Sly Mongoose (Xenowealth, #3)

Jan 14, 2009 Seizure Romero rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy, library

Someone else has already pointed this out, but it bears repeating:

Zombies. In space.

Ok, so they're not old-school brain-eating zombies (don't want to mislead hard core horror fans), but they still wanna bite you & if you get bitten, you become one of them. Destroy the brain, they stop moving.

Zombies.
And they're in space.

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Jul 21, 2010 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pocmaincharacters, sci-fi

Buckell's writing is exuberant, his plot choices audacious. There is a fantastic energy to his books, as though anything might happen. Each book has been better than the last, without ever losing the adrenaline rush or interesting world-building with which Buckell first burst onto the scene.

For generations, a race of mind-controlling aliens calling themselves the Benevolent Satrapi enslaved the human race. Small bands fought back, and finally defeated their overlords in Ragamuffin. But the victo...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Scott Marlowe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tobias Buckell posted a request for advanced readers for his upcoming science fiction novel, Sly Mongoose, and, of course, I took him up on it.

This is my first go-around with Buckell’s work, though I’ve had one of his other novels, Crystal Rain, on my radar for a long time. Sly Mongoose is and isn’t a continuation of the story told in Ragamuffin. While there are clear references to the story that unfolded in that previous book, at no time did I feel as if I was missing something by not having re...more Tobias Buckell posted a request for advanced readers for his upcoming science fiction novel, Sly Mongoose, and, of course, I took him up on it.

This is my first go-around with Buckell’s work, though I’ve had one of his other novels, Crystal Rain, on my radar for a long time. Sly Mongoose is and isn’t a continuation of the story told in Ragamuffin. While there are clear references to the story that unfolded in that previous book, at no time did I feel as if I was missing something by not having read it first. Needless to say, as I found Sly Mongoose to be a very enjoyable read, I intend to go back and read Ragamuffin. Now, on to the review…

Sly Mongoose is a fast-paced, enjoyable read. The .rtf version I previewed came in at 208 pages, so expect about the same in the hard cover or paperback versions. The book is scheduled for release about August.

Buckell wastes no time throwing us into the story: Pepper, our titular character, is free-falling from orbit through Chilo’s atmosphere with only a heatshield protecting him from the 2,000 degree, friction-induced heat. Pepper is no ordinary person, though. He’s a Mongoose Man, a cyborg-like, elite soldier whose primary duty is the preservation of the human race (kicking ass is his other priority).

Therein lies one of the main complexities of Pepper’s character. He’s extremely resourceful, intelligent, and experienced, having lived hundreds of years thanks to his cyborg implants, but he’s also pragmatic to the extreme, and not above sacrificing innocents if that’s what it takes for him to live to fight another day. If those less equipped to save themselves must be sacrificed, so be it. This dilemma lies at the heart of many conflicts for Pepper; it should go without saying that it also plays a part in the unfolding of events in Sly Mongoose.

In contrast to Pepper’s seemingly unlimited resourcefulness is Timas, a teenage resident of the floating city of Yatapek (which Pepper is falling to in the opening scene) on Chilo. Like Pepper, Timas belongs to an elite group, though not a military one. Timas is a xocoyotzin, a person specially chosen to service a mining machine that prowls Chilo’s surface looking for raw materials. Yatapek is not a wealthy city, and much of their technology has become outdated and fallen into disrepair. The environmental suits the xocoyotzin must wear to survive conditions on the surface are only large enough for younger people to wear, so that as one gets older eventually one becomes too big for the suit. For Timas, serving his city is a privilege and an honor, and so he fights to prolong his ability to serve in that role by ritually expunging himself of any food he eats. It’s a terrible burden to place on one so young; we learn a lot about Timas’s character and courage in those scenes alone.

There is more.

Pepper crash lands in Yatapek, and we soon learn exactly why he was de-orbiting with only a heatshield between him and certain death. You see, he was trying to get away from something, and it’s not long before that something follows him down. Other cities are alerted to the threat. One such city sends an emissary, a girl roughly Timas’s age named Katerina, who possesses an eye that all of her people are able to see through. Both her and Timas have pre-conceived notions of the other, notions that change as they gradually bond with one another. There is adventure, and action, and harrowing encounters… Like I noted above, no spoilers, but let’s just say that Pepper, Timas, and Katerina find the entire world of Chilo at risk and are thrust into the role of saviors.

Buckell draws from his Caribbean upbringing, so imagining a mech-warrior-like soldier with dreadlocks or distinctly futuristic, island-like cultures is not far from reality. I found this injection of originality refreshing, though I have to admit to some reluctance to embrace it at first if only because it’s not what I’m used to. I went with it, though, and Buckell makes it work. The author’s style is fast-paced: chapters are generally short and he wastes nearly zero time pontificating or throwing “info dumps” at the reader. His characters are engaging as well. I perhaps liked Pepper the best, but Timas is the true underdog here given his situation. I genuinely wanted to see him both fulfill his duty and save himself at the same time.

The only character I did not become engaged with was Katerina, who has sacrificed much of her individuality to serve as a speaker for her collected people. Perhaps it is that aspect of her make-up which has stolen part of her humanity and therefore disengages the reader from her. In any case, I think her role was greatly overshadowed by Pepper and Timas to the point of irrelevance at times. But that in itself takes nothing from the enjoyment of the story.

This review at http://www.scottmarlowe.com/post/Revi...
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Jan 13, 2009 Logan marked it as to-read

Zoooooombiiiiiieeeeeesssss iiiiiiiinnnnnn sppaaaaaaaaccccceeeee....

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Apr 07, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a heavily-delayed paperback, which means it's been almost four years since I read _Ragamuffin_. But then, I recall having trouble absorbing the space-opera background even then. The history behind everything is *big* and complicated, and we've been getting barely a soda-straw view of it per book.

In any case, we now alternate between Pepper (semi-immortal defender of humanity, cranky bastard) and Timas (a teenager growing up in a ramshackle-poor mining town). Pepper drops into down just...more

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May 12, 2013 Gary Baker rated it 4 of 5 stars

For a sci-fi by an author I'd never heard of, this book kicked serious ~~ass~~.

The tale brings sci-fi fans into the back alleys of spacial domination, with a world much like Mexico compared to the U.S.A. when compared to the other worlds in this story. As such, the wealthy are there because of exploitation and the hoarding of resources, and the poor face the worst scenarios to stay alive, often resorting to crime and the like to keep their floating city above the harsh lower atmosphere.

In comes a m...more

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Jun 08, 2009 Brendan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, book-club, fiction, scifi, zombies

Sly Mongoose is the third book by Tobias Buckell that takes place within the same far-future universe in which human beings have expanded but have done so on the technology of more advanced species, so now they’re trapped holding on to what little they have left. Using this historical backdrop, Buckell crafts a group of flying cities (Bespin style) over a harsh, Venus-like world. Enter space-zombies. You heard me.

* The book has a couple main characters, including a super-soldier not unlike Taka...more Sly Mongoose is the third book by Tobias Buckell that takes place within the same far-future universe in which human beings have expanded but have done so on the technology of more advanced species, so now they’re trapped holding on to what little they have left. Using this historical backdrop, Buckell crafts a group of flying cities (Bespin style) over a harsh, Venus-like world. Enter space-zombies. You heard me.

* The book has a couple main characters, including a super-soldier not unlike Takashi Novacs from Richard Morgan’s detective series. By shifting back and forth between them, we get a wide view of the world but a solid characterization of it through their eyes.
* One of the societies has a digital democracy through their brain implants. It’s a bit like the world in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, and a little like one of the short stories featured on the Escape Pod podcast within the past year. They discuss and vote on everything in real time. Like Obama’s grassroots gone world-building. Or like having Facebook in your head.
* Because the networked people often wait to speak until they’ve heard from their other networked folks, the people of the main city call them “zombies.” Since I’d heard this was a book with space zombies in it, I was disappointed at this apparent cop-out. But no worries:

“Zombies,” Ollin repeated…. “We call the Aeolian representatives that visit us ‘zombies,’ you know, because they take orders and move slowly around and take forever to answer questions because they have to vote on it.”

Pepper shook his head. “Hell no, son, that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m talking about is groaning, stumbling, dumb-as-fuck old-school zombies.”

* The other alien species aren’t all that well fleshed out in this book, but they aren’t the central issue. I imagine that in the larger world of Buckell’s novels, this fits nicely.
* Some lovely throwaway stuff that I like to think of as the key characteristic of good sf. At one point, a character from the networked democracy has an important decision to make and she’s cut off from the network. She laments, “No friend polls for this one.” There’s also a really cool deep atmosphere mining rig and some clockwork pteranodons soaring around in the atmosphere.
* The space zombies, of course, end up being more than just zombies but I’ll let you find that stuff on your own.

Overall, it’s pretty enjoyable. And a good use of space zombies.(less)

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Jul 06, 2009 Tensy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Fast paced sci-fi. Interesting protagonists including a young hero, Timas, who must face incredible challenges on an inhospitable home world and a war weary, tech-enhanced, older man named Pepper. I had just finished reading Alfred Besters "The Stars My Destination" and I thought it was interesting how Buckell used a truncated English speech pattern with some of his characters, just like Bester did in his classic sci-fi novel. If you like your sci-fi full of battle sequences this is the one for...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Hungry readers, hungry for braaains

Recommended to Alan by: io9 [http://io9.com/]

A science-fictional adventure story which moves along with headlong pace in an exotic setting. This tale of a super-soldier trapped on an inhospitable world of cloud cities inhabited by fundamentalist Aztecs still reeling from their exploitation by aliens they thought were real gods (!) is likeable enough, has a couple of strongly-drawn characters, and definitely has its exciting moments. Oh, and did I mention it's got zombies (kinda)? That's the key word that pulled me in, actually, but Buckell...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Josh Gentry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was fun. I have read all 3 of Buckell's Xenowealth novels, and this was the best. I enjoyed the first 2, but each had their problems from my view. In _Chrystal Rain_ I did not connect with or care about any of the characters enough. This changed in _Ragamuffin_, which had a good protagonist, but it lost me when 2 thirds of the way through the book we moved away from her and back to characters from _Chrystal Rain_. _Sly Mongoose_ has a potent mix of cool tech, over-the-top action, and Pepper...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Bryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf, ebooks

Update March 2012 - the paperback is here! The hardcover was published Aug 2008 so it wasn't quite a 4 year wait, but the book arguably languished by the delay. I'm sure ebook sales helped... Now back to the original review.

Hey Tor... where's the paperback edition?

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I was eagerly awaiting this 3rd entry.

But... something happened. While it's beyond the scope of this review, and does not reflect on the book or the author, I feel it's worth men...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed-first-or-limited-edition, audiobook, sf-alien-planets-and-societies, sf-adventures-investigations-and-mi

4.5 to 5.0 stars. It is official...I am a fan of Tobias Buckell and he has become an author that I will begin purchasing his new books upon release (at least until I come across a bad one). This is the third novel set loosely in the universe of the "48 worlds" and it expands and adds to the mythos referred to in the preceding novels, Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin. I am really enjoying how Buckell is slowly expanding the scope of the novels and parceling out the back story of how his universe is se...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but love fantasy! So I couldn't believe it when I LOVED this adult sci fi novel! I read in some reviews after reading the novel, that this author has created several books in this world, but I've never read them. However, I read this book as stand-alone just fine and highly recommend it.[return][return]Timas is a 14-year-old boy who helps upkeep the ore thingie under his city. Everyone depends on him to keep the city alive. And to stay thin. He forces himself...more

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Oct 12, 2008 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, war, adventure

If you loved the way classic science fiction writers like Hal Clement would imagine a planet with radically different living conditions than Earth, and then extrapolate what sort of people would live on that planet, you're going to love this story: Chilo is a planet with massive atmospheric pressure, intense surface heat, and corrosive precipitation -- so the only societies that can flourish there are in floating cities, miles above the surface.

And then a virtually indestructible warrior, jumpin...more

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Sep 29, 2008 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Space zombies. Floating cities. And Pepper leaping out of a spaceship and riding a heatshield down, sans parachute. What else do I really need to say about this one?

Sly Mongoose is Tobias Buckell's third novel, set in the same universe as Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin, but Pepper is the only character from the earlier books. As with Ragamuffin, this isn't a direct sequel, though it does continue the larger story Buckell is creating about humans struggling to survive and find their place as they d...more Space zombies. Floating cities. And Pepper leaping out of a spaceship and riding a heatshield down, sans parachute. What else do I really need to say about this one?

Sly Mongoose is Tobias Buckell's third novel, set in the same universe as Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin, but Pepper is the only character from the earlier books. As with Ragamuffin, this isn't a direct sequel, though it does continue the larger story Buckell is creating about humans struggling to survive and find their place as they discover just how dangerous a place this universe can be.

Sly Mongoose is set primarily on the planet of Chilo, a loosely Venus-like planet with crushing gravity, a corrosive atmosphere ... generally not a pleasant place to live. The inhabitants live in floating cities, descending to the surface to maintain the outdated and unreliable mining equipment. It's a hard life, and when Pepper drops in, it gets a lot harder. The Swarm (space zombies!) is coming, searching for a secret hidden on Chilo's surface, and they're prepared to kill anyone and everyone in their way.

Buckell does a lot of cool things in this book. For starters, Chilo's inhabitants are the descendants of the Azteca from Crystal Rain. One complaint I had about Crystal Rain was that the Aztecs came across as fairly straightforward villains without as much depth as I wanted. Sly Mongoose develops them into fully fleshed out people, still struggling to live down the shame of their ancestors' actions back on New Anegada.

Sly Mongoose leaves me curious where Buckell is going with this series. He's setting up a very dangerous and violent universe, one in which humanity will either need to unite and work together, or face extinction. Behind the obvious threat of the Swarm lies another enemy, and further in the shadows an even larger threat could be lurking.

The young miner Timas is a good character, but Pepper steals the book. Pepper is a highly practical, survival-oriented warrior. He's an interesting one ... long-lived, and having survived enough wars to warp any man. There are times he seems to be running on automatic, more machine than human, and throughout the book you see Timas and others trying to break through to that kernel of humanity. Sometimes they seem to reach him. Other times, Pepper just lets them think so, because it suits Pepper's plans at that particular moment. Definitely not a nice man, but a fascinating one, and a useful guy to have around in a war.

Overall, I'd say this is the best of the three books, an action-filled page-turner that left me eager to read number four.(less)

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May 12, 2011 Paul Stotts rated it 4 of 5 stars

After an innovative and entertaining debut with “Crystal Rain”, author Tobias Buckell followed that up with an even better sophomore effort in “Ragamuffin”. Both novels are essentially stand-alone stories that share the same universe, the Forty-Eight worlds, and some of the same characters. Both also strongly hinted at great things to come from Buckell in the future. Well, the future is here my friend, as Buckell easily solidifies his claim as a hot new writer to watch. His absolutely incredible...more After an innovative and entertaining debut with “Crystal Rain”, author Tobias Buckell followed that up with an even better sophomore effort in “Ragamuffin”. Both novels are essentially stand-alone stories that share the same universe, the Forty-Eight worlds, and some of the same characters. Both also strongly hinted at great things to come from Buckell in the future. Well, the future is here my friend, as Buckell easily solidifies his claim as a hot new writer to watch. His absolutely incredible third novel “Sly Mongoose”, which once again takes place in the Forty-Eight worlds universe, takes the series not only to another stratosphere, but also earns a spot as one of the best books of the year.

Chocked full of übergeek goodness like pirates, zombies, and really big guns, “Sly Mongoose” is a sci-fi nerd’s Mecca. It’s like a George Romero zombie movie bred with a space opera, producing an incredibly unique and twisted lovechild. But the best thing about this hybrid baby is that it flat out rocks. Buckell shows a real skill of taking disparate and unique elements and masterfully weaving them into an entertaining story. The areas where Buckell has improved the most though are in his worldbuilding and character development. In “Crystal Rain”, his character development was much more basic, and felt emotionally shallow, while his worldbuilding left many of his more interesting story ideas criminally underexplored. The Forty-Eight worlds was a remarkable setting, and it deserved a more in-depth treatment and historical overview. This issue was clearly addressed by “Ragamuffin”, which gave a more detailed picture of the universe, as well as being a huge jump up in the quality of characterization. “Sly Mongoose” represents an even greater leap from “Ragamuffin” as Buckell finally pulls everything seamlessly together to deliver an incredibly rich and fulfilling story.

For those familiar with Buckell’s previous novels, the character of Pepper needs no introduction. For those not acquainted with the character, just imagine a multi-gun-toting bad-ass with dreadlocks whose cat-quick deadliness and ultra-violent nature is legendary. Since his introduction in “Crystal Rain”, Pepper has been Buckell’s best character; a mysterious anti-hero type who drops more bodies than words. To my great delight, Pepper enjoys an even greater spotlight in “Sly Mongoose” than in the previous novels. Here he’s less an auxiliary character and more of the main focus. And due to events early in the novel, his aura of invincibility is somewhat lessened.

As the novel begins, Pepper finds himself in an interesting situation. It seems he dove out of an orbiting spacecraft into the Chilo atmosphere right before the ship crashed into Chilo’s sun. While not showing a whole lot of good sense (but I guess it beats the alternative of crashing into the sun), he wasn’t left with much choice. A mysterious infection had transformed the crew and passengers of the ship he was traveling on into zombies. When the zombies, referenced in the novel eventually as the Swarm, weren’t nibbling on the uninfected and turning them into the living dead, they were loading into the ship’s escape shuttles and blasting off for Chilo in hopes of continuing the infection there. Left with no shuttles remaining and the ship plunging into Chilo’s sun, Pepper is forced to attempt an impromptu spacedive (and without a parachute to boot). So strapped to a small heat-shield, Pepper plummets his way through the Chilo atmosphere before crashing into the city of Yatapek.

Like all the cities on the planet Chilo (which has an environment similar to Venus), the domed Yatapek floats high up in the atmosphere and away from the crushing pressure and intense heat of the Chilo surface. Yatapek also borders an immense perpetual storm. Pepper more than proves his toughness by not only surviving the plunge from space but also the subsequent crash landing. However, he does sustain some significant injuries in the process which he is forced to deal with over the course of the novel. Having survived his incredible descent, Pepper attempts to warn the Yatapak elders of the potential danger to Chilo from the zombie invasion. He realizes the Swarm could overtake the planet in a matter of hours, and prepares them for this reality.

He finds help among the Yatapek residents from a young boy named Timas, who is a xocoyotzin. The xocoyotzin are a group of young boys who continuously risk their lives working on the surface of Chilo. The xocoyotzin are responsible for performing maintenance on a huge drill that provides Yatapek with raw materials essential to the city’s continued survival. Within Yatapek society, the xocoyotzin are treated with the utmost reverence, their dangerous work securing a privileged life for themselves and their families. Being xocoyotzin though doesn’t come without sacrifices. Timas must starve himself in order to maintain his slight figure so that he will continue to be able to fit into his spacesuit (Yatapek is too poor to afford new bulkier spacesuits). But it’s something that Timas saw one day on the surface of Chilo that has Pepper intrigued. Could what Timas saw provide the answer to the mystery surrounding the zombie invasion?

It’s the multitude of really interesting little details that make “Sly Mongoose” such a vastly enjoyable book. For example, the Chilo-based Aeolians employ a very interesting form of democracy. The Aeolians use a technologically-enhanced representative who broadcasts their experiences to the rest of the Aeolian populace. The Aeolians then vote in real-time on what action they wish the representative to take on their behalf. Or another example would be the overwhelming pressures faces by the xocoyotzin. These young boys must continuously face death in order to ensure prosperity for their family, and they must use whatever means possible in order to maintain their figures. These details are what ultimately provide the richness and innovativeness to the story that makes “Sly Mongoose” such a terrific pleasure to read.

The most significant aspect to the novel is that Buckell’s characterizations have vastly improved since “Crystal Rain” and “Ragamuffin”. His maturation as a writer can be seen in full force here, as his characters have never had this level of complexity before. I found myself caring deeply about Timas and his struggles. This was the first time I’d found myself so emotionally engaged with one of Buckell’s characters. While Pepper is a great larger-than-life character, he isn’t the type of character that one easily identifies or connects with. He is more superhuman than human. (C’mon, I mean he survives a fall through a planet’s atmosphere.) He is however more flawed and complex than he was in the previous novels. For the most part though, Pepper is appealing for his anti-hero persona. The area of new growth for Buckell is in his ability to create characters like Timas, and his mother (as well as the Aeolian avatar Katerina) that finally bring a sense of real humanity to his work.

Last Word:
At its heart, “Sly Mongoose” is an action-packed sci-fi extravaganza filled with remarkably cool battles that includes a final conflict between the Swarm and the residents of Yatapek that’s absolutely killer. A plethora of unexpected twists and turns in the tale will likely keep the reader on the very edge of their seat until the end. For those who have not read “Crystal Rain” or “Ragamuffin”, “Sly Mongoose” works beautifully as not only a wonderful stand-alone novel, but also as an entry point in the series. Honestly, I’d recommend starting here, and catching up with the other novels afterwards. Simply put, “Sly Mongoose” is one of the best reads of 2008. Buckell packs the novel so full of cool and innovative ideas and characters that it’s not just enjoyable, but absolutely unforgettable.
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Sep 18, 2008 Elijah Kinch Spector rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was scared that this book would be a bit weaker than its predecessors, but Tobias Buckell has kept up a surprising level of quality in his non-series (it IS a series, but each stands on its own). My biggest worry, all told, was about the fact that this book focuses on Pepper, the ultra bad-ass who's been in each one of the books (and in some short stories). For one, Pepper is so powerful that one wonders how he can be the center of a story where there's any real threat, and secondly he's such...more I was scared that this book would be a bit weaker than its predecessors, but Tobias Buckell has kept up a surprising level of quality in his non-series (it IS a series, but each stands on its own). My biggest worry, all told, was about the fact that this book focuses on Pepper, the ultra bad-ass who's been in each one of the books (and in some short stories). For one, Pepper is so powerful that one wonders how he can be the center of a story where there's any real threat, and secondly he's such a dick that for us to like spending that much time with him he would have to be niced up a little bit.

Well, on the first point, he loses two limbs within the first few chapters. On the second, there are still enough other characters that Pepper never becomes too much--and it doesn't hurt that he is a damn awesome character. I think any more Pepper would have been too much though, and I hope that the next book uses him very sparingly (but uses him, definitely).

Beyond the lead himself: well, the book is about zombies and cloud cities, so what's not to like? It's some fast-paced, exciting stuff--never quite all-out horror, but science fiction with horror concepts bleeding into it. What's more, while the world that Buckell creates for this book isn't quite as new and different as New Anegada, it's still a lot of fun, and new ideas keep coming in a way that, at one point (strandbeests), reminded me of that old school sci-fi that would have so many crazy ideas it would almost be ridiculous.

On top of that, it's with this book that his real universe building takes a step up. The first book hinted at more out there, and the second showed us the nearby planets and gave even vaguer hints at what might be out farther. Sly Mongoose starts to really build up the idea of a larger, scarier threat, and being set a long time after Ragamuffin, starts to have a real feeling of epic history (future history, but whatever). I'm more excited for the series' continuation now, as it's all starting to fit together as one long story, even if Pepper is the only character in common.

Buckell's work is a lot of fun, not to mention a breath of fresh air in the generally whitewashed world of science fiction. Sly Mongoose might not quite have the magic of the world created in Crystal Rain, but it is damn good and better, I think, than Ragamuffin.(less)

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Dec 25, 2008 Shaun Duke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to Chilo, a planet with corrosive rain, crushing pressure, and deadly heat. Fortunately, fourteen-year-old Timas lives in one of the domed cities that float 100,000 feet above the surface, circling near the edge of a monstrous perpetual storm. Above the acidic clouds the temperature and pressure are normal. But to make a living, Timas, like many other young men, is lowered to the surface in an armored suit to scavenge what he can.
Timas' life is turned upside down when a strange man crash...more Welcome to Chilo, a planet with corrosive rain, crushing pressure, and deadly heat. Fortunately, fourteen-year-old Timas lives in one of the domed cities that float 100,000 feet above the surface, circling near the edge of a monstrous perpetual storm. Above the acidic clouds the temperature and pressure are normal. But to make a living, Timas, like many other young men, is lowered to the surface in an armored suit to scavenge what he can.
Timas' life is turned upside down when a strange man crash lands on the city. The newcomer is fleeing an alien intelligence intent on invading the planet and discovering the secret hidden deep inside the perpetual storm--a secret that could lead to interplanetary war.
As the invaded cities fall silent one by one, Chilo's citizens must race against time to stop the enemy. And Timas will find out what kind of man he has become in the harsh conditions of Chilo's surface.
--Synopsis from the cover of Sly Mongoose

First came Crystal Rain, hailed as the first, if not the only Caribbean Steampunk novel.

Then came Ragamuffin, a Caribbean Space Opera.

Now we have Sly Mongoose, which throws the two together with something new and likely never done (at least not seriously): Zombies...in space.

That's right, Tobias S. Buckell has managed to write a killer science fiction novel (no pun intended) with zombies! Why are you still reading this? Go! Buy it. Now! It's on pre-order at Amazon. Yes, this is the coolest thing you have ever heard of. Yes, this is better than watching Star Trek re-runs or drooling over Battlestar Galactica. This may even be better than Star Wars, and for me to say that is like committing heresy.

Tobias has outdone himself here (and I'm not even sure what that phrase means). His first novel was a good novel and his second was even better, but this third novel is superb. This is what all the great science fiction from back in the day was about: high suspense adventure, fantastic and interesting characters and intriguing ideas. This is part of a new "tradition" it seems, a tradition which hearkens back to the days we so fondly remember in science fiction's glorious history. Space opera, adventure, fast-paced fight scenes (even the ones with the cripple), space ships, evil inhuman monstrosities, and even a little romance; it's all there, teasing you, tickling your senses, making you squeal with delight. Okay, maybe that's far fetched, but I squealed, especially when the first page of the book told me that Pepper was back!

Sly Mongoose is Tobias' best work to date. It's suspenseful, brilliantly devised, and an example of his excellent world building skills. Here we have Chilo, a world that most of us would pass off as uninhabitable. But Chilo is inhabited: flying cities, balloon ships, and the like. There are also two really fascinating cultures that inhabit Chilo: the Aeolians (a collective mind in their own right, who are all connected through a wireless network so they can vote on the consensus) and the people of Yatapek (who happen to be descended from certain folks we might remember from one of Tobias' other novels). It's one thing to make a world and add in a culture, but it's another thing entirely to create two distinct cultures on a planet that is mostly uninhabitable. I'll leave their eccentricities as a mystery, because you should be reading this book, not salivating over this small, bite-sized sample. These elements serve to solidify and validate the realistic nature of this world--and perhaps gives us a glimpse into what could possibly be done on our own greenhouse infested sister planet.

Then comes the zombies. They were creepy, but not too creepy. Just enough of that creep factor to keep you wanting more, but without making you uncomfortable (zombies can do that, after all). Apparently throwing Pepper into a room full of zombies is not a good idea for anyone. Seriously. Don't do it. Pepper gets mad, and when Pepper's mad he blows things up and kills things. It's not pretty.

The only thing that might be considered a flaw with Sly Mongoose is it's limited view of Tobias' universe. Crystal Rain was relatively limited, and then Ragamuffin took us off planet and into the wild universe Tobias had created. Now we're back to a single world again. I personally wouldn't consider this a flaw, mostly because Tobias has made this new world engaging and fascinating, surrounded by a gripping story. Throw in the fact that Pepper, in all his augmented glory, is there as one of the main characters and you're pretty much left with a book that is pure awesome. I do see the argument, but I think it's nitpicking when the novel itself is quite stunning in its own right. There's a reason why Tobias' novels are stand-alone: they should be treated as separate creations.

Sly Mongoose is a movie in the making. It takes us on a wild ride filled with horror, action, and a load of other equally positive and reinforcing words. Already this book is on my "Best of 2008" list, and certainly will be a favorite of mine unless I get too old to remember what it's about (hopefully that won't happen). I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think anyone who likes the good, old-fashioned excitement of action-packed science fiction should give this book a shot.

Now I'll leave you with this: Pepper + robotic carapace = cool cyborg-ish thing.(less)

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Aug 20, 2011 Guy Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books-to-lend, my-ebooks

Tobias Buckell's third entry in his Xenowealth series is arguably the tightest and most accessible of them all, and might even be a better starting point for new readers than Crystal Rain/Ragamuffin. From the intense nail-biter of a opening scene to its very satisfying conclusion, Buckell puts one of his best characters, Pepper, in a thrilling, high stakes situation that includes floating cities, political intrigue, intergalactic war, and zombies. Yes, zombies! Two kinds, actually; both subtly i...more

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Sep 03, 2008 Joy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21c, science-fiction, caribbean, 50books-poc-2008, chromatic

In which Buckell follows up Aztecs and airships (Crystal Rain) and space pirates (Ragamuffin) with space zombies. I kid you not. I enjoyed this novel, but I don't think it holds together quite as well as Buckell's earlier work. It's told from multiple points-of-view, but only Pepper's is at all interesting; that's extra problematic because Pepper himself works great as a side character and not so well is a central protagonist. Anyway, I found myself really missing the narrative balance provided...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The setting, a Venus like planet where the population lives in air cities, was absolutely fantastic. In fact, all aspects of the world building this book were great and I would love to read more set in this same universe. The main "villain" was a bit 'meh' and the characters were hit or miss. Overall though, it was an enjoyable read.

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Sep 22, 2011 Rawle Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

Although this was the third book in Mr. Buckell's Xenowealth series, it was actually my first experience with his work. I enjoyed this story and the adventure Mr. Buckell crafted very much - especially Pepper and the Ragamuffins. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, and more of this authors work in general.

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Jan 08, 2010 Nate rated it 4 of 5 stars

A nice spin on the zombies versus robots genre. In this case, I suppose, it's zombie hive-mind versus human hive-mind working with human farmer plus decked-out cyborg superhero guy, and eventually with a dangerous hideout alien colony. Asimov dreaded this sort of science fiction, but it's good fun, good fun.

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May 07, 2010 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting plot, well-developed characters. It was a fun read. Kind of a random selection on my part, but some of the books I've enjoyed the most were random selections to help me break out of my normal genre.

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Mar 14, 2012 Moe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another expansive tale of high adventure, politics, and alien invasion.I found this third installment of the Xenowealth series slightly less riveting than the first two.The second book, Ragamuffin rocked so hard that I was a little let down but that having been said I still enjoyed Sly Mongoose very much. I think I just missed Nashara she was one bad ass sister!

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Aug 21, 2011 Gene rated it 5 of 5 stars

I gave this book 5 stars because it really was an engaging read even though there is a lot of information and background dumped on you (I didn't realize this was book 3 in a series lol). Sure, I got confused by factions and species and descriptive imagery, but I was very engaged.

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Dec 03, 2012 Joe Davoust rated it 4 of 5 stars

Third in a series, this book tells a story that is related to the first two, but can also stand on its own as an exciting adventure. And yes there are zombies in space. Character development is superficial but is made up for by a rich imaginative world that includes floating cities, airships, steam punk flying automatons, Aztecs, dreadlocks, aliens. space ships and zombies.

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Apr 12, 2012 Mark Argent rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

not quite as imaginative or strongly written as the first two books in the Xenowealth trilogy/series, but still a rollicking actioner that I tore through in about a day.

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Mar 04, 2011 Amanda marked it as to-read Recommends it for: freegade

Recommended to Amanda by: boingboing.com, I think

Shelves: started-unfinished

This almost never happens, but I got bored. There were space zombies, but I got bored. Too much leading-up-to-the-fight. I was waiting for the fight! And they aren't your usual slow, brain-eating zombies, either (sorry zombie fans). They're quick, and they learn. But they grow things from their necks, ala brain slug, and that's pretty cool.

I got busy, and it wasn't enough to keep me interested. Disappointing, as I had high hopes for it. I think that when I have fewer pressing things on my mind I...more

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Dec 15, 2011 A. Non rated it 4 of 5 stars

Memorable for the floating city above a gas giant, and the selected few who go to the surface to face the awesome pressure. Pepper is back!

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Sly Mongoose (Xenowealth #3)

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Sly Mongoose (Xenowealth #3)

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