nadir (1986)
 
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Thank you for the list, and the reference to the encyclopedia entry. Interesting. I might look up a couple of those books. And as you have recently read Santiago, I would be curious to know what you think about a couple of plot points in the book.

As I noted in my first comment, I found Santiago a fun and light read. But it does bug me when I come across something that doesn't quite make sense to me (in the context of a book).

The first one was the conversation between Virtue Mackenzie and Sokol (p94) when Sokol refers her to the Swagman. I found it very odd that he would do this when I read this. This got me thinking about attributing motives to story characters which make sense to the reader. As Sokol deals with Santiago (p98), I can't understand his motivation and can only contribute it to a plot device to move MacKenzie forward in her hunt for Santiago.

The second is the conclusion/epilogue, which I found both disappointing (Cain getting killed, although I guess that was only a matter of time), and illogical: 1. Why would "Santiago" stay on Safe Harbour? and 2. Mackenzie becoming famous with her interview makes her a prime target for every bounty hunter in the galaxy; a jab of Niathol (p70) and she spills the beans.

But perhaps I am taking it all a bit too seriously! :)

Did you ever read The Return of Santiago?

Will.
 
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