Mike Resnick's Santiago

[dwndrgn]

I've read the book and enjoyed it a lot. However, since I read it something like ten years ago, I can't seem to remember anything about it or even why I liked it - especially since it is scifi instead of fantasy.

Has anyone else read it? Any other of his stories/books?

 

[GOLLUM]

Nope but here's a link to the Author's website with a Bio. Apparently Mike Resnick is currently 4th in the Locus magazine's all-time standings list of winners of major science fiction awards ahead of the likes of Isaac Asimov, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, and Robert A. Heinlein. I'm not a Sci Fi fan per se BUT is he really that good or does this say something about these awards?....

http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/2/Biography.htm

 

[dwndrgn]

Well, he's seriously prolific which skews the odds in his favor, and he does a lot of adaptations which have their own categories. I've read several of his books (mostly the humorous ones) and enjoyed his style and stories. I wouldn't say that he is better than those other authors that you mentioned, but he's not a crap writer either.

 

[profeaston]

Mike has a genuine gift for dealing with meaty material in a very smooth way. If you read the surface only, he may seem superficial and glib, but there are depths for those who can see. The Paradise (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...104-9435432-4178358?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) series is a good example, but perhaps the best is the book Kirinyaga (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_1_1/104-9435432-4178358?v=glance&s=books), which collects stories in a series. People have misread this series as indicating he is some sort of moral barbarian, so he had to write an essay titled something like, "Uh, guys, my name is not Koriba." I highly recommend the book.

 

[rune]

I've not read any of his stuff, probably because it's sci-fi. Though I've seen the name around

 

[dwndrgn]

rune, he does have some cross-genres stories too...can't think of any at the moment of course but there are some out there. For the most part his humor is similar to Jim Butcher's but less subdued.

 

[Mark Robson]

Yes, yes, yes! I've read this and I loved it. Unfortunately it's one of the many books that I've lent to someone and never got back. The thing I loved about this book was the characters. Mike Resnick's bounty hunters brought all the best cowboy characters you can think of into space. Angel, (The Angel of Death) the unstoppable force who is so lightning fast with his pistols that no one stands a chance against him. The whisky drinking, gun slinging preacher who believes the wrath of God rests in his six-shooters was brilliant. And the main character, Nightingale, is so likeable - you're just willing him to succeed throughout the story.

The twist at the end of the book was the first to ever get me to exclaim out loud. I actually shouted 'You can't do that!', which brought my wife running into the room to find out what was wrong. The comment was directed at the author, though I doubt he heard me.

 

[dwndrgn]

Thanks Mark! Just what I was looking for. Now I'll have to re-read it as Resnick is now releasing a sequel.

 

[Taltos]

I've read some of Mike Resnicks books:
The first and on of my still favourites is "Stalking the Unicorn" - a sort of a fantasy story. About a PI who is asked to find a unicorn in parallel universe.
Then there is "Widowmaker" - a trilogy about a legendary gunslinger or to be more exact about his clones with a specific mission.
Then there is another trilogy about psychic young girl "Soothsayer" - read the first one, and didn't like it too much. Readable, but thats all.
Also some more books from his "Birthright universe" which is basically early days of americas colonization in space. "Ivory", "Walpurgis 3", "Dark Lady" - sadly nothing that is remotely as interesting as Unicorn and widowmaker.

 

[rune]

Now you're all peaking my interest, especially if he is similar to Jim Butcher (he's one of my favourites)

 

[Taltos]

Now you're all peaking my interest, especially if he is similar to Jim Butcher (he's one of my favourites)

Sorry, no idea who-s Butcher. A quick search revealed something about wizard for hire - stalking for unicorn, the main character is just a particullary depressed PI, in our world, and has no idea that there is a parallel world. One evening a elf pops in and hires him to find missing unicorn. The first meeting is brilliant, a drunken PI meeting elf cracks me up every time i think about it.

 

[dwndrgn]

Now you're all peaking my interest, especially if he is similar to Jim Butcher (he's one of my favourites)

I wouldn't say that his writing style or his stories are similar - mostly just the slant of his humor...