 First edition cover (publ. by Tor Books) | |
| Author | Mike Resnick |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
Publication date | September 1, 1988 |
| ISBN | 978-0-312-93093-6 |
Ivory: A Legend of Past and Future is a science fiction novel (or a novel-like series of vignettes) by American writer Mike Resnick, published in 1988. Set in Resnick's Birthright Universe, it describes the fictional past and future history of the (real) Kilimanjaro Tusks and those who own them.
Duncan Rojas, a detective-like researcher, is hired by Bukoba Mandaka, the last of the Maasai people (and one of richest persons in the galaxy), to find the famous Kilimanjaro Tusks. Fragments of the history of the tusks and their owners are established by Rojas's research in future internet-like databases and are presented in the form of a series of vignettes.
Ivory received mostly positive reviews from critics. Publishers Weekly described it as "a romantic vision of human destiny". [1] Frances Bonner of Foundation criticized its prose and characterization as "simplistic" and "juvenile". [2] Bryan Thomas Schmidt praised the novel's succinct and simple writing style, while noting that it "runs long". [3] It was a finalist for the Nebula and Clarke awards. [4]
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same, regardless of the species of origin, but ivory contains structures of mineralised collagen. The trade in certain teeth and tusks other than elephant is well established and widespread; therefore, "ivory" can correctly be used to describe any mammalian teeth or tusks of commercial interest which are large enough to be carved or scrimshawed.
Tusk is the twelfth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released as a double album on 12 October 1979 in the United States and on 19 October 1979 in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Records. It is considered more experimental than their previous albums, partly as a consequence of Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of post-punk. The production costs were initially estimated to be about $1 million but many years later were revealed to be about $1.4 million, making it the most expensive rock album recorded to that date.
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with narwhals, chevrotains, musk deer, water deer, muntjac, pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share common features such as extra-oral position, growth pattern, composition and structure, and lack of contribution to ingestion. Tusks are thought to have adapted to the extra-oral environments, like dry or aquatic or arctic. In most tusked species both the males and the females have tusks although the males' are larger. Most mammals with tusks have a pair of them growing out from either side of the mouth. Tusks are generally curved and have a smooth, continuous surface. The male narwhal's straight single helical tusk, which usually grows out from the left of the mouth, is an exception to the typical features of tusks described above. Continuous growth of tusks is enabled by formative tissues in the apical openings of the roots of the teeth.
Michael Diamond Resnick was an American science fiction writer and editor. He won five Hugo awards and a Nebula award, and was the guest of honor at Chicon 7. He was the executive editor of the defunct magazine Jim Baen's Universe, and the creator and editor of Galaxy's Edge magazine.
Michelle Michiko Sagara is a Canadian author of fantasy literature, active since the early 1990s. She has published as Michelle Sagara, as Michelle West and as Michelle Sagara West. Sagara has received two nominations for the John W. Campbell Award.
Birthright: The Book of Man is a science fiction novel by American writer Mike Resnick, published in 1982. It describes the fictional history of humanity's conquest of the galaxy that serves as environment for a number of the author's other novels.
Michael Paul Kube-McDowell, also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author.
Kathe Koja is an American writer. She was initially known for her intense speculative fiction for adults, but has written young adult novels, the historical fiction Under the Poppy trilogy, and a fictional biography of Christopher Marlowe.
A vignette is a French loanword expressing a short and descriptive piece of writing that captures a brief period in time. Vignettes are more focused on vivid imagery and meaning rather than plot. Vignettes can be stand-alone, but they are more commonly part of a larger narrative, such as vignettes found in novels or collections of short stories.
Laura Resnick is an American fantasy writer. She was the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction for 1993. The daughter of science fiction author Mike Resnick, she formerly wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Laura Leone.
"Tusk" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from the 1979 double LP of the same name. The song peaked at number eight in the United States for three weeks, reached number six in the United Kingdom, number five in Canada, and number three in Australia. Lindsey Buckingham wrote the song and is the lead singer on the track.
Black science fiction or black speculative fiction is an umbrella term that covers a variety of activities within the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres where people of the African descent take part or are depicted. Some of its defining characteristics include a critique of the social structures leading to black oppression paired with an investment in social change. Black science fiction is "fed by technology but not led by it." This means that black science fiction often explores with human engagement with technology instead of technology as an innate good.
Naughtyamerica.com is an independent pornographic film studio based in San Diego, California.
The ivory trade is the commercial, often illegal trade in the ivory tusks of the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, black and white rhinos, mammoth, and most commonly, African and Asian elephants.
"Think About Me" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in the US in March 1980. The song was composed by Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie. "Think About Me" was slightly remixed for single release.
List of works by American science fiction author Mike Resnick.
"Not That Funny" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1980. Composed and sung by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was written as a response to the punk movement in the late 1970s. The song shares some lyrics with "I Know I'm Not Wrong", another Buckingham penned song that appeared on the Tusk album.
"Walk a Thin Line" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1979. Composed and sung by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was one of his nine songs that appeared on the Tusk album. The song was issued as the B-side to "Sisters of the Moon", which was the fourth single from Tusk in North America.
Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.
The Canaanite Ivory Comb is a 3,700-year-old artifact discovered in the ruins of Lachish, an ancient Canaanite city-state located in modern-day Israel. Measuring approximately 3.5 by 2.5 centimetres, the comb is made of elephant ivory and contains the earliest known complete sentence written in a phonetic alphabet. The inscription, carved in an early Canaanite script, reads, "May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard". The comb was unearthed in 2016 but the inscription was identified in 2021. The artifact provided insights into daily life, personal hygiene, and early literacy among the Canaanites, making it an important discovery in the study of ancient civilizations and the development of alphabetic writing systems.