What do you think?
Rate this book
Birthright #13
The Dark Lady
She was old when the Earth was young. She has no name, no past, no future. She wears only black, and though she has been seen by many men, she has been known by only a unique handful of them. You’ll see her – if you see her at all – just after you’ve taken your last breath. Then, before you exhale for the final time, she’ll appear, silent and sad-eyed, and beckon to you.
She is the Dark Lady, and this is her story.
(And quite a story it is. The Dark Lady won the Prix Tour Eiffel, the largest cash prize in the world for science fiction novels.)
She is the Dark Lady, and this is her story.
(And quite a story it is. The Dark Lady won the Prix Tour Eiffel, the largest cash prize in the world for science fiction novels.)
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1987
56 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
Mike Resnick
813 books552 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 14, 2016
Michael Resnick’s “romance of the far future,” The Dark Lady, is an exploration of man’s attraction to the myth of glorious death. Told from the point of view of the alien “Leonardo,” the story examines heroism, self-sacrifice and the submission of artists to their art.
Leonardo himself is a a non-human male Bjornn, a kind of remittance-man from a species whose males are always sent away from the nest. His assignment to the service of art gallery owner Tai Chong (whom he refers to as “Great Lady”) is perfect for this creature who takes his species' obedience to females to the point of adulation.
While researching art for his Great Lady's gallery, Leonardo uncovers the recurring likeness of a single sad-eyed, dark-haired woman whose portrait has been rendered by artists across seven thousand years of human history. He is gradually drawn into obsession over her.
The Dark Lady of the title has been painted by dozens of relatively unknown artists. For many of them, it is the only such painting they have ever produced, often shortly after they have faced death. What do they all have in common, Leonardo wonders. Could this be some mythic war goddess? But not all the artists have been warriors. What draws men (always human, always male) to paint the portrait of this woman who never smiles?
Leonardo is not the only one obsessed with her. Malcolm Abercrombie, the “man who had it all,” is a bitter, self-absorbed collector who hates humans and non-humans with equal passion. His obsession is to complete his collection of portraits of the Dark Lady. On learning that Leonardo has a verifiable ability to find paintings not yet in his collection, Abercrombie hires the alien, and inadvertently feeds Leonardo’s growing interest.
Valentine Heath, the “man who stole it all,” contacts Leonardo to sell him a purloined portrait of the Lady. Between them, they decide to locate the actual woman who is the model. Although her first appearance in human art is certainly over 7,000 years old, she has been photographed and documented as a living woman, right up to the current day. They actually have her on their ship, when she vanishes in the midst of space!
Leonardo’s growing obsession with the woman is only increased when he begins to dream about her, and tries to sketch her image. Reuben Venzia, the “man who wanted it all,” also dreams of the Dark Lady, and the three males conspire to determine to whom the Dark Lady will appear next.
The poignant ending of the tale with the “man who got it all” is purely Resnick, and absolutely wonderful. Leonardo is just alien enough to carry the detachment his character needs to make the other men’s obsession plain—yet he is also male in a very basic way, and that, too, is why he comes to obsess over the Dark Lady.
Although some standard Resnick characters (the gunfighter, the remittance man, the high-rolling gambler, the elegant thief) make appearances in the story, they are not central. The Dark Lady’s attraction is no stronger for Resnick than for Leonardo, for she also stands for that obsession that lets artists (and writers) endure great privation, alienate friends and family, and cast all other efforts aside, in pursuit of their art.
And that, perhaps, is why Mona Lisa smiles.
Liner Notes:
The French translation of this novel, la Belle ténébreuse, was the 2000 Prix Tour Eiffel Winner.
William Shakespeare referred to a “Dark Lady” in a number of sonnets, and dedicated sonnets 127 to 154 to her.
Leonardo himself is a a non-human male Bjornn, a kind of remittance-man from a species whose males are always sent away from the nest. His assignment to the service of art gallery owner Tai Chong (whom he refers to as “Great Lady”) is perfect for this creature who takes his species' obedience to females to the point of adulation.
While researching art for his Great Lady's gallery, Leonardo uncovers the recurring likeness of a single sad-eyed, dark-haired woman whose portrait has been rendered by artists across seven thousand years of human history. He is gradually drawn into obsession over her.
The Dark Lady of the title has been painted by dozens of relatively unknown artists. For many of them, it is the only such painting they have ever produced, often shortly after they have faced death. What do they all have in common, Leonardo wonders. Could this be some mythic war goddess? But not all the artists have been warriors. What draws men (always human, always male) to paint the portrait of this woman who never smiles?
Leonardo is not the only one obsessed with her. Malcolm Abercrombie, the “man who had it all,” is a bitter, self-absorbed collector who hates humans and non-humans with equal passion. His obsession is to complete his collection of portraits of the Dark Lady. On learning that Leonardo has a verifiable ability to find paintings not yet in his collection, Abercrombie hires the alien, and inadvertently feeds Leonardo’s growing interest.
Valentine Heath, the “man who stole it all,” contacts Leonardo to sell him a purloined portrait of the Lady. Between them, they decide to locate the actual woman who is the model. Although her first appearance in human art is certainly over 7,000 years old, she has been photographed and documented as a living woman, right up to the current day. They actually have her on their ship, when she vanishes in the midst of space!
Leonardo’s growing obsession with the woman is only increased when he begins to dream about her, and tries to sketch her image. Reuben Venzia, the “man who wanted it all,” also dreams of the Dark Lady, and the three males conspire to determine to whom the Dark Lady will appear next.
The poignant ending of the tale with the “man who got it all” is purely Resnick, and absolutely wonderful. Leonardo is just alien enough to carry the detachment his character needs to make the other men’s obsession plain—yet he is also male in a very basic way, and that, too, is why he comes to obsess over the Dark Lady.
Although some standard Resnick characters (the gunfighter, the remittance man, the high-rolling gambler, the elegant thief) make appearances in the story, they are not central. The Dark Lady’s attraction is no stronger for Resnick than for Leonardo, for she also stands for that obsession that lets artists (and writers) endure great privation, alienate friends and family, and cast all other efforts aside, in pursuit of their art.
And that, perhaps, is why Mona Lisa smiles.
Liner Notes:
The French translation of this novel, la Belle ténébreuse, was the 2000 Prix Tour Eiffel Winner.
William Shakespeare referred to a “Dark Lady” in a number of sonnets, and dedicated sonnets 127 to 154 to her.
November 30, 2015
A highly entertaining and quick read, this book is yet another example of why Mike Resnick is one of the finest writers in SF.
- highly memorable characters
- quick pace
- effective dialogue
Resnick focuses on the important details when it comes to story-telling, and leaves the clutter out. Thus, if you're wondering what type of FTL travel this universe has, you won't find the details in this book.
(By the way, this book fits within the Birthright Universe, but is a totally stand-alone novel. No worries about reading this without having encountered any of the others previously.)
I was simply fascinated with the alien protagonist, who is comfortably non-human throughout the course of the novel. This is not your typical Star Trek alien (basically human but with funny ears), but a being that is in stark contrast to humankind: a being compelled to live in a strict moral and ethical fashion. Resnick allows the deeper philosophical considerations to take place only as undercurrents while the novel is progressing, but does point out the various crises that the alien being finds itself in while dealing with humans, for whom there are no black-and-white ethical boundaries.
A satisfying read throughout, the novel wraps up a bit quickly and rather disappointingly at the end, without fully resolving the mysteries of the Dark Lady. I was planning to rate this 4 or 4.5 stars, but because of the abrupt ending, and being let down that so much was being left open-ended, I deducted a point and will leave this as 3.5 stars.
Well worth your time - so many other authors try to use a more complicated approach but achieve less, and this book is a nice counter to that style. Simple, yet elegant, and successful on many levels, with only a lack of detail (but plenty of sparkle) at the ending.
- highly memorable characters
- quick pace
- effective dialogue
Resnick focuses on the important details when it comes to story-telling, and leaves the clutter out. Thus, if you're wondering what type of FTL travel this universe has, you won't find the details in this book.
(By the way, this book fits within the Birthright Universe, but is a totally stand-alone novel. No worries about reading this without having encountered any of the others previously.)
I was simply fascinated with the alien protagonist, who is comfortably non-human throughout the course of the novel. This is not your typical Star Trek alien (basically human but with funny ears), but a being that is in stark contrast to humankind: a being compelled to live in a strict moral and ethical fashion. Resnick allows the deeper philosophical considerations to take place only as undercurrents while the novel is progressing, but does point out the various crises that the alien being finds itself in while dealing with humans, for whom there are no black-and-white ethical boundaries.
A satisfying read throughout, the novel wraps up a bit quickly and rather disappointingly at the end, without fully resolving the mysteries of the Dark Lady. I was planning to rate this 4 or 4.5 stars, but because of the abrupt ending, and being let down that so much was being left open-ended, I deducted a point and will leave this as 3.5 stars.
Well worth your time - so many other authors try to use a more complicated approach but achieve less, and this book is a nice counter to that style. Simple, yet elegant, and successful on many levels, with only a lack of detail (but plenty of sparkle) at the ending.
Read
April 10, 2024I have no idea what this has to do with Santiago and at this point I'm afraid to ask.
July 2, 2013
I read this book after Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future, hoping for similar qualities about the two books. There weren't as many larger-than-life characters in The Dark Lady, but there was an intriguing storyline. I particularly liked the character development that occurred in the main character. Having the story narrated by a nonhuman, and dealing with the cultural differences accordingly added an interesting layer of depth to the story. Still, after as much as I loved Santiago, I found myself a little disappointed with The Dark Lady.
unexamined
March 10, 2017Not really up for a book about regular men, and an alien man, and one dark lady some of them see before dying, and the art men have painted about her, and the obsession men have with her, and 6% of the way through the book there's one female character who exists and is being mocked for objecting to prejudice, so I'm kind of looking for something that is actually about people doing things?
March 25, 2013
I have long declared Mike Resnick to be my very favorite author, not because his are the best books I've ever read, but because they are the most consistently good. There are plenty of novels that are better than anything he's written, but I know that when I sit down to read a Resnick novel, I am in for a really good time. This book is no exception. Leonardo, an alien working at a human art gallery through an exchange program, is hired by a wealthy old man to help him track down portraits of The Dark Lady, a woman whose likeness has appeared across the galaxy for millennia. He is joined in his search by an art thief interested in monetary gain and a man hoping to track down the Lady herself, in the flesh. One thing I've always found fascinating in Resnick books is his depiction of aliens. They are not human and do not act human. Leonardo's narration is often a little frustrating, as he is so completely tied down by the traditions of his species, but it stays believable. I admit I'm only about 98% sure of what happened at the end and why the plasma painter was so special, but I can live with that. Though his books take place in the far future, what Resnick is writing are legends: exciting, memorable, and a touch grandiose. And that's what I love about them.
May 27, 2017
I have been struggling to read lately because of some hard times in my personal life. I picked this book up after watching Melydia recommend it to multiple people at the book festival with no success. She said she remembered that the voice of the alien narrator was believable and consistent throughout. That was true, and the story was compelling. I was a little disappointed by the ending but it was realistic in the grand scheme of things. Leonardo is a wonderful character and his perspective on humans is enlightening. I will pass it along to a friend who should enjoy it.
January 29, 2013
I read this when I was younger and it is a great book. The dark lady is very elusive and mysterious and you never quite get who she really is but I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone, young or old.
December 15, 2012
The ending didn't grab me, but a good read overall, with an intriguing mystery and an interesting protagonist (an art historian of an alien species descended from vegetarian herd animals).
May 20, 2015
Fun book, fairly quick read. Nothing about the book really strikes me as brilliant, but the plot and characters were creative enough to make this a refreshing read.
October 23, 2015
Well written, pulled me in, but a bit drawn out for a story that didn't truly resolve.
December 29, 2021
Entertaining and light. I fell in love with Leonardo, obviously. Surely everyone who reads this book must do so.
July 6, 2022
3/5
Mike Resnick és un autor que sempre llegeixo amb interès i estima. He llegit coses boníssimes d'ell, de les millors que es poden trobar pel que fa a ciència-ficció. Malauradament, «La dama oscura: un romance del futuro lejano» no es pot considerar una d'aquestes. Potser la segona part del títol hi té molt a veure.
Costa una mica entrar en el joc del llibre, en descobrir qui és aquest alienígena anomenat Leonardo i que fa a Lejano Londres exercint d'associat d'una casa de subhastes d'art. Un cop superat aquest punt, però, Resnikck desplega tota la seva artilleria fantasiosa de races alienígenes, personatges exòtics i planetes remots. Si barregem tot això amb la figura de la Dama Oscura, el fil conductor de la novel·la i alhora el secret de la trama, la història ens fa pensar en el millor Resnick que havíem vist, per exemple, a «Marfil». A mesura que ens acostem al desenllaç, però, ens costa d'imaginar com acabarà lligant-ho tot l'autor, sobretot pel que fa a la relació de la Dama i el pobre Leonardo. Efectivament, un cop he arribat al final m'ha deixat més aviat fred. M'esperava un desenllaç sec i un pèl anodí, però la veritat és que ha superat les meves expectatives.
«La dama oscura: un romance del futuro lejano» és, en definitiva, una bona novel·la per passar l'estona. No hi busqueu massa profunditat psicològica ni ciència-ficció d'alta volada. El que havia de ser l'atractiu més potent de la novel·la, la part d'aventura i recerca d'aquesta dona misteriosa, satisfà en part les expectatives del lector, però pot quedar curt o més aviat pot esdevenir massa feixuc quan deriva cap a la relació sentimental, com m'ha passat a mi. Potser és degut al fet que servidor ja s'havia fet una altra pel·lícula. En qualsevol cas, recomano llegir aquesta novel·la. I de fet, SEMPRE recomano llegir Resnick, que té obres meravelloses com «Kirinyaga», «Marfil» o bona part dels seus relats curts, publicats en català per Edicions SECC.
Tinc per casa una de les seves novel·les més conegudes, «Santiago», però em fa por començar-la pel que n'he sentit a dir. A més, en la història que ens ocupa es fa referència —encara que sigui de retruc— al personatge en qüestió i això em fa sospitar que el to de la novel·la serà similar. De moment deixaré reposar Resnick per una temporada i més endavant ja veurem.
Mike Resnick és un autor que sempre llegeixo amb interès i estima. He llegit coses boníssimes d'ell, de les millors que es poden trobar pel que fa a ciència-ficció. Malauradament, «La dama oscura: un romance del futuro lejano» no es pot considerar una d'aquestes. Potser la segona part del títol hi té molt a veure.
Costa una mica entrar en el joc del llibre, en descobrir qui és aquest alienígena anomenat Leonardo i que fa a Lejano Londres exercint d'associat d'una casa de subhastes d'art. Un cop superat aquest punt, però, Resnikck desplega tota la seva artilleria fantasiosa de races alienígenes, personatges exòtics i planetes remots. Si barregem tot això amb la figura de la Dama Oscura, el fil conductor de la novel·la i alhora el secret de la trama, la història ens fa pensar en el millor Resnick que havíem vist, per exemple, a «Marfil». A mesura que ens acostem al desenllaç, però, ens costa d'imaginar com acabarà lligant-ho tot l'autor, sobretot pel que fa a la relació de la Dama i el pobre Leonardo. Efectivament, un cop he arribat al final m'ha deixat més aviat fred. M'esperava un desenllaç sec i un pèl anodí, però la veritat és que ha superat les meves expectatives.
«La dama oscura: un romance del futuro lejano» és, en definitiva, una bona novel·la per passar l'estona. No hi busqueu massa profunditat psicològica ni ciència-ficció d'alta volada. El que havia de ser l'atractiu més potent de la novel·la, la part d'aventura i recerca d'aquesta dona misteriosa, satisfà en part les expectatives del lector, però pot quedar curt o més aviat pot esdevenir massa feixuc quan deriva cap a la relació sentimental, com m'ha passat a mi. Potser és degut al fet que servidor ja s'havia fet una altra pel·lícula. En qualsevol cas, recomano llegir aquesta novel·la. I de fet, SEMPRE recomano llegir Resnick, que té obres meravelloses com «Kirinyaga», «Marfil» o bona part dels seus relats curts, publicats en català per Edicions SECC.
Tinc per casa una de les seves novel·les més conegudes, «Santiago», però em fa por començar-la pel que n'he sentit a dir. A més, en la història que ens ocupa es fa referència —encara que sigui de retruc— al personatge en qüestió i això em fa sospitar que el to de la novel·la serà similar. De moment deixaré reposar Resnick per una temporada i més endavant ja veurem.
May 20, 2025
Definitely an intriguing story, but not exactly as described on the tin. While the cover of the novel describes itself as a romance I would argue that "The Dark Lady: A Romance of the Far Future", by Mike Resnick is more of an exploration of morality, ethics, and the nature of obsession. While it wasn't what I expected "The Dark Lady", was a very gripping read. There is no real antagonist in the story so most of the conflict comes from within the main character as his world view and self perception shift throughout the narrative. Despite not having read any of Resnick's other works I found the world very easy to understand despite lacking lots of context. While it may not satiate one's need for a saucy intergalactic romance, I still recommend "The Dark Lady: A Romance of the Far Future."
August 9, 2018
A la mayoría le encantó este relato. Es innegable que el Bjornn llamado Leonardo, por tener un nombre impronunciable para los humanos, es original. El tema es la identificación y hasta qué punto uno considera los hechos de la trama, la sensibilidad que pudo haber tenido fue tratada de forma bastante fría.
En partes la historia es epistolar, en partes no.
La Madre de Patrón Bjornn aparece una y otra vez, como un peso moral sobre Leonardo y más todavía cuando comienzan a aparecer un humano tras otro; creo que esa situación me resultó bastante molesta, igual que los múltiples dialectos que habla Leonardo. Oh, y cierra sin que sepamos exactamente qué es la dichosa Dama Oscura.
En partes la historia es epistolar, en partes no.
La Madre de Patrón Bjornn aparece una y otra vez, como un peso moral sobre Leonardo y más todavía cuando comienzan a aparecer un humano tras otro; creo que esa situación me resultó bastante molesta, igual que los múltiples dialectos que habla Leonardo. Oh, y cierra sin que sepamos exactamente qué es la dichosa Dama Oscura.
Read
October 23, 2025She was old when the world was young. She was there when Brutus slew Caesar, and when Picket made his suicidal charge up Cemetery Ridge. She was waiting when Man first landed on another planet, and was there when he finally reached the stars. Who is she, and what is her purpose? That's what an alien named Leonardo must discover, before more men die and he himself is corrupted beyond salvation. Come along as he attempts to unravel the eternal mystery of the Dark Lady. This novel, by five-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick, is the only American novel ever to win science fiction's biggest cash prize, France's coveted Prix Eiffel. Read it and you'll know why it won.
January 27, 2018
Subtitled “A Romance of the Far Future”, this has similarities to his other novels and is a smooth and fast read. The narrator is an art expert, an alien of the Bjornn race, (all totally ethical and from a matriarchal society) who discovers the Dark Lady has been a subject of portraits for eight millennia bewitching men who then risk death. The novel becomes a quest for the eponymous figure and the mystery of who she is – human, alien, goddess – keeps up the pace as the Bjornn and others chase her around the galaxy. 3.5 stars.
June 13, 2020
3.5/5
Resnick es un autor que tenía pendiente desde hace ya un tiempo y al fin he podido ponerme a ello.
La lectura ha sido entretenida y bastante ligera. Creo que el paso de los años no se nota demasiado y eso solo ya tiene su mérito.
Lo mejor del libro es la premisa principal y como se va desarrollando al principio. La idea de como la misma mujer va siendo retratada a lo largo de varios milenios me parece genial, la lástima es que creo que hacia el final la resolulución de todo deja un poco que desear.
Resnick es un autor que tenía pendiente desde hace ya un tiempo y al fin he podido ponerme a ello.
La lectura ha sido entretenida y bastante ligera. Creo que el paso de los años no se nota demasiado y eso solo ya tiene su mérito.
Lo mejor del libro es la premisa principal y como se va desarrollando al principio. La idea de como la misma mujer va siendo retratada a lo largo de varios milenios me parece genial, la lástima es que creo que hacia el final la resolulución de todo deja un poco que desear.
November 27, 2025
Wow!thi
This is one of the most wildly creative explorations of being “The Other” that I have read. A beautifully written exploration of the value of art to expose the values, attitudes and beliefs of both individuals and cultures. This is a novel which is impossible to put down and I suspect will be equally impossible to forget. This challenges Worldviews and provides a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting time at the same time. One of my top novels read this year! Highly recommended!
This is one of the most wildly creative explorations of being “The Other” that I have read. A beautifully written exploration of the value of art to expose the values, attitudes and beliefs of both individuals and cultures. This is a novel which is impossible to put down and I suspect will be equally impossible to forget. This challenges Worldviews and provides a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting time at the same time. One of my top novels read this year! Highly recommended!
December 4, 2021
You can tell that Resnick writes a lot. His work flows and is easy to read. You get the impression that the book was written more or less from page one to the end without a break. This makes it a good read with clear goals and purpose. The characters chases the macuffin to the end, and the endinging is reasonably satisfactory.
But he might do well to add some more complexity, jeopardy and invention.
Reads like "Ivory" running similar ideas and in a similar millieu.
But he might do well to add some more complexity, jeopardy and invention.
Reads like "Ivory" running similar ideas and in a similar millieu.
January 7, 2019
5/10. Media de los 7 libros leídos del autor : 7/10
Famoso sobre todo por su novela "Santiago, un mito del lejano futuro" (que está muy bien, 8/10), a mí me gustó mucho su saga de Space Opera militarista "Starship"
Tiene premios de todo tipo, sobre todo en novelas cortas y relatos. Esta novela y "El germen", los que menos me han gustado suyos.
Famoso sobre todo por su novela "Santiago, un mito del lejano futuro" (que está muy bien, 8/10), a mí me gustó mucho su saga de Space Opera militarista "Starship"
Tiene premios de todo tipo, sobre todo en novelas cortas y relatos. Esta novela y "El germen", los que menos me han gustado suyos.
February 28, 2024
Picked this book up from a little free library on a walk. I enjoyed the narrator and his musings on human culture vs his own, as well as Valentine’s unabashed thievery, but found the ending weak and meaningless.
May 7, 2024
Had no idea what I was in for, but a book that can interest me by immediate, convincing, creative world building is going to hold my interest. I found myself reading it going “Oh boy, this was written LONG before Apartheid ended…” It was an odd book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 10, 2019
I still remember bits of and think of this one.
September 28, 2019
3.5 Stars
February 4, 2020
Wspaniała, chyba najlepsza z jego książek. Szkoda że jest dostępna tylko z drugiej ręki. Ja miałem polskie wydanie z 1994, ale w końcu pojawiła się w Stanach w 1987, więc nic dziwnego.
July 9, 2022
An odd tale of a mysterious female personage set against the familiar backdrop of the author's usual space opera setting. Not my favorite, but worthwhile nonetheless.
December 23, 2022
Resnick is a very special SF writer and likely my all time favorite. The level at which his entire galaxy is realized for stories to then occur in blows me away no matter how many I read.
October 14, 2023
interesting concept but fell at the end
December 18, 2023
The story was terrible, but the narration was excellent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews