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Penelope Bailey #3
Пророчицата (Хроника на човешкия вид, #4)
Демокрацията продължава да си създава врагове с глупост и арогантност. Сега това е Миропомазания — лидер на могъща религиозна секта, чиято тежко въоръжена космическа флотилия се цели в сърцето на Демокрацията. Неизвестно защо, за него изведнъж е по-важно да убие Ледения.
Истинското му име е Феликс Ломакс, специалност — умиротворение, шпионаж и предателство. Ледения го хвърля срещу арогантните убийци, които по никому неизвестни причини всяка седмица пристигат на Последен шанс.
Ключът към загадката е Пророка, някогашната Гадателка — желана плячка за цели звездни империи. Тя е намерила убежище на една далечна планета и най-страшното е, че този път желае да бъде намерена…
Истинското му име е Феликс Ломакс, специалност — умиротворение, шпионаж и предателство. Ледения го хвърля срещу арогантните убийци, които по никому неизвестни причини всяка седмица пристигат на Последен шанс.
Ключът към загадката е Пророка, някогашната Гадателка — желана плячка за цели звездни империи. Тя е намерила убежище на една далечна планета и най-страшното е, че този път желае да бъде намерена…
206 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
10 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Mike Resnick
812 books550 followersMichael "Mike" Diamond Resnick, better known by his published name Mike Resnick, was a popular and prolific American science fiction author. He is, according to Locus, the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short science fiction. He was the winner of five Hugos, a Nebula, and other major awards in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, Croatia and Poland. and has been short-listed for major awards in England, Italy and Australia. He was the author of 68 novels, over 250 stories, and 2 screenplays, and was the editor of 41 anthologies. His work has been translated into 25 languages. He was the Guest of Honor at the 2012 Worldcon and can be found online as @ResnickMike on Twitter or at www.mikeresnick.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 30, 2018
Well, I can commiserate with the Prophet. Her life was utterly devoid of any warmth. Basically everyone left her, shunned her for her whole life. Animals included.
Of course had she spared the Mouse as a child, she would have lived a much better life, there would have been at least the Mouse who would have loved her. And maybe the Iceman would be on her side, too. And, this would definitely not had brought the Iceman's wrath on her, and PB might have wanted to live and lived, after all. It's incredible how just one slip in a time could have rendered the whole universe unlivable for her.
Overall this is a really good book with clipped witty dialogues and quite a bit of kitchy western-styled space action. Read in the course of one evening.
(Q)
It was a time of giants.
“They get younger and dumber every week,” he said, turning the dead man onto his back with a foot. “No problem, friends,” he announced, raising his voice. “Just our weekly visitor from wherever.”
“You know, one of these days someone's going to come out here who knows what you look like,” said the man in black. “What are you going to do then?”
“Duck, I suppose,” replied the Iceman.
“And you are not a normal man?”
The Anointed One opened his mouth. “Between my teeth is the space.” He pointed to his ear. “On my left ear is the mole, on my right shoulder is the birthmark. I was born on the fourth day of the fourth month, and the sun was hidden by the moon. There can be no doubt that I am the Anointed One.”
“If she was so infallible,” scoffed Gibbs, “how did the Iceman manage to kill her?”
“I don't think he did,” answered Lomax thoughtfully. “I think she just got tired of fighting—like me.”
Lomax sighed. “Mr. Gibbs, you've created every enemy you've ever had.”
“You can't walk out of here!”
“Certainly I can,” said Lomax. “Somewhere out there, on a world you've never heard of, there's a grave that's marked only with a rag doll. It doesn't mean a damned thing to you, not any more, but I'm going to deliver a headstone to it.”
“You'll be back,” said Gibbs confidently. “Carlos always came back, and so will you.”
“You have enemies, Mr. Gibbs,” said Lomax. “You'd better hope I don't come back.” (c)
Of course had she spared the Mouse as a child, she would have lived a much better life, there would have been at least the Mouse who would have loved her. And maybe the Iceman would be on her side, too. And, this would definitely not had brought the Iceman's wrath on her, and PB might have wanted to live and lived, after all. It's incredible how just one slip in a time could have rendered the whole universe unlivable for her.
Overall this is a really good book with clipped witty dialogues and quite a bit of kitchy western-styled space action. Read in the course of one evening.
(Q)
It was a time of giants.
“They get younger and dumber every week,” he said, turning the dead man onto his back with a foot. “No problem, friends,” he announced, raising his voice. “Just our weekly visitor from wherever.”
“You know, one of these days someone's going to come out here who knows what you look like,” said the man in black. “What are you going to do then?”
“Duck, I suppose,” replied the Iceman.
“And you are not a normal man?”
The Anointed One opened his mouth. “Between my teeth is the space.” He pointed to his ear. “On my left ear is the mole, on my right shoulder is the birthmark. I was born on the fourth day of the fourth month, and the sun was hidden by the moon. There can be no doubt that I am the Anointed One.”
“If she was so infallible,” scoffed Gibbs, “how did the Iceman manage to kill her?”
“I don't think he did,” answered Lomax thoughtfully. “I think she just got tired of fighting—like me.”
Lomax sighed. “Mr. Gibbs, you've created every enemy you've ever had.”
“You can't walk out of here!”
“Certainly I can,” said Lomax. “Somewhere out there, on a world you've never heard of, there's a grave that's marked only with a rag doll. It doesn't mean a damned thing to you, not any more, but I'm going to deliver a headstone to it.”
“You'll be back,” said Gibbs confidently. “Carlos always came back, and so will you.”
“You have enemies, Mr. Gibbs,” said Lomax. “You'd better hope I don't come back.” (c)
October 28, 2024
I don't know why I would bust my butt slogging through high concept scifi when Resnick stories fly by in a couple hours and are full of dudes making quips and shooting each other
November 8, 2025
The final book in the trilogy is an improvement on its predecessor and if it doesn’t have quite the energy and feeling of the first volume Resnick does come up with a reasonable and satisfying conclusion.
Some of the second-level characters are stereotypes and their actions seem plot forced in retrospect but the action flows very well indeed. The structure of the book follows the same pattern as the first two volumes. Each section is a “book” focussed on the specific point of view of its central character. The method works well creating variations of perspective and also helps to prepare for some interesting plot twists.
Resnick does mention various ethical issues but perhaps tends to skate over them. However, by and large, I did enjoy the book and the series as a whole.
Some of the second-level characters are stereotypes and their actions seem plot forced in retrospect but the action flows very well indeed. The structure of the book follows the same pattern as the first two volumes. Each section is a “book” focussed on the specific point of view of its central character. The method works well creating variations of perspective and also helps to prepare for some interesting plot twists.
Resnick does mention various ethical issues but perhaps tends to skate over them. However, by and large, I did enjoy the book and the series as a whole.
September 7, 2009
Once again, decent book. Not what I'd call and outstanding series (it was a little too light and quick), but entertaining and I enjoyed the characters.
July 12, 2011
Solid SciFi, full with bada$$ all-knowing characters. This can get a bit tiresome, but the book is easy to read.
May 16, 2021
"Prorokini" okazała się 3. tomem trylogii. Nie wiedziałem tego czytając ją, dowiedziałem się z Wikipedii. Jest pewnym osiągnięciem autora to, że 3. tom nie odstraszył dziewiczego czytelnika. Moje odczucia po lekturze znalazły za to potwierdzenie w informacjach o Resnicku. Lubił kreować opowieści. Jego bohaterowie mają wszelkie zadatki aby przejść do legendy: noszą chwytliwe imiona, dysponują umiejętnościami na epickim poziomie doświadczenia (kto grał, ten wie) i biorą udział w wydarzeniach na skalę kosmiczną.
Świat "Prorokini" to skolonizowana przez Ludzi (przez wielkie "L") galaktyka. Tryliony mieszkańców na tysiącach planet. Raczej skala "Star Treka" czy nawet "Gwiezdnych wojen" niż nieco podobnego w wyrazie "Tufa Wędrowca" i innych osadzonych w tym samym świecie opowiadań Martina. Najbliżej jednak postawiłbym "Firefly". Podobnie jak w nieodżałowanej pamięci serialu mamy tu potężną organizację zrzeszającą wiele światów, a na jej obrzeżach dzikie pogranicze niemal żywcem wyjęte z Dzikiego Zachodu. Rewolwerowcy, saloony, do tego sekty religijne i wspomniani legendarni bohaterowie.
Jest tytułowa Prorokini aktywnie przebierająca w wariantach przyszłości. Jej historię pozostali bohaterowie opowiadają sobie kilkukrotnie. Podejrzewam że była ona treścią poprzednich tomów trylogii. Jeśli tak, to musiał pojawić się w nich również Lodziarz, emerytowany obecnie agent i łowca nagród, który jako jedyny spotkał Prorokinię and lived to tell the tale. Jego młodszy kolega po fachu, etyczny zabójca nazywany Tancerzem Grobów raczej nie występował wcześniej, choć może jego imię padło, bo Resnick delektuje się swoimi postaciami, odmienia je przez wszystkie przypadki. Podobnie jak inny jego bohater, również świeży, przypadkowy można powiedzieć - Silikonowy Chłopiec. To o tyle ciekawa postać, że rozwija się w dość nieoczekiwaną stronę. Szkoda tylko, że ten rozwój jest - znów nawiązując do gier - nieco OP.
Wszyscy oni głównie gadają. Między sobą, z kilkoma NPCami, znowu ze sobą. Nie ma więc w "Prorokini" pogłębionej historii, nie ma zbyt wielu przemyśleń, jest gadanie, sporo naiwności i akcja. Świat wykreowany przez Resnicka nie wciągnął mnie zbytnio. W powieści widzę materiał na film klasy B, który zapomni się chwilę po seansie. No może poza tym, że "Penelopa 17 lat spędziła w celi na Hadesie". To zdanie pada w książce co najmniej 5 razy.
Świat "Prorokini" to skolonizowana przez Ludzi (przez wielkie "L") galaktyka. Tryliony mieszkańców na tysiącach planet. Raczej skala "Star Treka" czy nawet "Gwiezdnych wojen" niż nieco podobnego w wyrazie "Tufa Wędrowca" i innych osadzonych w tym samym świecie opowiadań Martina. Najbliżej jednak postawiłbym "Firefly". Podobnie jak w nieodżałowanej pamięci serialu mamy tu potężną organizację zrzeszającą wiele światów, a na jej obrzeżach dzikie pogranicze niemal żywcem wyjęte z Dzikiego Zachodu. Rewolwerowcy, saloony, do tego sekty religijne i wspomniani legendarni bohaterowie.
Jest tytułowa Prorokini aktywnie przebierająca w wariantach przyszłości. Jej historię pozostali bohaterowie opowiadają sobie kilkukrotnie. Podejrzewam że była ona treścią poprzednich tomów trylogii. Jeśli tak, to musiał pojawić się w nich również Lodziarz, emerytowany obecnie agent i łowca nagród, który jako jedyny spotkał Prorokinię and lived to tell the tale. Jego młodszy kolega po fachu, etyczny zabójca nazywany Tancerzem Grobów raczej nie występował wcześniej, choć może jego imię padło, bo Resnick delektuje się swoimi postaciami, odmienia je przez wszystkie przypadki. Podobnie jak inny jego bohater, również świeży, przypadkowy można powiedzieć - Silikonowy Chłopiec. To o tyle ciekawa postać, że rozwija się w dość nieoczekiwaną stronę. Szkoda tylko, że ten rozwój jest - znów nawiązując do gier - nieco OP.
Wszyscy oni głównie gadają. Między sobą, z kilkoma NPCami, znowu ze sobą. Nie ma więc w "Prorokini" pogłębionej historii, nie ma zbyt wielu przemyśleń, jest gadanie, sporo naiwności i akcja. Świat wykreowany przez Resnicka nie wciągnął mnie zbytnio. W powieści widzę materiał na film klasy B, który zapomni się chwilę po seansie. No może poza tym, że "Penelopa 17 lat spędziła w celi na Hadesie". To zdanie pada w książce co najmniej 5 razy.
April 6, 2020
Yet another breezy adventure story from Mike Resnick. An enjoyable cast of characters and solid pacing. Having read the first two books in this trilogy, I was excited to learn how it would all play out in the end. The new characters introduced in this book were interesting and fun. I got more or less what I expected from Resnick and his conclusion of the saga was satisfying if not "mind-blowing". I would grade this as the second best book in the set with the first one, Soothsayer, being the best of the three.
October 20, 2025
Prophet introduces a new gunslinger to the bounty hunters already after Penelope. The Silicone Kid enhances his fast draw and aim with homemade implants. But how will they do against the likes of the Injun and the Whistler? We do get the showdown we have been waiting for and a make-you-say-hmm explanation of the future Penelope wants to create.
Michael Resnick was a pro, and the Penelope Bailey series is some of his best work.
Michael Resnick was a pro, and the Penelope Bailey series is some of his best work.
March 18, 2012
Prophet is the final book in the Penelope Bailey trilogy.
**Note: While there are no spoilers for this book in this review, this is a sequel to Soothsayer and Oracle so there will be some spoilers for those here. Prophet is sufficiently developed to be read on it's own, but it' much better to read the series in order.**
The Penelope Bailey series is set in the same universe as Resnick's stand alone novel Santiago, a setting where larger than life characters face life not dissimilar to that of the wild west, except that in this case it spans planets. It's been several years since the Iceman foiled the Oracle's escape attempt from the aliens who miraculous kept her captive. But in the last couple of years someone's been sending assassins after Iceman, and he hires a top tier mercenary named the Gravedancer to find out why. At the same time rumors begin to rise about someone known only as the Prophet...
Prophet is the climactic book in the Penelope Bailey series. The six year old who could see and manipulate possible futures has grown into a woman whose limits are as unknown as her goals. The Iceman must once again consider how to handle an adversary he considers a force of nature, as well as how exactly anyone is supposed to fight one so powerful.
Gravedancer, the Anointed One and the Silicone Kid are welcome additions to the mythos, serving their part in the story well. As with the other two books, Prophet tells a complete story in it's own right while still fitting perfectly into the overall epic. While I enjoyed Oracle slightly more, this is a little bit better paced. The previous books are built on beautifully here and Penelope's tale is given an excellent conclusion.
**Note: While there are no spoilers for this book in this review, this is a sequel to Soothsayer and Oracle so there will be some spoilers for those here. Prophet is sufficiently developed to be read on it's own, but it' much better to read the series in order.**
The Penelope Bailey series is set in the same universe as Resnick's stand alone novel Santiago, a setting where larger than life characters face life not dissimilar to that of the wild west, except that in this case it spans planets. It's been several years since the Iceman foiled the Oracle's escape attempt from the aliens who miraculous kept her captive. But in the last couple of years someone's been sending assassins after Iceman, and he hires a top tier mercenary named the Gravedancer to find out why. At the same time rumors begin to rise about someone known only as the Prophet...
Prophet is the climactic book in the Penelope Bailey series. The six year old who could see and manipulate possible futures has grown into a woman whose limits are as unknown as her goals. The Iceman must once again consider how to handle an adversary he considers a force of nature, as well as how exactly anyone is supposed to fight one so powerful.
Gravedancer, the Anointed One and the Silicone Kid are welcome additions to the mythos, serving their part in the story well. As with the other two books, Prophet tells a complete story in it's own right while still fitting perfectly into the overall epic. While I enjoyed Oracle slightly more, this is a little bit better paced. The previous books are built on beautifully here and Penelope's tale is given an excellent conclusion.
December 23, 2015
This is the final book in the Penelope Baily series and it brings the series to a worthy conclusion. The approach to the story is somewhere in between the first two books with the story being shared equally between new characters and the central protagonists, Penelope and the Iceman. Writing style matches the previous books and if you enjoyed those you will find this book equally entertaining.
The story takes place some six years after the events of the second book and is presented form the viewpoints of multiple characters leading to a finale that brings everyone together. The ending seemed predictable and first but that is not the case. It provided enough of a twist, although not fully plausible, that it made it interesting. The epilogue was excellent and better than the stories ending itself.
Overall, a very enjoyable read.
The story takes place some six years after the events of the second book and is presented form the viewpoints of multiple characters leading to a finale that brings everyone together. The ending seemed predictable and first but that is not the case. It provided enough of a twist, although not fully plausible, that it made it interesting. The epilogue was excellent and better than the stories ending itself.
Overall, a very enjoyable read.
January 16, 2010
Better than Oracle, but of the 3 1/2 characters, two are ciphers (one very tough, one very smart), one's a moron, and the Prophet is a cartoon cut-out.
The main action varies is often predictable and never surprising, but the end is better than I expected.
But ultimately, the supposed mutation is even more ridiculous than before, as Bailey poses to steer asteroids and causes organ failures by wanting hard.
The main action varies is often predictable and never surprising, but the end is better than I expected.
But ultimately, the supposed mutation is even more ridiculous than before, as Bailey poses to steer asteroids and causes organ failures by wanting hard.
December 15, 2016
The strongest of the three books that make up the Penelope Bailey trilogy, really because the climax of this book makes up for the anticlimaxes of the first two books. It is more human, and underlines the alieness of someone able to predict all possible futures. Although still focussed on the work of bounty hunters, there was more intruige here and it was ultimately satisfyingly more human. Still doesn't get my five star rating, but a solid conclusion to the series.
May 25, 2015
The Penelope Bailey trilogy is a well-plotted, well-written study of a specially gifted person and her interactions with the rest of society, and how society treats her because of her abilities. The titles explain the progression as she ages-- Soothsayer, Oracle, Prophet-- and the characterizations as Resnick explores those who want to help, exploit, kill, etc., are among his most thoughtful. They're fast-paced, interesting books.
January 14, 2010
I happened upon this book, unaware of the series, and I really enjoyed it. It had some twists, nothing too crazy (well except for the location...ya know, space travel), and no gushy inter-galactic mating. I should probably read the other books before judging this, but as a separate novel I ate it up.
September 7, 2013
An excellent read and wonderful juxtaposition of the Wild West with sci-fi. The ending felt rushed and gave no explanation for the protagonist's ultimate change of heart, but otherwise a thoroughly entertaining read that keeps you off-balance and constantly guessing.
Now I'm off to read the first two books in the series.
Now I'm off to read the first two books in the series.
November 24, 2013
"This satisfied me but did not blow me away which I was kind of hoping for" he said earnestly, while doing a thing that is normally reserved for the most trope-laden western novels.
December 27, 2015
I have read this book a long time ago (10 years or more) nonetheless I vividly remember a lot of the story, so it was a very good book (therefore the 4-stars rating).
July 13, 2008
Another in the Penelope Bailey series.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews