Looking back, I can’t believe that up until two years ago I had never heard of Mike Resnick, who was only the most decorated author in the science fiction short story genre. In total he garnered 162 award wins and nominations, including one Skylark, one Nebula, one Locus, and five Hugos.
In celebration of his marvelous achievements, and in richly-deserved tribute, an anthology of all of his Harry the Book stories will soon be released for the first time in the same volume by UFO Publishing.
If you’ve never heard of Harry, then clearly you’ve never been to a New York City as rich in magical characters as it is in opportunities to wager. There are mages, zombies, witches, sprites, the odd creature from another realm summoned to devour a smaller creature from another realm (do not ask) – Harry, in fact, employs his own wizard, just to make sure that the odds stay fair. When The Hex is In, a bookie needs to undo that hex quickly, or face losing all his money (and end up using a booth in a bar as his office) yet again.
Prepare yourself for a collection of tales that’ll whisk you straight to the North East Coast of the United States, told in the rising and falling rhythm of the true Manhattanite. It feels as if one is walking the streets with one’s own gaggle of flunkies, about to watch a boxing match or spend a day at the races. It really doesn’t matter which sport you choose; Harry will have made a book and will give you the odds.
And should you choose to hire a mage to help your long shot dark horse beat the odds-on favourite, don’t be surprised if the whole thing blows up in your face.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and copy editing, this book. It was more than just diverting; I found it utterly charming, and I feel it to be a worthy tribute to a much-loved author.
Tarryn Thomas Editing 