She was old when the world was young. Her image appears in painting from before the Renaissance – but also from the Earth of 3,000 years from now, and from a dozen or more far-flung worlds around the galaxy. Who is she, and what is her secret? It remains for an alien art critic named Leonardo by his human associates to find the answer, and to put himself, his friends, and even some of those worlds at risk in the process. This is the legendary novel by multiple Hugo winner Mike Resnick that became the only American winner of France's coveted Prix Tour Eiffel and its 100,000-franc grand prize.
Science Fiction Chronicle:
An alien art expert and a number of humans set out to discover the secret of the Dark Lady, with art theft, xenophobic politics, alien ethics, and the human ability to entertain mutually contradictory positions simultaneously as added features...Resnick seems to be single-handedly restoring the space adventure to its former popularity.
Pellanorath:
The Dark Lady is a riveting tale of mystery and discovery.
Aborighinal SF:
Resnick's characters are well-drawn and interesting, and their adventures make for a damned good read.
Wilson Library Bulletin:
The background is fascinating and the central egigma tantalizing, but ultimately the success of The Dark Lady is in Leonardo himself, and his progression from a timid creature of the herd to something more Human, and far more interesting.
Fosfax:
The Dark Lady is a moving addition to Resnick's future history, and a striking picture of the quest that is man's life.
Cincinnati Post:
Mike Resnick's The Dark Lady is an interesting blend of humorous science fiction, social commentary, and adventure.
Analog:
With The Dark Lady Mike Resnick tries a slightly different approach to his favorite subject matter. Usually his protagonists are human, drawn somewhat larger than life. Often they have distinctly carnivorous streak. This time, his viewpoint character is a candy-striped alien of herbivore stock, a herd creature, an innocent abroad in a world of carnivores.
We read Resnick for his genius at translating abstraction into moving, effective story without resorting to long lectures that demean the reader's intelligence. I wish more writers could do the same.
OtherRealms:
This is the first book I've read by Mike Resnick. It won't be the last.
Pulsar:
Mystical and poetic in its sensibilities, The Dark Lady is narrated by an alien art critic who calls himself Leonardo...Just as Leonardo was haunted by the Dark Lady, the reader leaves the book haunted by a romance transcends all time.
Niekas:
This is a riveting tale of mystery and discovery.
Midwest Book Review:
There is something about Resnick's style that makes many of his books, and this one in particular, just simply "easy to read"...Maybe it's simplicity, maybe it's clarity, maybe it's "memorability", whatever that is. But whatever it is, it's there, and it makes for great entertainment.
Starburst:
Mike Resnick has achieved probably the most unusual and compelling science fiction novel in the last five years.
