Dreamwish Beasts and Snarks — Michael D. Resnick

At times humorous, at other times serious, this endearing collection of short fiction explores many concepts regarding fantastical or futuristic safaris. Detailing the many contrasting pitfalls of hunting, a hardboiled detective attempts to locate a unicorn in New York City on New Year's Day, and in a later tale, must track down a millennia-old vampire in order to save his assistant. In the Nebula-nominated story �"Hunting the Snark,” a classical big-game hunt on a newly discovered planet develops similarities to Lewis Carroll's famous poem, yet ends with a surprising twist. In �"The Soul Eater” and �"Nicobar Lane� -- The Soul Eater's Story,” separate views are offered from the hunter and the hunted in an eccentric love story that incorporates elements of Moby Dick and the legend of the Flying Dutchman. Offering a few somber features, �"Safari 2103 AD” looks at a world where the number of wild animals can be counted on one's fingers, while in �"Bwana,” colonists leave industrialized Africa to create a paradise on a new world, only to discover how fragile they are. Imaginative and captivating, each narrative offers a unique spin on what it means to be a hunter.