The Wild Alien Tamer

Tales of the Galactic Midway #3

by Mike Resnick

Jupiter Monk is the animal trainer of the starfaring carnival, and when the last of his own animals dies, he goes off to find a new attraction. What he comes back with will make him the top attraction in the show - on those night when he gets to be the trainer in a macho contest gone wild.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Humor

Nook

First published July 5, 1983

About the author

Michael "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.

Reviews

[Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are a fun intro into Mike Resnick's universe, chronologically. This series kind of reminds me of the TV show Firefly in that ultimately it is about a family of people that have no family's, making there way threw a "Verse". I didn't like this one as much as the first, but it was a quick, pleasant read.

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first two books in the series were OK because the central premise seemed fresh. This third book focuses on the Alien Tamer, Jupiter and his plight to find new animals for his act. The solution to use another sentient alien as a willing "animal". Soon, the tamer and the tamed are taking turns in the respective roles depending on their audience. This soon turns into a vendetta between the two, each trying to inflict maximum pain and humiliation on the other. This act is very popular with the marks, but eventually things get out of hand. This idea might have worked at a shorter length, but as a novel it soon gets very boring with endless dialogue scenes in which the various characters discuss the situation, ad nauseam. Guess that I will try the final book in the series, but this one was a real let down.

[Alien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es fing gut an! Eine originelle Idee: der gruselig aussehende, intelligente ET wird im Zirkus als Monster "verkauft", was von einem menschlichen Dompteur im Zaum gehalten wird.
Die zweite gute Idee: die Rollen werden vertauscht, auf manchen Planeten, die von nicht-menschenähnlichen ETs bewohnt sind, muss der nackte, menschliche Dompteur das Monster geben. Echt witzig. Und noch eine gute Idee: die beiden beginnen sich weh zu tun, denn sie hassen sich. Es eskaliert.

3 gute Ideen müssten eigentlich genügen für einen tollen Roman. Leider nicht...
Die Situation eskaliert und eskaliert und eskaliert. Es wird immer hässlicher. Ich bin nicht sehr sensibel, aber das wurde richtig unangenehm. Ich mag nicht mehr und breche auf Seite 104 ab

[melydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of four, though it stands on its own fairly well. It's another tale of Thaddeus Flint's galactic traveling carnival, this time about Jupiter Monk, the animal trainer. When his Earthling animals eventually die, Monk has no act and must find alien beasts to replace them. When he comes across a tour guide who looks as foreign as any animal, they come up with an interesting idea for a con. However, things eventually get out of hand. It's a fun book, almost as light-hearted as the prior two in the series. Good beach read.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The circus is traditionally and historically one of the most fun and enjoyable places that mankind has come up with. Who doesn't love the circus? Resnick took that idea and ran with it and the result was these lightest and most amusing of his Birthright Universe novels. The Best Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gunslinger in the Whole Damned Galaxy (title of the fourth volume) says it all, right? Grab a bag of peanuts, play some calliope music, and settle in under the big top.

[colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

read 04.13.85