Stalking the Zombie (A John Justin Mallory Mystery Collection) - Hardcover

Mike Resnick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0961035250 ISBN 13: 9780961035259

Publisher: American Fantasy Press, 2012

Synopsis

Collected for the first time anywhere, here are the short stories of detective John J. Mallory, from Resnick's STALKING THE UNICORN, STALKING THE VAMPIRE and STALKING THE DRAGON. Mallory is a hard-boiled detective from our world, unhappily stranded in a Manhattan filled with trolls, pink elephants, a blue-nosed reindeer, powerful demons and more.

The stories are witty fast-paced urban fantasies with dialogue seemligly drawn from 1930s film comedies. Connie Willis writes in her preface: STALKING THE ZOMBIE is the fun, funny, tall-tale telling Mike at his cutting-loose best. It's inventive, satiric, fast-paced, a roller-coaster ride of a book. And you're going to have a whale--oops, pink elephant---of a time reading it!

Eight short mysteries, the title story being original to this collection. Cover by Spectrum Artist Douglas Klauba. And all-new introduction by Mike Resnick explaining where the character came from and detailing Mallory's history. A preface by Connie Willis. This is collection is a treat for John J. Mallory fans.

About this title

About the Author:

Mike Resnick is the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for SF short fiction. He has won 5 Hugos (from a record 36 nominations), a Nebula, and other major awards in the USA, France, Japan, Spain, Croatia, and Poland. He's the author of 69 novels, over 250 stories, and 2 screenplays, and the editor of 41 anthologies. His work has been translated into 25 languages.

Review:

Resnick, the award-winning science-fiction and fantasy writer, has a treat for fans of John Justin Mallory, star of the novels Stalking the Unicorn (2008), Stalking the Vampire (2008), and Stalking the Dragon (2009): a collection of short stories featuring the private eye who, in Unicorn, wound up in an alternate Manhattan populated by all manner of fantastical creatures. Here, in stories written between 1991 and 2008 (with one never-before-published piece), Mallory tries to find out if a crooked operator is rigging elephant races; to track down a stolen blue-nosed reindeer; to cool the ardor of a love-smitten broom (yes, a broom); and to find the last known egg of a rare mythological creature. His clients include an old enemy; a woman who wants to reclaim the dream she gave away many years ago; and an undertaker who needs to get a missing body back. Mixtures of fantasy and private-eye noir, laced with healthy doses of humor, these are little nuggets of goofy perfection, absolutely guaranteed to make the author s legion of fans cheer out loud and then start clamoring for the next full-length Mallory adventure. David Pitt - --Booklist Online

STALKING THE ZOMBIE; is an anthology of short stories set in an alternate Manhattan where zombies, demons, wizards, leprechauns, unicorns and other characters and creatures of fantasy coexist in a place where tourists go to see the amazing architecture of the Vampire State Building. The main character in the short stories is John Justin Mallory, a private detective. Detective Mallory is from another Manhattan and stranded in this dark but amusing alternative and his readers wouldn't have it any other way. He solves the problems his clients bring him with clear thinking, common sense, and the helpful hindrances of his companions. Living in a magical world can be a blessing and a curse and it delivers delightful dilemmas to the diligent detective. What would you do if the intelligent, magic broom belonging to the arch demon who is your sworn enemy falls in love with you? How do you find a local politician when they die but decide they want to go out for dinner and a burlesque show or two before the funeral? When your sworn enemy decides to hire you, do you take the job? Toss in a magic mirror with an O.C.D./neatness problem, a petulant partner, and an office cat-person with expensive tastes but no long term (SHINY!) memory and you have book worthy of your time and money. -- John Collins -- --examiner.com

Against the unusual, keeping one's mind straight carries one further than you'd expect. "Stalking the Zombie: Fables of Tonight" is a collection of short fiction from Mike Resnick, focusing on his blend of noir and fantasy with detective John Justin Mallory, who works in an alternate Manhattan where the legends of our world are very much true. With a strong blend of humor and adventure, "Stalking the Zombie" is a choice and recommended addition to general fiction and fantasy collections, highly recommended. --Midwest Book Review

About this edition

• Publisher: American Fantasy Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0961035250
• ISBN 13: 9780961035259
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224