The novel “The Return of Santiago” by Mike Resnick was published for the first time in 2003. It’s the sequel to “Santiago.”
Danny Briggs is a petty thief who wants to make a name for himself but must first evade justice. During his escape, he hides in a house where he discovers the original manuscript of the great poet Black Orpheus. Specifically, the manuscript contains a poem about the legendary outlaw Santiago and the revelation that he wasn’t a single man but a sort of title used by various men in the course of decades.
Inspired by his discovery, Danny Briggs decides to become the new Black Orpheus under the pen name Dante Alighieri. He decides that he needs to find a new Santiago to give meaning to his work. He finds the thief who uses the pen name Waltzing Matilda, a descendant of one of the Santiagos, and convinces her to help him find the right man to revive the legend.
“The Return of Santiago” is set decades after the end of the first novel, in which Mike Resnick developed some important themes in a setting that was both Western and science fiction. In that future, part of a fictional universe created by the author, most of humanity is governed by a political entity known as the Democracy. However, this novel is mainly set in the so-called Inner Frontier, a group of planets outside the Democracy.
Through what amounts to a sort of quest by Danny Briggs, the author explores the myth of Santiago. In doing so, he explores the context surrounding that myth, paying particular attention to the fact that it was built around someone who seems to be an antihero.
This novel is written to be autonomous from the first book but complements it thematically. This is because the first book offered a progressive discovery of the myth of Santiago, revealing its most secret aspects. Instead, this sequel begins precisely with Danny Briggs’ discovery of those secrets.
The problem with this sequel is that it feels formulaic and rather predictable. Various antiheroes are introduced throughout the story, encountered by Danny Briggs in his search for someone who might become the new Santiago. As in the first book, each chapter of the novel begins with a stanza from a ballad, which in this sequel is about not only Santiago but also other outlaws. In this case, these are verses composed by the protagonist, who now calls himself Dante Alighieri and wants to follow in the footsteps of the Black Orpheus.
Themes of government and justice in the Democracy are important from the beginning in this sequel. The problem is that it essentially repeats what in the first book represented the culmination of the protagonists’ search. As a result, the introduction of various characters to show the qualities a person must or must not possess to become the new Santiago becomes rather predictable.
Using his experience as a writer, which at this point had become considerable, Mike Resnick attempts to make the plot developments less obvious with a few twists. This helps keep the reader’s attention thanks to the adventurous part of the novel, but it doesn’t give it much strength.
It was difficult to give “Santiago” a sequel of the same caliber, and “The Return of Santiago” is not. In my opinion, it’s a novel that’s overall enjoyable to read, but I consider it average among Mike Resnick’s works. For this reason, I recommend it especially to fans of this author. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
