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Unicorn Mountain
Unicorns roam the uplands of Libby Quarrels' mountain ranch. When Libby takes the AIDS-afflicted Bo Gavin out of exile in Atlanta to live with her in Colorado, she sees no connection between his disease and the fantastic secret she guards. But it so happens the unicorns suffer from a plague of their own, and the alternate world that touches the high country has unleashed magic sinister as well as marvelous. While Libby's Indian ranch hand Sam is stalked by his wife's headless ghost, his estranged daughter has visions that propel her toward the grueling Sun Dance ritual, where an encounter with the spirit world may decide the fate of both the unicorns and the people whose lives they've touched.
418 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
14 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bishop
306 books105 followersMichael Lawson Bishop was an award-winning American writer. Over four decades & thirty books, he created a body of work that stands among the most admired in modern sf & fantasy literature.
Bishop received a bachelor's from the Univ. of Georgia in 1967, going on to complete a master's in English. He taught English at the US Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado Springs from 1968-72 & then at the Univ. of Georgia. He also taught a course in science fiction at the US Air Force Academy in 1971. He left teaching in 1974 to become a full-time writer.
Bishop won the Nebula in 1981 for The Quickening (Best Novelette) & in 1982 for No Enemy But Time (Best Novel). He's also received four Locus Awards & his work has been nominated for numerous Hugos. He & British author Ian Watson collaborated on a novel set in the universe of one of Bishop’s earlier works. He's also written two mystery novels with Paul Di Filippo, under the joint pseudonym Philip Lawson. His work has been translated into over a dozen languages.
Bishop has published more than 125 pieces of short fiction which have been gathered in seven collections. His stories have appeared in Playboy, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, the Missouri Review, the Indiana Review, the Chattahoochee Review, the Georgia Review, Omni & Interzone.
In addition to fiction, Bishop has published poetry gathered in two collections & won the 1979 Rhysling Award for his poem For the Lady of a Physicist. He's also had essays & reviews published in the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Omni Magazine & the NY Review of Science Fiction. A collection of his nonfiction, A Reverie for Mister Ray, was issued in 2005 by PS Publishing. He's written introductions to books by Philip K. Dick, Theodore Sturgeon, James Tiptree, Jr., Pamela Sargent, Gardner Dozois, Lucius Shepard, Mary Shelley, Andy Duncan, Paul Di Filippo, Bruce Holland Rogers & Rhys Hughes. He's edited six anthologies, including the Locus Award-winning Light Years & Dark & A Cross of Centuries: 25 Imaginative Tales about the Christ, published by Thunder’s Mouth Press shortly before the company closed.
In recent years, Bishop has returned to teaching & is writer-in-residence at LaGrange College located near his home in Pine Mountain, GA. He & his wife, Jeri, have a daughter & two grandchildren. His son, Christopher James Bishop, was one of the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre on 4/16/07.
Bishop received a bachelor's from the Univ. of Georgia in 1967, going on to complete a master's in English. He taught English at the US Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado Springs from 1968-72 & then at the Univ. of Georgia. He also taught a course in science fiction at the US Air Force Academy in 1971. He left teaching in 1974 to become a full-time writer.
Bishop won the Nebula in 1981 for The Quickening (Best Novelette) & in 1982 for No Enemy But Time (Best Novel). He's also received four Locus Awards & his work has been nominated for numerous Hugos. He & British author Ian Watson collaborated on a novel set in the universe of one of Bishop’s earlier works. He's also written two mystery novels with Paul Di Filippo, under the joint pseudonym Philip Lawson. His work has been translated into over a dozen languages.
Bishop has published more than 125 pieces of short fiction which have been gathered in seven collections. His stories have appeared in Playboy, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, the Missouri Review, the Indiana Review, the Chattahoochee Review, the Georgia Review, Omni & Interzone.
In addition to fiction, Bishop has published poetry gathered in two collections & won the 1979 Rhysling Award for his poem For the Lady of a Physicist. He's also had essays & reviews published in the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Omni Magazine & the NY Review of Science Fiction. A collection of his nonfiction, A Reverie for Mister Ray, was issued in 2005 by PS Publishing. He's written introductions to books by Philip K. Dick, Theodore Sturgeon, James Tiptree, Jr., Pamela Sargent, Gardner Dozois, Lucius Shepard, Mary Shelley, Andy Duncan, Paul Di Filippo, Bruce Holland Rogers & Rhys Hughes. He's edited six anthologies, including the Locus Award-winning Light Years & Dark & A Cross of Centuries: 25 Imaginative Tales about the Christ, published by Thunder’s Mouth Press shortly before the company closed.
In recent years, Bishop has returned to teaching & is writer-in-residence at LaGrange College located near his home in Pine Mountain, GA. He & his wife, Jeri, have a daughter & two grandchildren. His son, Christopher James Bishop, was one of the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre on 4/16/07.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 2, 2016
I’d describe this as ‘mostly serviceable’. There are some unnecessary antifeminist comments and I think the author worked a little too hard to make the sympathetic central character Libby Quarrels not too saintly and perfect – she frequently behaves appallingly by my lights. As a white person I felt that the representation of the numerous Ute Indian characters and their community in this book seems well researched and reasonably true-to-life; what I mean is that it reminded me sufficiently of Louise Erdrich’s and Susan Power’s books that I’ve read for me to think so. I don’t have any relevant lived experience to back up that impression. There are extensive descriptions of a highly sacred ceremony, and I have no idea whether it is accurate and if so whether Bishop sought consent to portray it.
I think this is only the second book I’ve read that prominently features a person with AIDS. Other folks have commented that it is out of date, in terms of medical technology (and computer technology? But I think it’s sufficiently generic to pass muster, except that Bo’s work station takes up a lot of space instead of being a wafer-thin laptop), and that this is in a way a good thing, because it provides a window into history. My number one gripe has to be that the novel does absolutely nothing to dispell the image of AIDS as a ‘gay plague’. I can forgive Bishop for making literally everyone in the book except Bo himself homophobic, and for all the nasty language people use, because when bigotry is displayed, readers know whose side to take, but that did annoy me a lot.
I read this because of Into the Forest group’s March-April unicorn theme. The unicorns in this book are horselike, shy animals. I failed to get excited about them, I think I missed the point, the connections didn’t spark for me. Maybe I was put off by the excess of phallogogising(?). The prose style is OK, I did raise a brow at the occasional hokey analogy, and it got a bit purple in places, but not to the point of annoying me. Apart from Libby, who exasperated me, most of the characters were similarly irritating, with the exception of the Ute folks. I think I’m adding a whole extra star for the character Paisley/Alma, the daughter of Dolores and Sam, both Ute. I really want to know what she went on to do when the book ended!
I think this is only the second book I’ve read that prominently features a person with AIDS. Other folks have commented that it is out of date, in terms of medical technology (and computer technology? But I think it’s sufficiently generic to pass muster, except that Bo’s work station takes up a lot of space instead of being a wafer-thin laptop), and that this is in a way a good thing, because it provides a window into history. My number one gripe has to be that the novel does absolutely nothing to dispell the image of AIDS as a ‘gay plague’. I can forgive Bishop for making literally everyone in the book except Bo himself homophobic, and for all the nasty language people use, because when bigotry is displayed, readers know whose side to take, but that did annoy me a lot.
I read this because of Into the Forest group’s March-April unicorn theme. The unicorns in this book are horselike, shy animals. I failed to get excited about them, I think I missed the point, the connections didn’t spark for me. Maybe I was put off by the excess of phallogogising(?). The prose style is OK, I did raise a brow at the occasional hokey analogy, and it got a bit purple in places, but not to the point of annoying me. Apart from Libby, who exasperated me, most of the characters were similarly irritating, with the exception of the Ute folks. I think I’m adding a whole extra star for the character Paisley/Alma, the daughter of Dolores and Sam, both Ute. I really want to know what she went on to do when the book ended!
August 14, 2013
This book is one of my firm favourites. If you read the blurb on the back, you can't see how the hell the story can work, but it does.
Bo is dying from AIDS. His family have disowned him, his partner he abandoned to the same fate and he is ready to give up. But then his cousin's ex wife invites him to stay on her ranch. Libby does so out of pity, as she has her own secrets to hide. Meanwhile, her cowhand, Sam, is being haunted by the headless ghost of his ex-wife and far across the country, his daughter is having dreams of the Sacred Sun Dance, dreams in which Bo and Libby seem to be taking a part. But it is the unicorns on the ranch that really have everyone worried - because they are dying, and no-one knows how to stop the spread of the disease.
There are any number of different threads running through this book - homophobia, morality of birth control, alcoholism, grief, guilt, regret...and yet it doesn't preach and doesn't get too heavy. Bo's disease and eventual death is handled with care, although some of the attitudes in the book do date it (I do like to think we have moved on a bit now!). I love the mythology surrounding the origins of the unicorns and can definatly buy into it...in fact, its the sort of world I know I would love to end up in. A great book that I will probably read many more times.
Bo is dying from AIDS. His family have disowned him, his partner he abandoned to the same fate and he is ready to give up. But then his cousin's ex wife invites him to stay on her ranch. Libby does so out of pity, as she has her own secrets to hide. Meanwhile, her cowhand, Sam, is being haunted by the headless ghost of his ex-wife and far across the country, his daughter is having dreams of the Sacred Sun Dance, dreams in which Bo and Libby seem to be taking a part. But it is the unicorns on the ranch that really have everyone worried - because they are dying, and no-one knows how to stop the spread of the disease.
There are any number of different threads running through this book - homophobia, morality of birth control, alcoholism, grief, guilt, regret...and yet it doesn't preach and doesn't get too heavy. Bo's disease and eventual death is handled with care, although some of the attitudes in the book do date it (I do like to think we have moved on a bit now!). I love the mythology surrounding the origins of the unicorns and can definatly buy into it...in fact, its the sort of world I know I would love to end up in. A great book that I will probably read many more times.
May 28, 2011
In the Author's Note, Michael Bishop indicates that he did extensive research on gay culture, AIDS, Ute Indians and the Sun Dance religion, "montane ecology, equine diseases, [and] unicorn lore". The story doesn't wear all these sources lightly. Particularly in the case of AIDS and homosexuality, Bishop sometimes seems to be ticking off a list of points he must inform, and enlighten, the readers about (the book was published in 1985). The research was in service of a story that can't be accused of lack of thematic ambition. Illness is a metaphor for Bishop; U.S. culture suffers from a spiritual sickness, which apparently kicked up a notch when Cowboy Ron was elected, since Bishop associates that event with the beginning of both AIDS and a deadly disease killing unicorns. But the decline of Ute culture was happening long before that. Bishop weaves together many disease metaphors, and introduces optimism in the form of healing attempts by both doctors fighting on the physical level, and Sun Dancers working spiritually. Plus, sex is a recurring theme, though I haven't analyzed how it ties in.
This novel is enjoyable to read because of its well-paced storytelling, juicy language, and humor. But in spite of good writing and avoidance of some of the most obvious stereotype traps, I don't think it fully escapes the risk of exploitation that looms when a non-minority writer uses minorities for metaphorical purposes. There is a definite trace of "magical queer" and "magical Native American" here. Bo has little page-space in the book which isn't concerned with him dying of AIDS. And in the case of the Ute characters, all the events of their lives are another metaphor. So I can recommend the novel, but only with reservations.
This novel is enjoyable to read because of its well-paced storytelling, juicy language, and humor. But in spite of good writing and avoidance of some of the most obvious stereotype traps, I don't think it fully escapes the risk of exploitation that looms when a non-minority writer uses minorities for metaphorical purposes. There is a definite trace of "magical queer" and "magical Native American" here. Bo has little page-space in the book which isn't concerned with him dying of AIDS. And in the case of the Ute characters, all the events of their lives are another metaphor. So I can recommend the novel, but only with reservations.
March 15, 2016
“Unicorn Mountain” falls under the category of fantasy. I would call it rural fantasy (as opposed to urban fantasy) because it deals with the gritty reality of life in a rural setting with some magical elements woven through. The gritty realities are AIDS, circa 1988, when life expectancy was low and quality of life was even lower, the plight of Native Americans and their life on reservations, and a divorced Anglo woman running a ranch in rural Colorado on her own. All three of these threads come together in a pretty powerful story surrounding the appearance and plight of unicorns. It’s no wonder the book won the Mythopoeic Award in 1989. I found the book engrossing and satisfying even though it deals with the homophobia, sexism, and racism of thirty years ago. I’d like to think we’ve made some headway on all three fronts, but it’s hard knowing that a lot of it still exists and is finding a loud voice in the politics of 2016.
Come visit my blog for the full review…
http://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspot...
Come visit my blog for the full review…
http://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspot...
April 2, 2016
Unicorn Mountain goes to great pains to create many events and images that link the plight of disease-ridden unicorns to the mid-1980s AIDs crisis. That’s both the strength, and the weakness of the work.
A strength because like many analogies, it lets you think about a hard situation in a different way. A weakness because it the links are a lot of separate elements, and they never quite come together to form a coherent whole. They do come enough together that I know Bishop is trying to say, but there’s still an air of incompleteness about it since some of the images either don’t quite fit or are still ambiguous.
In the intro to the e-book version, Bishop mentions that the publisher had asked him to update the text to account for shifts in pop culture and technology. I am glad that he did not choose to do so. Yes, the book is dated, but the book is depicting a crisis that (for the most part) only happened in a particular decade. If the book had been set today, or even in the late ‘90’s, it would have had to be a very different novel from start to finish.
A strength because like many analogies, it lets you think about a hard situation in a different way. A weakness because it the links are a lot of separate elements, and they never quite come together to form a coherent whole. They do come enough together that I know Bishop is trying to say, but there’s still an air of incompleteness about it since some of the images either don’t quite fit or are still ambiguous.
In the intro to the e-book version, Bishop mentions that the publisher had asked him to update the text to account for shifts in pop culture and technology. I am glad that he did not choose to do so. Yes, the book is dated, but the book is depicting a crisis that (for the most part) only happened in a particular decade. If the book had been set today, or even in the late ‘90’s, it would have had to be a very different novel from start to finish.
September 24, 2011
Unicorn Mountain follows the lives of a divorced rancher in Colorado; her AIDS-stricken, ex-cousin-in-law; a Ute ranch hand; and the ranch hand's estranged daughter seeking to become a shaman. The story manages to tie these people together in a peculiar way -- with unicorns.
The imagery throughout is extremely provocative, with phallic symbols galore. The creatures are a sort of equine doppleganger for the AIDS-afflicted character. They have a lot in common.
The story, while a bit dated (it deals a lot with the AIDS epidemic back in the 80s when getting the disease was an absolute death sentence), was extremely ahead of its time. It's a thought-provoking work and very well-written. I highly recommend it.
The imagery throughout is extremely provocative, with phallic symbols galore. The creatures are a sort of equine doppleganger for the AIDS-afflicted character. They have a lot in common.
The story, while a bit dated (it deals a lot with the AIDS epidemic back in the 80s when getting the disease was an absolute death sentence), was extremely ahead of its time. It's a thought-provoking work and very well-written. I highly recommend it.
Read
March 19, 2025This is a fantasy book that doesn’t fit neatly into categorizations. It feels less like a fantasy book than a character-driven literary novel that happens to have unicorns and spirits in it. We have Bo, who’s dying of AIDS and has been ostracized by his family for being gay. Libby, who is working to keep a ranch afloat in rural Colorado. Sam, her ranch hand who misses the daughter he abandoned, and Paisley, Sam’s daughter who is trying to balance her need to become a spiritual leader in her tribe with her desire to reunite with her father.
Oh, and there’s unicorns too, real ones, and they’re dying of some strange disease. For some reason, in this book the unicorns are referred to as kar’tajan. By and large, they act very much like wild horses or somewhat tamable antelope.
The book was written in the 80s, and it has both the slang of its time and the prejudices of the time. For example, the fact that Libby is willing to take care of Bo is presented as unusually noble since most people don’t even want to touch him. It’s not just AIDS they’re afraid of, they all seem to think that gay is contagious. Bo’s brother Ned has to take great steps to make sure no one finds out that he has a gay brother, lest he suffer career repercussions from the stigma. And of course there’s plenty of sexism and racism thrown in, like when a guy in town is talking to a journalist and he calls her a vulgar slur to her face just because, I guess that’s what you did when talking to a woman.
Condoms, as a leitmotif, appear on numerous occasions. Early in the book, Bo visits another gay man who is dying of AIDS, and the man has balloons made of condoms, sort or ruefully admitting that horse had left the barn long before. There’s a literary connection between condoms and unicorns, of how condoms protect against AIDS and how they’re trying to protect the unicorns from whatever’s killing them. Condoms have such a recurring role in the book that it seems they were deliberate metaphors, like the author was trying to spiritually connect condoms to saving the unicorns. If there was, it was too subtle for me.
There’s a lot of magic in this book, but it’s not really wielded by the people. There’s the supernatural appearance of the unicorns, and a message from another reality, and a restless ghost, and some visions, but even the most spiritually enlightened ones are just deeply flawed people trying to muddle through. They’re all just doing the best they can with what they have, and they make a lot of mistakes. Both Libby and Sam do crazy impulsive things that don’t really benefit them, and Bo admits that he abandoned his partner when his partner started getting sick from AIDS.
This is a unique book. I think it’s more appealing to literary fans than fantasy fans. Fantasy fans might feel frustrated that the magic doesn’t have a system and the plot isn’t very direct. There’s no good-versus-evil conflict. The good guys are pretty flawed and the evil people are understandable, if not sympathetic. Literary fans will probably appreciate the nuance and metaphor and be willing to write off the magic as magic realism.
Oh, and there’s unicorns too, real ones, and they’re dying of some strange disease. For some reason, in this book the unicorns are referred to as kar’tajan. By and large, they act very much like wild horses or somewhat tamable antelope.
The book was written in the 80s, and it has both the slang of its time and the prejudices of the time. For example, the fact that Libby is willing to take care of Bo is presented as unusually noble since most people don’t even want to touch him. It’s not just AIDS they’re afraid of, they all seem to think that gay is contagious. Bo’s brother Ned has to take great steps to make sure no one finds out that he has a gay brother, lest he suffer career repercussions from the stigma. And of course there’s plenty of sexism and racism thrown in, like when a guy in town is talking to a journalist and he calls her a vulgar slur to her face just because, I guess that’s what you did when talking to a woman.
Condoms, as a leitmotif, appear on numerous occasions. Early in the book, Bo visits another gay man who is dying of AIDS, and the man has balloons made of condoms, sort or ruefully admitting that horse had left the barn long before. There’s a literary connection between condoms and unicorns, of how condoms protect against AIDS and how they’re trying to protect the unicorns from whatever’s killing them. Condoms have such a recurring role in the book that it seems they were deliberate metaphors, like the author was trying to spiritually connect condoms to saving the unicorns. If there was, it was too subtle for me.
There’s a lot of magic in this book, but it’s not really wielded by the people. There’s the supernatural appearance of the unicorns, and a message from another reality, and a restless ghost, and some visions, but even the most spiritually enlightened ones are just deeply flawed people trying to muddle through. They’re all just doing the best they can with what they have, and they make a lot of mistakes. Both Libby and Sam do crazy impulsive things that don’t really benefit them, and Bo admits that he abandoned his partner when his partner started getting sick from AIDS.
This is a unique book. I think it’s more appealing to literary fans than fantasy fans. Fantasy fans might feel frustrated that the magic doesn’t have a system and the plot isn’t very direct. There’s no good-versus-evil conflict. The good guys are pretty flawed and the evil people are understandable, if not sympathetic. Literary fans will probably appreciate the nuance and metaphor and be willing to write off the magic as magic realism.
July 2, 2017
This is a fascinating, interesting and weird book. It involves an Aids patient, his brother, Their former cousin by marriage, a ranch hand, a cranky veterinarian, a UTE shaman or two, a “jesus blanket” and lots of unicorns, most of who are sick. Let’s not forget the condoms. A beautifully mysterious and vulnerable species of unicorns is revealed bringing together four people in a test of courage and humanity against the pain of the outside world. A realistic work dealing with some of today's most basic and controversial conflicts.
Triggers: Some wild animal death (wild animals killing other animals), major character death
Triggers: Some wild animal death (wild animals killing other animals), major character death
April 14, 2018
I think this book did a pretty good job of capturing what it might have been like to be a gay man and a person with AIDS back in the late 80s, although the homophobia and ignorance of many of the people was difficult to read, if realistic. The book is very close to using the "mystical, wise native" trope, if not actually going there, but it did feel like it took Ute spirituality very seriously and treated it as valid, as well as showing the Native American characters to have flaws and be as human as the rest of the characters. I do have to admit that I'm not in the most informed position to make statements judging appropriateness of their representation.
August 15, 2024
If you love magical realism, you have to read "Unicorn Mountain" by Michael Bishop.
He creates such a bizarre premise with such tenderness and skill. The way he brings together very different people (a female rancher, a young gay man dying of AIDS, and a haunted man from the Ute tribe) reminds me of a good Charles de Lint book. This story takes place in the 80s when there was a lot of fear & ignorance surrounding AIDS and homosexuality. The author tackles these issues with honesty and empathy. Did I mention unicorns are real & this misfit team are trying to save them with the help of a very special Ute girl with a big destiny? A beautiful read!
He creates such a bizarre premise with such tenderness and skill. The way he brings together very different people (a female rancher, a young gay man dying of AIDS, and a haunted man from the Ute tribe) reminds me of a good Charles de Lint book. This story takes place in the 80s when there was a lot of fear & ignorance surrounding AIDS and homosexuality. The author tackles these issues with honesty and empathy. Did I mention unicorns are real & this misfit team are trying to save them with the help of a very special Ute girl with a big destiny? A beautiful read!
April 6, 2020
I read this over 20 years ago and have just reread it. It is a fantasy novel set in modern times. Set when AIDS was more terrifying than cancer and "cures" were in their infancy. Mix in Native American legends and dying unicorns. Highly recommended. Good luck finding it though, I had to buy it online
June 29, 2022
Such an underrated book!
I first read this novel on its sole (as far as I know) UK print release, all the way back in 1989. I fell completely in love with it, and to this day, having re-read it many, many times (perhaps enough times to cover the 17-year gap between my first paperback copy falling apart and my being able to obtain a second, hardcover copy) it remains my all-time favourite fictional novel. Okay, it isn't Lord of the Rings... and I simply do not care, not being a LOTR fan anyhow.
A divorcée who won her philandering ex-husband's subalpine Colorado ranch as divorce settlement, struggles with the daily hardships and obstacles of running a ranch nearly singlehanded and making ends meet, helped only by her Ute cowhand. She meets her ex in the town supermarket, and he informs her that his cousin, a homosexual, has been diagnosed with AIDS and is dying. She recalls the cousin from a previous year when he did some work about the ranch and, feeling obligated, goes to his home in Georgia to bring him back to Colorado. Meantime the cowhand, haunted by his past, seeks a reunion with his estranged daughter, who appears to have Shamanic potential as revealed by the dreams she has which call her to take part in an ancient rite for the health of the tribe and the land. An assortment of other characters - the tribal chief and elders, doctors, local cowhands, a shyster lawyer, the cousin's employers in Georgia, and others in the small Colorado town close to the ranch, round out the cast; unlike some other fantasy stories I've read, where minor characters are left twiddling their thumbs, they all form a part of the breathtakingly written pattern which is 'Unicorn Mountain'.
The divorcee rancher and her cowhand have a secret, one which would make most people think they're both crazy: they regularly see unicorns on their upland pastures. These however are no hallucinations: they leave droppings, hair, and other evidence of their physical presence behind them.
And these magical beings are sick, dying off. Our main characters need to try to save them... but how exactly do you diagnose diseases in mythological beings, never mind treat them?
I first read this novel on its sole (as far as I know) UK print release, all the way back in 1989. I fell completely in love with it, and to this day, having re-read it many, many times (perhaps enough times to cover the 17-year gap between my first paperback copy falling apart and my being able to obtain a second, hardcover copy) it remains my all-time favourite fictional novel. Okay, it isn't Lord of the Rings... and I simply do not care, not being a LOTR fan anyhow.
A divorcée who won her philandering ex-husband's subalpine Colorado ranch as divorce settlement, struggles with the daily hardships and obstacles of running a ranch nearly singlehanded and making ends meet, helped only by her Ute cowhand. She meets her ex in the town supermarket, and he informs her that his cousin, a homosexual, has been diagnosed with AIDS and is dying. She recalls the cousin from a previous year when he did some work about the ranch and, feeling obligated, goes to his home in Georgia to bring him back to Colorado. Meantime the cowhand, haunted by his past, seeks a reunion with his estranged daughter, who appears to have Shamanic potential as revealed by the dreams she has which call her to take part in an ancient rite for the health of the tribe and the land. An assortment of other characters - the tribal chief and elders, doctors, local cowhands, a shyster lawyer, the cousin's employers in Georgia, and others in the small Colorado town close to the ranch, round out the cast; unlike some other fantasy stories I've read, where minor characters are left twiddling their thumbs, they all form a part of the breathtakingly written pattern which is 'Unicorn Mountain'.
The divorcee rancher and her cowhand have a secret, one which would make most people think they're both crazy: they regularly see unicorns on their upland pastures. These however are no hallucinations: they leave droppings, hair, and other evidence of their physical presence behind them.
And these magical beings are sick, dying off. Our main characters need to try to save them... but how exactly do you diagnose diseases in mythological beings, never mind treat them?
June 12, 2017
Just finished "Unicorn Mountain" by Michael Bishop. Published in 1988, it's a story about a gay man dying from AIDS, and features otherworldy unicorns also dying from an unknown plague. (Spoiler: it's related to AIDS.) It was an interesting book, written at a time when being gay was much less accepted by society, and the book reflects this. Native American mythology plays a key role in the story, and although Bishop's treatment of the Ute characters and mythology is respectful and strives to be authentic, it ends up feeling appropriative. Another weakness in the book is some pretty terrible dialogue. Two examples:
"Ouray's back out there somewhere, elking it up." [Ouray is a partially domesticated elk, and this is supposed to mean he is not returning to a certain cabin.]
"Okay is not exactly the friggin password to my heart."
Still, it is a compelling read, I think mostly for the author's bold concept of writing a magical realist story to deal with important issues.
"Ouray's back out there somewhere, elking it up." [Ouray is a partially domesticated elk, and this is supposed to mean he is not returning to a certain cabin.]
"Okay is not exactly the friggin password to my heart."
Still, it is a compelling read, I think mostly for the author's bold concept of writing a magical realist story to deal with important issues.
May 21, 2022
I loved all the controversial aspects that were completely at odds with each other which were presented in this science fiction story. There are the characters completely embodying the Midwest from a “white” or “Anglo” point of view, such as Libby and Gary Quarrels, the characters with backgrounds coming from a genuine Indian reservation such as Sam and Paisley Coldpony, and the gay AIDS victim and city-slicker characters that include Beaumont and Theodore Gavin. All these characters present themselves and their misgivings about each other to the reader while all having some sort of impact on each other’s lives. It is truly a book that will challenge the opinions of possibly even the most open-minded readers.
June 18, 2020
I found this book to be very odd. I didn’t really see the point of the story. I was waiting for all the relationships and actions to come to a head but it never really did. I like the inclusion of the Ute Tribe customs and their stories. I liked the inclusion of a gay AIDS sufferer during the time period the story was set. I just felt like a lot of the characters and their relationships stayed very surface level. It was just a weird book. The unicorns were the most normal part of the action in the story and they were honestly not even much of a factor. I’m torn as to whether or not I actually liked it as a whole.
February 18, 2025
This was a re-read and the book has been on my shelf for decades. I don't pull it out very often as there are aspects of the book that hit far too close to home.
A wonderful blend of unicorns, alternate dimensions, ranching, Ute lore & life, AIDS, love, acceptance, & death. There is no way to avoid the last, but hopefully there will people - like the cast of this book - that will be there to send you off.
A wonderful blend of unicorns, alternate dimensions, ranching, Ute lore & life, AIDS, love, acceptance, & death. There is no way to avoid the last, but hopefully there will people - like the cast of this book - that will be there to send you off.
June 4, 2020
I was deceived by the title which was my fault I should have done some research. Sam’s story was mildly able to keep my attention but otherwise I just muddled through it. Moments of good description. Unique use of POV but not something that is going to join my favorites by far.
May 25, 2023
It was awful. Forced myself to finish, kept thinking it would improve. Sorry I wasted bookshelf space on this for so long .
September 19, 2023
I struggled to finish this one. It bored me, I couldn't keep pace with the story. Not my thing. Going to donate it to charity.
January 4, 2025
3.5. Biased because the main character has the same name as this reviewer which made it more comical and a continued read for me.
April 25, 2025
It wasn't terrible, but I DNF. Just couldn't get into it, reading it felt like a chore. Eventually I just gave up!
August 23, 2014
It was a bit uncomfortable reading this book at first because it was written in the late 1980's and it expresses, but doesn't espouse, all the ignorance about Aids, homosexuality, and different cultures that was prevalent at the time. It's amazing to think that just 30 years ago, these attitudes were held as sacrosanct. I wonder what we'll be amazed at in 30 years? Unicorns are also a large part of the story which is, of course, why I read it. They serve as a magical, metaphysical connection to Aids, and the illnesses of society. Also featured is the spiritual belief system of the Ute Indians. The weaving together of a connection between these disparate characters and themes makes this story an intriguing read.
December 25, 2015
This book was written in the 80s and there are points where it definitely dates itself, but it is still a great read and offers some nice insight into how the US was like at the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic. Bishop tells the story of how AIDS impacted one group of people, drawing some interesting parallels between AIDS and a mysterious disease killing the unicorns living on the ranch.
May 6, 2014
This was an interesting book, but not quite what I was expecting. It took a LONG time before I even began to really care about the characters because most of them are not very likable.
I'm glad I read it, but it's not on my list to re-read.
I'm glad I read it, but it's not on my list to re-read.
July 24, 2009
An interesting book, but also a dated one. Because of its close connection to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, this reads like a historical novel now.
July 31, 2009
The problem was that I could never get into this book. It took me forever to read. The ending was even more upsetting. All the pieces didn't come together. Still wondering what and why.
July 31, 2013
Thought it would end differently.
May 7, 2012
This was a very moving book about unicorns, AIDS, and learning new things about oneself and others. I liked how Libby, Bo and Sam gradually got to know each other better over time.
February 8, 2013
I remember reading this book more than a decade ago and quite liking it. I remember it being sad, but not in a bad way. Must have made an impression.
August 30, 2013
Bizarre. Complicated. And definitely the most unique unicorn story I've ever read.
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