Too dangerous to stay dead...
by - Written: Jun 30 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: An interesting look at how a myth is remade
Cons: You know the ending, but it is a fun read
The Bottom Line: Dead history brought back to mythical life!
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| kurt_h's Full Review: |
"The Return of Santiago" is a science fiction story set in the future history of mankind as written by Mike Resnick.
A few centuries after the death of the original King of Thieves, Santiago is still remembered as a figure of intrigue and glory on the inner frontier. The Democracy has slowly moved inwards and outwards and encroaches again upon the wild star systems where myths are born and die. But the myths surrounding Santiago are remembered in story, song and verse, and picked up by many a child. And some of these children grow up to be minor outlaws themselves...
Danny Briggs is one such small time thief. Unremarkable in figure or outlook, he is one of many who lives a life of reasoned law breaking to keep himself solvent. He teams up with a woman known as The Duchess quite by accident, though with some intent on his part. A small time robbery goes bad and they find a hideout in a house where the owners are away for a bit... up in the unused storage space Danny makes a miraculous find that will change his life for the better and worse: the original verses of Black Orpheus who chronicled the exploits of the colorful people centuries ago. Danny hides out with The Duchess until he is convinced that he has plumbed the secret of Santiago, and with that the two try to leave the planet by taking a starship. But before the plan can come off right, The Duchess is killed and Danny Briggs starts upon his new life without her. Soon he will become The Rhymer and he will be seeking the stuff of legends: Santiago.
The secret of Santiago is that he was originally one person and then the leader of an organization. Each leader would choose a successor and, thus, Santiago could be killed but couldn't die. Until the planet he was on was vaporized along with most of the organization that supported him. The Rhymer has puzzled this out from the verses of Black Orpheus and also realizes the intent of the original Santiago: to keep the Democracy off-balance so that they would not use their power to take over the inner frontier. And so The Rhymer starts on his quest, to find a new Santiago and build up the organization necessary to sustain the fight against the Democracy.
Mike Resnick does it again, with "The Return of Santiago"! You would think he had mined this idea clean the first time around, but this novel obviously shows how fertile this concept is. The trials and travails of The Rhymer and many, many others is fun to see unfold. As wannabe-Santiagos are put in place, tested and found wanting by The Rhymer and those around him. But what do you do when you put in someone who goes off the deep end and turns thievery into a moral crusade? How do you find a killer to stop another killer? How do you turn friends against each other and still keep a large organization running? And how DO you find the perfect Santiago?
Yes the ending is one you can see coming on from about a quarter of the way through the novel, but that does not detract from this story one bit. Mike Resnick pulls out the tools of his trade and crafts another masterful work full of believable, quirky characters who roam the spaceways plying their trades and running across each other in episodes that are as fun to read as they are violent. Plus we get more verses started by The Rhymer to help chronicle the villains, heroes, lawmen, preachers, aliens and assorted notables that he runs across... a new Black Orpheus he isn't, but the verses still move things along chapter by chapter in detail that is both character examination and foreshadowing of events.
And the story itself is very complex, weaving intrigue, suspicion, suspense, violence and the unexpected into a tapestry that brings this future history alive. Life is never simple if you get a moniker like: The One-Armed Bandit, Dante (a.k.a. The Rhymer), Virgil (every Dante needs a Virgil and this Virgil hasn't seen a man, woman, beast, alien or household appliance he couldn't seduce), Gloria Mundi, The Flower of Samarkand, Waltzing Matilda, Hootowl Jacobs and many, many more. Lives get ruined, love blossoms (or at least lust), criminal empires are built and suborned, a few Santiagos bite the dust and another planet gets vaporized... what more could one ask for from a novel?
My highest rating goes to this novel which is definitely worth a read even if you haven't read "Santiago"! Compelling characters, wonderful story line and a plot with twists and turns, and an outcome that you knew was coming, but still very fun to get to.
His name is only whispered,
His face is never seen,
He's the King of all outlaws,
He's hungry and he's lean.
Nothing ever hinders him,
And nothing ever will -
For he is Santiago,
And he lusts for money still.
-Dante
If you need more of Mike Resnick's works try out any of the WIDOWMAKER series, "Kirinyaga", the SOOTHSAYER series, or his editorial work on any of the ALTERNATE short stories collections. An author well worth stumbling across!
Recommended:
Yes
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