Tag Archives: Mike Resnick

Remembering Resnick

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I’m doing a second birthday post today because I think both writers, Henry S. Whitehead and Mike Resnick (1942-2020) are important enough, both to me personally and to the field in general, that a single post isn’t the way to treat them. This one is going to be brief, though, because I’m traveling today and need to get back on the road.

Resnick didn’t write much fantasy, although he wrote a little as well as a few mysteries near the end of his life.

He traveled extensively in Africa, and what he saw and experienced there informed much of his work, both in novels and in shorter lengths.

His Birthright series, which he added to all of his life, was one of the best and most entertaining future histories I’ve ever read. It included Brithright: The Book of Man, Santiago, the Oracle trilogy, and the Widowmaker series. Among others.

And that’s not mentioning  the other series he wrote.

As much as I love his novels, his short fiction is, in my mind, his best work. He was a multiple award winner at that length. The Kirinyaga stories, which won multiple awards are some of the most thought provoking stories to come out of the nineties.

The thing that is really annoying about Resnick’s short fiction is how easy he made it look. He could write a story with a point and make it so engrossing and entertaining that you didn’t realize there was a serious message in the story. He’s a writer I want to study more to try and learn how he did it.

Resnick was an accomplished editor as well. He edited a number of anthologies in the nineties that dealt with various aspects of alternate histories. A number of those stories won or were nominated for awards. And let’s not forget Galaxy’s Edge, the electronic magazine he was editing at the time of his death. It contained both original and reprint work and was, again, in my opinion, one of the top short fiction venues in the field.

I could go on at length about Mike Resnick’s contributions, but I’ll stop there and save something for a future post.

A Birthday Recognition for Two Ladies.

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I can say that, can’t I? “Ladies”, I mean. If that verboten? I mean Mike Resnick and Barry Malzberg got in all kinds of trouble for referring to a “lady editor”, but Mary Robinette Kowal, who (I think) was leading the charge against those two has a series about a lady astronaut with the word “lady” in the title. I’m so confused.

I guess the lesson is you ain’t gonna please everybody, so you might as well please yourself.  I’m gonna please myself be recognizing two ladies who have left their mark on the field were born on this day, August 24. The first was Alice B. Sheldon (1915 -1987), who wrote under the pen name of James Tiptree, Jr., and Bea Mahaffey (1926-1987), who was the lady Resnick was referring to when he got in trouble. Continue reading →

RIP, Mike Resnick

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It is with great sorrow that I write this post.  Laura Resnick is reporting that her father Mike passed away in his sleep early this morning (Jan. 10, 2020). Mike spent most of 2019 ill, and as a result accumulated some substantial medical bills.  A fundraiser has been set up to help pay off the bills.

Adventures Fantastic would like to extend condolences to Carol, Laura, the rest of the family, and all of Mike’s many friends and fans.

I’ve read many of Mike’s books over the years.  I only met him one time, at Fencon II in 2005. He was professional, approachable, and a joy to talk to. Mike was a great writer and editor.  His work is worth seeking out.

Rest in Peace, Mike.

Bea Mahaffey at 98

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Eric Frank Russell and Bea Mahaffey. Photo by Norman Shorrock.

Bea Mahaffey was born on August 24, 1926.  She passes away in 1987.  Ms. Mahaffey was active in early fandom and was an assistant editor for Ray Palmer after he left Amazing Stories to from Clark Publications.

I realize it may come as a shock to some people that there were female editors in the early 50s.   They seem to think women didn’t become involved in science fiction and fantasy and smash The Patriarchy until [insert arbitrary recent date here].  I spoke to that issue in this post. Not that it did a lot of good.  Some people just don’t listen.  Not regular readers of this blog, of course.  They’re on top of things.

Mahaffey worked with Palmer on Other Worlds, where she is credited as being the person who actually purchased Eric Frank Russell’s classic story “Dear Devil”.  If she had done nothing else in the field, she should be remembered for this.  Mahaffey is also credited as being co-editor with Palmer on Science Stories, Universe Science Fiction, and Mystic Magazine.  Financial considerations forced Palmer to end her employment in 1956.

Bea Mahaffey was quite popular with the male fans of the day.  Legend has it that both male and female attendance at fan gatherings increased when she was there.  The men attended to keep an eye on Bea, and their wives attended to keep an eye on them.  That may or may not be true, but I’m inclined to think it is to at least some extent.  Mike Resnick and Barry Malzberg got in trouble a few years ago when they wrote favorably about Bea Mahaffey’s looks in the SFWA Bulletin.  Personally, I think beauty and achievement should be recognized.

In conclusion, Bea Mahaffey had a impact on the field of the fantastic.

Again? Really!?

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68801_467727219952918_618352305_nYou may remember the controversy last summer over the SFWA bulletin, which encompassed, among other things, people being offended by some things said by Mike Resnick and Barry Malzberg, some other articles deemed sexist, and of course, the cover you see on the left.  I discussed the situation in this post.

Well, now there’s another controversy brewing.  Steve Davidson of Amazing Stories does a fine job of summarizing it here.

I’ll hit the high points, but you’ll have to track down some of the details on your own.  During last summer’s fiasco, publication of the Bulletin was suspended.  Plans are for it to resume.  A few things need to happen first, like a new editor has to be hired.  And there’s some sort of oversight committee that will be put in place to see to it that the Bulletin doesn’t publish anything that isn’t up to SFWA standards.

And that’s got some people upset. Continue reading →

Does This Cover Offend You?

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Because it sure has offended some folks.  There’s a major row going on within SFWA (the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) right now over two things.  One is this cover, to which many objected on the grounds that it’s sexist, has no place on the cover of a writer’s group’s publication, that it’s offensive to some members of the group, and so forth.  (For the record, I am not and never have been a member of SFWA.)

It seems that Red Sonja-esque women in chain mail bikinis have no place in modern fantasy, at least as far as a certain segment of SFWA is concerned.  SFWA purports to speak for a diversity of writers, which means sooner or later one subset will be offended by something.  The question is to what extent does one person’s perceived right to be free from offending material infringe on someone else’s right of free speech or expression.

The other, and bigger, stink is over the Resnick-Malzberg Dialogues.  This is a feature that has been running in the bulletin for years.  Mike Resnick and Barry Malzberg discuss various aspects of science fiction culture and history.  Having lived through so much of the field’s history and having made some of it themselves, it’s always been a favorite feature of mine.  (In case you’re wondering, the Bulletin isn’t restricted to members; anyone can buy a subscription.  I’ve never subscribed, but I used to pick it up when it was available on the newsstand.)

The controversy started out with a two part discussion about female writers and editors in the past.  Only they used a horribly offensive term….”lady”.  And commented on how beautiful at least one woman editor was.  I’ve not read this part of the Dialogues, so I can only go by what I’ve seen online in response to it.  I don’t know how patronizing the use of the word “lady” was, so I’m not going to comment on it, at least not yet.  If anyone would would be willing to send me either a hard copy or a scan of these two Dialogues, I would be quite appreciative.  Resnick and Malzberg published a rebuttal (in this very issue, IIRC).  They didn’t apologize; they defended themselves against what they viewed as censorship.  I have read their response.  It’s available here if you scroll down, along with links to many posts in which the author is offended at their rebuttal.

The response set off an even greater uproar, with many people using the word “assholes”.  A lot.  Yes, you read that correctly.  A number of people are calling Resnick and Malzberg, two of the most acclaimed writers and editors in the field, assholes.  Among other things.  Much of what I’ve read (which isn’t everything) seems to consist of people offended that Resnick and Malzberg aren’t apologizing but standing their ground.  One member has resigned over it.  Outgoing SFWA President John Scalzi has issued an apology.  I’m still trying to figure out just how much of a tempest in a tea pot this is, not having read the original articles.  If I can, I’ll comment on it.  I might anyway if I can’t get copies of the original Dialogues, but I’m going to try to go to the original sources.

Until then, I’m curious about the cover, which I view as a separate (although related) controversy to Resnick and Malzberg’s comments.  This blog has a different demographic than SFWA.  I think that’s a fair statement.  What do you think?  Is there anything wrong with the cover?  Should it not have been printed on the Bulletin?