Margins
Birthright book cover 1
Birthright book cover 2
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Birthright
Series · 32
books · 1981-2009

Books in series

The Soul Eater book cover
#1

The Soul Eater

1981

Signed by the author.
Walpurgis III book cover
#3

Walpurgis III

1982

The Hugo Award-winning author of Santiago offers a classic tale of good versus evil in deep space. Deadly underworld assassin Jericho travels to the savage world of Walpurgis III to kill a sadistic Satan incarnate—a creature capable of destroying all life if he isn't stopped.
Sideshow book cover
#4

Sideshow

1982

Traveling carnival owner Thaddeus Flint swindles the owner of a freak show into an unlikely business partnership. When Flint discovers that the freaks are a group of undercover alien tourists, he keeps the secret from the outside world and looks for an opportunity to expand his carny tour out to the stars.
The Three Legged Hootch Dancer book cover
#5

The Three Legged Hootch Dancer

1983

Thaddeus Flint must find a way to make his carnival successful on its trial run through the galaxy
The Wild Alien Tamer book cover
#6

The Wild Alien Tamer

1983

After Jupiter Monk's animals die, he looks for strange and frightening aliens to become part of his new carnival act
The Best Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gunslinger in the Whole Damned Galaxy book cover
#7

The Best Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gunslinger in the Whole Damned Galaxy

1983

The 4th and final volume of the Tales of the Galactic Midway. The carny's star sharpshooter is tired of targets that don't shoot back, and a robot Doc Holliday is created for a duel to the death...and, as always with the carny, things start to go wrong. Cover Artist: Tom Hallman
Eros Ascending book cover
#8

Eros Ascending

1984

Huntington Woods, Phantasia Press,, 1984.. Fine in fine dust jacket.. First printing, trade edition. Built in space at enormous cost, the Velvet Comet is the most luxurious brothel in the galaxy. SIGNED by Resnick on the title page. One of 1200 copies in the trade edition (out of a total edition of 1500). 217 pp. plus colophon. Wraparound dust jacket art by Kevin Eugene Johnson.
Eros at Zenith book cover
#9

Eros at Zenith

1984

Book by Resnick, Mike
Eros Descending book cover
#10

Eros Descending

1985

Thomas Gold, crusading leader of a fanatical religious sect, embarks on a holy crusade of liberation that threatens the existence of the "Velvet Comet" as he becomes the self-declared "savior" of a race of beautiful elfin aliens living on the pleasure planet
Santiago book cover
#11

Santiago

A Myth of the Far Future

1986

Sebastian Nightingale Cain: Bounty hunter. You can call him the Songbird – but only once. He's after Santiago. Virtue Mackenzie: Freelance reporter. She never gives up. She wants an interview... with Santiago. The Swagman: He collects art – at gun point. He wants a few pieces currently in the hands of Santiago. Santiago: Bandit, murderer, known to all, seen by none... has he killed a thousand men? Has he saved a dozen worlds? His legend is as large as the Rim itself, his trail as elusive as a wisp of starlight in the empty realms of space. The reward for him is the largest in history. Santiago: Do you dare chase him?
Eros at Nadir book cover
#12

Eros at Nadir

1986

Book Four of the Velvet Comet—the enormous, exclusive, elaborate, and infamous orbiting brothel: Screenwriter and novelist Nate Page arrives aboard the empty Velvet Comet twenty-three years after it is decommissioned by the Vainmill Syndicate. The light-topic musical holographic production that Nate is writing is based on the Velvet Comet in its prime, and requires research available only through Cupid, the ship's still-functioning and nearly-self-aware onboard computer. As the cynical screenwriter and the unemotionally truthful computer struggle to create a work of fiction true to the reality of life aboard the Comet, Nate's agent makes it clear that prostituting your art is not any different from prostituting your body.
The Dark Lady book cover
#13

The Dark Lady

A Romance of the Far Future

1987

Alien art historian Leonardo risks his life to unravel the secret of the Dark Lady, a haunting enigma of the eternal night who summons men to seek their destinies—and their deaths
Ivory book cover
#14

Ivory

A Legend of Past and Future

1988

In the year 6303, when earth is bare of anything larger than an insect or a mouse and most people have left for the stars, Duncan Rojas receives a most unusual visitor. His name is Bukoba Mandaka, and he is the last of the Maasai. Mandaka wants Rojas, senior researcher for Braxton's Records of Big Game, to find the tusks of the Kilimanjaro Elephant, tusks that weigh over 200 lb. each. Why? Mandaka will not say, but he will pay enormous sums for them. And Rojas cannot resist the challenge of tracing something lost for 3000 years. Back and forth through time, in card games, wars, and rivalries, Rojas searches. But as he begins to glimpse the elusive, lost power of ancient Africa, he is seduced, and before long the quest has become his own. With Ivory, Mike Resnick has created a powerful novel spanning worlds and centuries, an exploration of the nature of history and legend, and a riveting parable for our times.
Paradise book cover
#15

Paradise

1989

Peponi, a distant world rich in wildlife and populated by a people without a high degree of technology, is "discovered" by mankind. Men arrive on the planet, then reap its riches. After years of subjugation, the natives finally begin to push for independence. While armed rebellion is put down, from its ashes a native leader, Bukon Pepon, is able to forge the various tribes together and gain independence from the Human government. Upon independence, most Men leave the planet for distant shores and dream their dreams of the paradise that Peponi once was. Other Men stay to create a new dream. But both Men and Pepons watch their economy and resources dwindle away as overpopulation, hunting, tribal factionalism, and the introduction of non-native species take their toll.
Soothsayer book cover
#16

Soothsayer

1991

Mouse, a hard-bitten, cynical woman and professional thief, finds herself in deep trouble when her attempt to rescue a seemingly helpless little girl has potentially deadly consequences in this brilliant and haunting installment of Santiago-inspired adventure. Young Penelope has long had a price on her head, and Carlos Mendoza now knows how she has outwitted her captors—and the awesome powers behind her success. As Carlos moves in for the kill, Mouse is hard-pressed to preserve her life, defend Penelope, and in so doing, save humanity. For Carlos "Iceman" Mendoza, only one thing becomes clear: in a universe of giant men, ruthless bounty hunters, and interstellar war, his greatest fear is this one girl.
Oracle book cover
#17

Oracle

1992

Since she was a little girl, all humanity has been frightened by Penelope Bailey's awesome psychic talent and her ability to bend events—and men—to her will. Now a grown woman and living on the planet Hades, Penelope is caught in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a bounty hunter, a government agent, and an out-for-profit, outlaw cyborg—none of who suspect the true depths of her power.
Purgatory book cover
#18

Purgatory

1992

As the first shiploads of men arrive on the planet Karimon, the leader of the primitive yet highly intelligent natives tries to gain some measure of control over the colonization of the invaders. Reprint. LJ. AB.
Prophet book cover
#19

Prophet

1993

This is the final volume of a trilogy which started with "Soothsayer" and "Oracle". In this volume, the Ice Man is beseiged by people trying to kill him, five in one month. As he sends the Gravedancer to find out who wants him dead, what he really wants to know is why the Prophet has allowed him to live.
Inferno book cover
#20

Inferno

A Chronicle of a Distant World

1993

The story of the planet Faligor, which has much in common with Uganda, from colonization to independence.
A Miracle of Rare Design book cover
#21

A Miracle of Rare Design

1994

Visiting the planet Medina to satiate his fascination with the golden-skinned natives, Xavier William Lennox is captured and tortured for his curiosity and vows to learn what it is that the aliens are so desperate to hide. Reprint.
The Widowmaker book cover
#22

The Widowmaker

1996

One of the major voices in science fiction, Mike Resnick presents the first volume in a bold new trilogy.Jefferson Nighthawk—known and feared by many as the Widowmaker, the consummate bounty hunter—has been frozen for a century in order to defeat a deadly disease. Only now the cost of his care has risen, so the Widowmaker is called out of retirement for one special commission, and a very large chunk of cash. A notorious assassin has been wrecking havoc on the Frontier; who better but the Widowmaker to defeat him?
The Widowmaker Reborn book cover
#23

The Widowmaker Reborn

1997

Jefferson Nighthawk, once the galaxy's most feared killer, is cloned again and given a new mission. This time he is not only armed with the Widowmaker's killing skills, but also with his lifetime of knowledge. Nighthawk's new mission involves the rescue of a corrupt politician's daughter, and the assassination of the rebel leader who holds her captive. But the daughter puts a wrinkle in the plan when she offers her father's fortune if Nighthawk kills her father instead. While the odds are overwhelming, the price may be right.
A Hunger in the Soul book cover
#24

A Hunger in the Soul

1998

Adventurer Robert Markham is determined to find Dr. Michael Drake, a medical researcher who has disapppered into the jungle on the unexplored planet of Bushveld, because the doctor is needed to combat a new plague in the human-settled galaxy
The Widowmaker Unleashed book cover
#25

The Widowmaker Unleashed

1998

He was the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, the consummate killing machine, a man known only as the Widowmaker. Now, after a century of being cryogenically frozen, Jefferson Nighthawk has a new lease on life—and new enemies who want him dead.... Jefferson Nighthawk has been awakened from his frozen sleep, his deadly disease cured. But although he still has the experience and instincts of the legendary Widowmaker, Nighthawk is now biologically in his sixties. His reflexes slowed by age, looking only to live out his days in peace, he decides on a quiet retirement on a Frontier world. Easier said than done. For while Nighthawk lay in cryogenic sleep, his two clones were killing in his name, leaving a trail of vengeful enemies in their wake. Nighthawk has one no one knows who he is just yet. But once word gets out that he's back, every assassin on the Frontier will be out to make a rep by gunning him down. Suddenly the Widowmaker has only two pick up his weapons...or face death again—and this time for keeps.
The Outpost book cover
#26

The Outpost

2001

Award-winning writer Mike Resnick takes us back to his wild and wooly Inner Frontier in this tall-tale of an adventure novel. On the planet Henry II, orbiting the twin suns of Plantagenet and Tudor, at the very edge of the great black hole at the center of the Milky Way, there is a tavern called The Outpost. Through the doors of The Outpost have come the greatest heroes, villains, and adventurers of the galaxy - to drink, to brag, and to swap tales. The Outpost is neutral territory where fighting is forbidden and blood enemies can have a drink together and tell stories of battles past. After all bounty hunters, con men, itinerant preachers, thieves, and assassins have more in common with each other than they do with the rest of the mundane galaxy. But their pleasant life of recalling murder and mayhem is interrupted by an alien invasion, and to save their way of life these rugged individualists must try to work together for a change.
The Return of Santiago book cover
#27

The Return of Santiago

2003

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...
Starship book cover
#28

Starship

Mutiny

2005

The starship Theodore Roosevelt is fighting on the far outskirts of a galactic war, its crew made up of retreads and raw recruits. A new first officer reports, Wilson Cole, a man with a reputation for exceeding his orders (but getting results). He's been banished to the Teddy R. for his actions, but once there he again ignores his orders. ... This is the first of five novels about the starship Theodore Roosevelt. The next four will be, in order, Pirate, Mercenary, Rebel, and Flagship.
A Gathering of Widowmakers book cover
#29

A Gathering of Widowmakers

2005

There is only one thing that Jefferson Nighthawk, the original Widowmaker, really wanted to do and that was retire on a far away planet and raise a garden. There were still two clones of him to keep the peace and carry on his legend. Unfortunately for him, his two clones have come to a disagreement. When a widowmaker takes on a widowmaker everyone runs for cover. There is only one man who can stand up to the clones of the Widowmaker... the Widowmaker himself.
Starship book cover
#30

Starship

Pirate

2005

The date is 1967 of the Galactic Era, almost three thousand years from now. The Republic, created by the human race but not yet dominated by it, is in the midst of an all-out war with the Teroni Federation. After his latest exploit saved millions of lives but embarrassed his superiors, Captain Wilson Cole, a man with a reputation for exceeding orders but getting results, found himself the victim of the media feeding frenzy, a political scapegoat despite years of dedicated military service. Faced with a court martial, he was rescued by the loyal crew of his ship, the Theodore Roosevelt. Now branded mutineers, the crew of the Teddy R. has quit the Republic, never to return. Seeking to find a new life for themselves, Wilson Cole and comrades remake the Teddy R. as a pirate ship and set sail for the lawless Inner Frontier. Here, powerful warlords, cut-throat pirates, and struggling colonies compete for survival in a game where you rarely get a second chance to learn the rules. But military discipline is poor preparation for a life of pillaging and plundering, and Cole's principles naturally limit his targets. Seeking an education on the nature of piracy, Cole hunts more knowledgeable players. Enter the beautiful but deadly Valkyrie, Val for short, and the enigmatic alien fence known as David Copperfield. But hanging over everything is the fearsome alien pirate—the Hammerhead Shark. With Pirate, five-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick continues the story begun in his very first military SF. Will the galaxy ever be the same? This second book in the Starship series includes diagrams of the Teddy R., plus rules for two Starship board games.
Starship book cover
#31

Starship

Mercenary

2007

The date is 1968 of the Galactic Era, almost three thousand years from now. The Republic, created by the human race but not yet dominated by it, is in the midst of an all-out war with the Teroni Federation. Captain Wilson Cole, a man with a reputation for exceeding orders but getting results, found himself the victim of a media feeding frenzy, a political scapegoat despite years of dedicated military service. Faced with a court martial, he was rescued by the loyal crew of his ship, the Theodore Roosevelt. Branded mutineers, the Teddy R. has quit the Republic, never to return. Seeking to find a new life, Wilson Cole first remade the Teddy R. as a pirate ship plying the spaceways of the lawless Inner Frontier. But military discipline and honor were a poor match for a life of pillaging and plundering, and Cole's principles naturally limited his targets. Taking on a new role, the Teddy R. becomes a mercenary ship, hiring out to the highest bidder. Whether it's evacuating a hospital before war can reach it, freeing a client from an alien prison, or stopping a criminal cartel from extorting money from a terrified planet, the crew of the Teddy R. proves equal to the task. Along the way they form a partnership with the once human Platinum Duke, team up with a former enemy, and make the unique Singapore Station their headquarters. But the life of a mercenary is not always predictable, and eventually circumstance pits Cole and the Teddy R. against his right-hand woman, the former Pirate Queen known as the Valkyrie. Soon the fragile trust that has grown between these two legends is put to the test as they find themselves on opposite sides of a job.
Starship book cover
#32

Starship

Rebel

2008

The date is 1968 of the Galactic Era, almost three thousand years from now. The Republic, dominated by the human race, is in the midst of an all-out war with the Teroni Federation. Almost a year has passed since the events of Mercenary. Captain Wilson Cole now commands a fleet of almost fifty ships, and he has become the single greatest military force on the Inner Frontier. With one exception. The Republic still comes and goes as it pleases, taking what it wants, conscripting men, and extorting taxes, even though the Frontier worlds receive nothing in exchange. And, of course, the government still wants Wilson Cole and the starship Theodore Roosevelt. He has no interest in confronting such an overwhelming force, and constantly steers clear of them. Then an incident occurs that changes everything, and Cole declares war on the Republic. Outnumbered and always outgunned, his fleet is no match for the Republic's millions of military vessels, even after he forges alliances with the warlords he previously hunted down. It's a hopeless cause...but that's just what Wilson Cole and the Teddy R. are best at.
Starship book cover
#33

Starship

Flagship

2009

The date is 1970 of the Galactic Era, almost three thousand years from now, and the Republic, created by the human race but not yet dominated by it, finds itself in an all-out war against the Teroni Federation, an alliance of races that resent Man’s growing military and economic power. The rebel starship, the Theodore Roosevelt, under the command of Wilson Cole, is preparing to lead Cole’s ragtag armada into the Republic, even though he is outnumbered thousands to one. Cole is convinced that the government has become an arrogant and unfeeling political entity and must be overthrown. The trick is to avoid armed conflict with the vast array of ships, numbering in the millions, in the Republic’s Navy. For a time Cole’s forces strike from cover and race off to safety, but he soon sees that is no way to conquer the mightiest political and military machine in the history of the galaxy. He realizes that he must reach Deluros VIII, the headquarters world of the Republic (and of the race of Man), in order to have any effect on the government at all – but Deluros VIII is the best-protected world in the Republic. But a new threat looms on the horizon. Cole, the Valkyrie, David Copperfield, Sharon Blacksmith, Jacovic, and the rest of the crew of the Teddy R face their greatest challenge yet, and the outcome will determine the fate of the entire galaxy.

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