From Publishers Weekly
In this planet-hopping Old West romance, the sequel to Santiago (1986), Nebula and Hugo winner Resnick tries hard to capture the grandeur of old American folktales, but the narrative's flat, unadorned style, salted though it is with period diction and dialogue, is sometimes at odds with this ambition. More than a century after the disappearance of legendary outlaw Santiago, small-time crook Danny Briggs stumbles across the manuscript of an epic poem that chronicles the deeds of the scourge and savior of the galaxy's Inner Frontier. Recognizing Santiago's true nature, Danny struggles to resurrect the revolutionary whose crimes masked a complex scheme to protect the lawless Frontier from the corrupt justice of the Democracy, the major human state. Adopting the name Dante Alighieri, he decides to continue the poem, updating it with the new heroes and villains who duel in the dusty streets of isolated settlements sprinkled over hundreds of worlds. With words as his chosen weapon, Danny/Dante (aka the Rhymer) takes on the roughest bandits and the deadliest gunslingers, hoping to find one who can fill Santiago's space boots. Pecos Bill and Wild Bill Hickok would feel right at home with such characters as Tyrannosaur Bailey and the One-Armed Bandit. Seekers of space-age sagebrush need look no farther. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Santiago is the greatest outlaw of the Inner Frontier (see Resnick's Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future, 1992), and Danny Briggs is no Santiago. He isn't much of a thief, either, but he is smart, capable of turning even disaster into amazing good fortune after he stumbles across the lost manuscript of Black Orpheus. Convinced that there is a secret to be found in the pages, he doesn't stay Danny Briggs for long. He becomes Dante, chronicler of a new generation on the Inner Frontier, in search of the truth about the legendary Santiago. On his interstellar quest, he meets the most colorful criminals, bounty hunters, and lawmen that the Inner Frontier has to offer--quite a varied lot. Finally, he finds Santiago--the real Santiago--where he least expects to, and the stage is set for yet more exploits. An eminently satisfying space western, with just the right mixture of fast-drawing gunmen and talented women to keep the action going. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
They say his father was a comet and his mother a cosmic wind, that he juggled planets as if they were feathers and wrestled with black holes just to work up an appetite. They say he never slept, that his eyes burned brighter than a nova, that his shout could level mountains. That he killed a thousand men, and saved a hundred worlds.

They called him Santiago.

Bandit, assassin, rebel, thief, he strode across the galactic rim, blazing a legend as rich and wild as the Inner Frontier itself. Then, at the height of his glory, he vanished, leaving behind a trail as elusive as starlight in the empty realms of space.

Now, a century later, the name of Santiago is once again whispered along the Galactic Rim ...



About the Author
A decade ago, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Mike Resnick captivated the imaginations of a generation of readers with his star-spanning saga Santiago, an epic tale of a daring outlaw and rebel whose life had become legend. The novel won high praise from readers and critics alike and was hailed as a modern masterwork of science fiction adventure. Now, at last, Resnick offers a new chapter in this spellbinding saga with The Return of Santiago.

FROM OUR EDITORS

In 1992, Hugo and Nebula winner Mike Resnick surprised readers with Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future, a novel that transformed the "space western" into a viable form. In The Return of Santiago, our favorite star-hopping outlaw and rebel snaps back into action.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

They say his father was a comet and his mother a cosmic wind, that he juggled planets as if they were feathers and wrestled with black holes just to work up an appetite. They say he never slept, that his eyes burned brighter than a nova, that his shout could level mountains. That he killed a thousand men, and saved a hundred worlds.

They called him Santiago.

Bandit, assassin, rebel, thief, he strode across the galactic rim, blazing a legend as rich and wild as the Inner Frontier itself. Then, at the height of his glory, he vanished, leaving behind a trail as elusive as starlight in the empty realms of space.

Now, a century later, the name of Santiago is once again whispered along the Galactic Rim ...

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this planet-hopping Old West romance, the sequel to Santiago (1986), Nebula and Hugo winner Resnick tries hard to capture the grandeur of old American folktales, but the narrative's flat, unadorned style, salted though it is with period diction and dialogue, is sometimes at odds with this ambition. More than a century after the disappearance of legendary outlaw Santiago, small-time crook Danny Briggs stumbles across the manuscript of an epic poem that chronicles the deeds of the scourge and savior of the galaxy's Inner Frontier. Recognizing Santiago's true nature, Danny struggles to resurrect the revolutionary whose crimes masked a complex scheme to protect the lawless Frontier from the corrupt justice of the Democracy, the major human state. Adopting the name Dante Alighieri, he decides to continue the poem, updating it with the new heroes and villains who duel in the dusty streets of isolated settlements sprinkled over hundreds of worlds. With words as his chosen weapon, Danny/Dante (aka the Rhymer) takes on the roughest bandits and the deadliest gunslingers, hoping to find one who can fill Santiago's space boots. Pecos Bill and Wild Bill Hickok would feel right at home with such characters as Tyrannosaur Bailey and the One-Armed Bandit. Seekers of space-age sagebrush need look no farther. (Mar. 13) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal