Dreamwish Beasts and Snarks

At times humorous, at other times serious, this endearing collection of short fiction explores many concepts regarding fantastical or futuristic safaris. Detailing the many contrasting pitfalls of hunting, a hardboiled detective attempts to locate a unicorn in New York City on New Year's Day, and in a later tale, must track down a millennia-old vampire in order to save his assistant. In the Nebula-nominated story "Hunting the Snark," a classical big-game hunt on a newly discovered planet develops similarities to Lewis Carroll's famous poem, yet ends with a surprising twist. In "The Soul Eater" and "Nicobar LaneThe Soul Eater's Story," separate views are offered from the hunter and the hunted in an eccentric love story that incorporates elements ofMoby Dickand the legend of theFlying Dutchman. Offering a few somber features, "Safari 2103 AD" looks at a world where the number of wild animals can be counted on one's fingers, while in "Bwana," colonists leave industrialized Africa to create a paradise on a new world, only to discover how fragile they are. Imaginative and captivating, each narrative offers a unique spin on what it means to be a hunter.

Mike Resnick is the author of numerous science fiction novels and short stories, including Dragon America, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Amulet of Power, Mutiny, Return to Santiago, and Santiago. He is the editor of This Is My Funniest and has won five Hugo Awards and the Nebula Award. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.