The unicorn stalk

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The unicorn stalk (original title: Stalking the Unicorn , 1987) is a novel by Mike Resnick that mixes the genres of fantasy and classic detective stories . The German edition appeared in 1997. Two more novels with the same characters followed: Mallory and the Night of the Dead (2011, ISBN 978-3-404-20645-2 , Orig .: Stalking the Vampire , 2008) and then Stalking the Dragon in 2009 .

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Mallory is a private detective in New York and spends New Year's Eve in his office with a bottle of whiskey and a bad mood. His wife escaped to California with Mallory's business associate after blackmailing some of the clients . Because some of these angry clients make their way to Mallory's office, the evening seems to end tragically. The plot takes a sudden turn when the Elf Mürgenstürm enters his office.

Mürgenstürm is resident of an alternative world and is also in quite a bit of trouble. He was assigned to guard a valuable animal , the unicorn Larkspur. He neglected his duties and the unicorn was kidnapped in a row. The elf's life is now in danger, so he wants to use Mallory's services. Mallory sees no other way out of his misery than following Mürgenstürm into the world and looking for the unicorn. There is a portal into this alternative New York on the ground floor of Mallory's office building.

While the detective is investigating the crime scene , he discovers the eyewitness Felina. Felina is a cat girl who becomes Mallory's loyal partner as the story progresses. She reveals to him that the culprit is the leprechaun Gillespie. This in turn works for the dangerous and powerful demon Grundy, who is responsible for the burgeoning evil in both New Yorks. Meanwhile Grundy has learned that Mallory is investigating and is now trying to prevent him from further investigations. Nonetheless, Mallory allows himself to be dissuaded from the investigation and, on the trail of the unicorn, visits the Museum of Natural History, which has now become a collection point for extinct but resurrected animals, and Central Park , which has been occupied by merchants who offer completely senseless goods.

During his search he meets Eohippus . It's a six-inch horse that will help him find the leading unicorn expert: Colonel Winifred Carruthers, a former hunter and now an adventurer. Unlike Mürgenstürm, who seems more and more like an accomplice to crime than the victim, Eohippus and Carruthers develop into useful allies. Through Winifred's relationships, Mallory comes into contact with the magician Great Mephisto, who explains the motives for the crime to him. There is a ruby in the head of the unicorn , which would give Grundy the ability to move freely between the two worlds, and also combine more power on him than he ever had.

After a long search, Mallory Gillespies finds accommodation on the 13th floor of a cheap hotel, only to find that the leprechaun has escaped. The unicorn is now dead and the gate between the two worlds closes again. Meanwhile, Gillespie captures Winifred and Eohippus. The detective learns about an auction at which the ruby ​​is to be auctioned. Grundy also appears at this auction and seems to have an advantage. However, it turns out that Mallory, with the help of Felina, has long since found the ruby ​​and removed it from the unicorn's head. Grundy now has to release Mallory's friends in return for the Ruby.

Mallory, for his part, has no interest in the demon being given the power to wreak havoc in both worlds. Before the passage between the two worlds closed, he transferred the ruby ​​to “his” New York. The purpose of meeting Grundy is to inform the demon of this fact. Only the fact that Grundy is not sure whether Mallory was telling the truth moves the demon Mallory to live - not without the vow to take revenge on Mallory soon. Mallory is not unhappy that he will now lead his life in alternative New York. In his opinion, his work here makes more sense because he can dedicate himself to the fight against evil with his two reliable partners and Felina.

Genre mix

John Justin Mallory's adventure uses elements of two different genres and a reference to Lewis Carroll .

detective

Mallory is the archetypal private detective and uses many clichés : lonely drunkard, disappointed, depressed and tired of arresting criminals who are ultimately set free again with little or no punishment. Considered a cynic , he tends to be a justice fanatic who lives the dream of bringing justice back to a corrupt world.

Another characteristic of the storyline as a detective novel is the robbery of a valuable object, symbolized here by the unicorn. The investigator starts the investigation to save his client's life. Typically, the case becomes more confused or complex over time. The object of the theft contains the actual target of the robbery, the ruby. The ruby ​​grants the owner almost unlimited powers and the actual customer (Mürgenstürm) is actually involved in the crime and willing to deceive the detective.

In the course of the investigation, Resnick introduces the classic characters that can also be found in the film noir : The detective's female partner, very attractive and following her animal instincts - portrayed by Felina; the mighty opponent Grundy as the epitome of evil; the rather insignificant but dangerous henchman Gillespie. In the course of the plot, Mallory seeks out the darker places of an urban settlement: night clubs , bars, remote warehouses to meet the members of the local underworld : pimps , night porters and bodyguards .

The novel also contains tons of other references to classic Raymond Chandler- style detective novels . For example, stealing an item which in turn leads to the possession of another even more valuable item.

Fantasy

While the criminalistic part provides the basic framework, the fantasy part fills in the nuances and storylines of the novel and forms the largest part in terms of content. The plot begins in the "real" New York and forms the more down-to-earth part of the framework, but most of it takes place in the alternative part of New York that can be assigned to fantasy. This New York is populated by elves, gnomes, demons and ghosts.

An interesting aspect is that Resnick acts here in the classic fantasy style and uses mythical creatures, as well as wands, amulets and gems . However, he breaks the classic conventions because he lets the "normal" inhabitants of the alternative world deny the existence of magical influences and lets them explain this solely with scientific arguments.

Parallels to Alice behind mirrors

There are a lot of parallels between the fantastic universe of Resnick and the novel Alice Behind the Mirrors by Lewis Caroll. The game of chess is extremely important in both works . In Die Einhornpirsch , Resnick lets the wearer of a trench coat meet the fraudster , as a former police officer and a former criminal who have both indulged their passion for chess since 1937. The two have modified the rules so harshly that neither of the opponents has a chance of winning a game. A similar situation occurs in alternative New York, which is contested by Grundy and Mallory. By taking the ruby ​​to his own New York, Mallory causes a stalemate .

Another comparable element is the use of mirrors by both authors. Resnick describes the alternative New York sometimes completely exaggerated and sometimes also with grotesque behavior of the residents. Here the police and the criminals fight together against the supernatural beings and spirits. Often rewarded by success in the alternative world, it is sometimes not possible in the “real” world to arrest obvious offenders. The symbolic mirror shows the powerlessness of a constitutional state against the unconventional possibilities of the “other” world.

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