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400pp • ISBN: 978-1-59102-441-5
Trade Paperback (6" x 9") • $17
June 2006
Cover Illustration and Design: ©2005 Stephan Martiniere
New Dreams for Old is a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by Mike Resnick, showing the depth and range that has not only made him a popular seller, but also placed him fourth (and climbing) on the all-time award list of all science fiction writers living and dead (as compiled by Locus).
This book contains award winners and nominees. It contains two stories that are currently in development by Hollywood. It contains stories that have won readers polls, that have won foreign prizes, and a few that are just out-and-out hilarious.
Most of these stories constitute recent work. One of them — "Travels With My Cats" — was a 2005 Hugo Award-winner and a Nebula nominee, while another — "A Princess of Earth" — was also a 2005 Hugo nominee. The story "Robots Don't Cry" was a 2004 Hugo nominee the previous year. Also included are the Hugo and Nebula nominee "For I Have Touched the Sky," Hugo nominee "Mwalimu in the Squared Circle," and Hugo winner "The 43 Antarean Dynasties." This collection also includes two novellas that have never seen print outside of the members-only Science Fiction Book Club.
Are there really elephants on Neptune? What does Old MacDonald of nursery-rhyme fame actually grow on his farm? Is there much difference between pruning elderly flowers and elderly people? A trio of award nominees, "The Elephants on Neptune," "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," and "Hothouse Flowers," provide the answers.
This is a collection of enormous range and the highest quality. More to the point, every story will not only make the reader think, but feel. The collection is introduced by Nancy Kress, herself a multiple Hugo and Nebula winner, and a monthly columnist for Writer's Digest.
"This collection of stories proved to be ... memorable....Even now looking at the titles makes me recall the hook of many of them. Each story has a specially written introduction with Mike Resnick's thoughts on the origin of the story and some reasons for it. At the front there is a list of where the stories were previously published. The lighter tales are more than compensated for by the deeply thought-out ones that brought a lump to my throat....All of the stories have a point to make and they do not waste words in saying them. Some of them are moving and others simply make you stop and think. I enjoyed them very much."
—SFCrowsnest.co.uk
"[A] collection that amply demonstrates why Mike has been one of my favorite writers since the 1970s. He has a remarkably clean style and a huge gift for sheer story at many levels. He can be light and frothy as in his John Justin Mallory fantasies (two are here) and deeply reflective about the human condition, as in the Kirinyaga stories (one of the best, "For I Have Touched the Sky," is here). If you aren't familiar with his work, this collection is an excellent introduction. If you are, his stories tend to be very re-readable. Buy this one, and enjoy."
—Analog: Science Fiction and Fact
"An above-average collection of stories featuring many award winners and nominees.... Simply put, Resnick writes 'people' stories that carry quite an emotional impact. Instead of far-flung, hard science fiction that deals with impersonal concepts, these stories are endearingly personal. Resnick writes from the heart and with heart, thus making an instant connection with the reader. There are an amazingly high number of top-quality stories in New Dreams for Old."
—SFSignal.com
"[A] diverse short story collection which challenges the notion that science fiction collections can be dry and predictable. Here are funny stories juxtaposed with hard science, novellas that have previously been available only to members of the Science Fiction Book Club, and ten Hugo nominees. The author's introduction to each story which describes its inspirational foundations makes for a particularly notable feature of a diverse, satisfying collection demonstrating Resnick's prowess."
—Midwest Book Review's The Bookwatch
"…contains several very good stories. If you haven't been reading (or listening to) recent nominees for the Hugo awards, it's worth picking up. Out of 20 stories, half were nominated for or won a Hugo….I think [Resnick] writes good adventure SF, but this collection also contains some interesting fantasy….[He] shows an ability to quickly make us care deeply about a character whether or not they're human….Resnick's stories should resonate well with libertarians, even though there's nothing overtly political in them….Resnick also has a healthy respect for self-sufficiency, and many of his characters could have come from the pages of a Heinlein story."
—PanCrit.org
"New Dreams for Old provides an excellent introduction to the range of Resnick's writing and his interests. His transparent writing style allows the reader to fully enjoy the wide variety of stories, which range from personal introspective tales to galaxy-spanning adventures and morality plays. This collection, with ten Hugo-nominated stories (and two winners) and three Nebula-nominated stories, is a wonderful addition to any sf collection and a reminder of the vast scope of modern science fiction."
—Sfsite.com
"New Dreams for Old, with its gorgeous Stephan Martiniere cover, is a terrific collection displaying Mike Resnick's wonderful storytelling abilities across the range of speculative fiction. What makes these stories so great is, despite their far out and fantastical settings, how intimately they touch upon the human condition, both now and in the future, even through the eyes of robots and elephants."
—SFFWorld.com
"Mike Resnick is the John Varley of the 2000s — the genre's best short story writer.... This collection ... proves it ... truly inspirational for Resnick's fans."
—True Review
"[A]n important collection of stories by one of the science fiction field's best writers."
—Science Fiction Weekly/SciFi.Com
"The 20 stories in this solid collection from five-time Hugo-winner Resnick ... run the gamut from silly fantasy and far-out detective romps to alternate history and straight-up science fiction. The best entry is the moving novella 'For I Have Touched the Sky,' part of Resnick's lauded Kirinyaga series.... These glossy cross-genre stories ... showcase Resnick's predilection for dealing with the tragically static nature of the human condition."
—Publishers Weekly
"Nobody spins a yarn better than Mike Resnick."
—Orson Scott Card
Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Ender's Game
"One of the most daring and prolific writers in SF. There's no subject he won't explore, and he always delivers."
—David Brin, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Kiln People