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Coyote Jones Series #3
At the Seventh Level
Coyote Jones had never heard of Abba until he was assigned there. It was a remotely beautiful world, but one which had been admitted to the society of civilized planets only after had made concessions on its degrading treatment of women. Until then, women were considered as not human, as a sort of necessary beast, but not more.
The concessions had been slight - but as a result one brilliant female, Jacinth, had risen to the very top of that strange society, to the Seventh Level. Thereby she had become the spiteful target of male fury, female envy, and finally of a deviously evil plan that might cost the world its status.
What Coyote Jones found on Abba, the sensuality of the surface, the sexual horror beneath, and the meaning of human dignity, is a novel worthy of the talents of the most gifted SF writer since Samuel R. Delany and Roger Zelazny.
The concessions had been slight - but as a result one brilliant female, Jacinth, had risen to the very top of that strange society, to the Seventh Level. Thereby she had become the spiteful target of male fury, female envy, and finally of a deviously evil plan that might cost the world its status.
What Coyote Jones found on Abba, the sensuality of the surface, the sexual horror beneath, and the meaning of human dignity, is a novel worthy of the talents of the most gifted SF writer since Samuel R. Delany and Roger Zelazny.
142 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
2 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Suzette Haden Elgin
97 books185 followersSuzette Haden Elgin was an American science fiction author. She founded the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and is considered an important figure in the field of science fiction constructed languages. Elgin was also a linguist; she published non-fiction, of which the best-known is the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense series.
Born in 1936 in Missouri, Elgin attended the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in the 1960s, and began writing science fiction in order to pay tuition. She has a Ph.D. in linguistics, and was the first UCSD student to ever write two dissertations (on English and Navajo). She created the engineered language Láadan for her Native Tongue science fiction series. A grammar and dictionary was published in 1985. She is a supporter of feminist science fiction, saying "women need to realize that SF is the only genre of literature in which it's possible for a writer to explore the question of what this world would be like if you could get rid of [X], where [X] is filled in with any of the multitude of real world facts that constrain and oppress women. Women need to treasure and support science fiction." [1]
In addition, she published works of shorter fiction. Overlying themes in her work include feminism, linguistics and the impact of language, and peaceful coexistence with nature. Many of her works also draw from her Ozark background and heritage.
Elgin became a professor at her alma mater's cross-town rival, San Diego State University (SDSU). She retired in 1980.
Born in 1936 in Missouri, Elgin attended the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in the 1960s, and began writing science fiction in order to pay tuition. She has a Ph.D. in linguistics, and was the first UCSD student to ever write two dissertations (on English and Navajo). She created the engineered language Láadan for her Native Tongue science fiction series. A grammar and dictionary was published in 1985. She is a supporter of feminist science fiction, saying "women need to realize that SF is the only genre of literature in which it's possible for a writer to explore the question of what this world would be like if you could get rid of [X], where [X] is filled in with any of the multitude of real world facts that constrain and oppress women. Women need to treasure and support science fiction." [1]
In addition, she published works of shorter fiction. Overlying themes in her work include feminism, linguistics and the impact of language, and peaceful coexistence with nature. Many of her works also draw from her Ozark background and heritage.
Elgin became a professor at her alma mater's cross-town rival, San Diego State University (SDSU). She retired in 1980.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 19, 2015
I picked up this 1972 paperback because, from the back cover, it purported to be an early feminist SF novel, with comparisons made to Delaney and Zelazny. Sounded interesting.
However, as far as the feminism went – I had a hard time believing that this book was even written by a woman. I looked up Elgin online, and yes, she is a real woman, and known as a feminist. She wrote this book as one of several to make money to put herself through grad school as a linguist. Not only has she published quite a few science-fiction novels, she's invented an artificial feminist ‘women's language' and written many self-help type books on communication. Huh.
I can only guess (and hope) that Elgin became more proficient at communicating her ideas herself as time went on, because this short book (only 142 pages) has a surprising number of problems crammed into its brief length.
First, if you're going to call yourself a feminist, how about having at least one female character who is shown as admirable or resilient in any way? The women we meet are: an intelligent woman (with my name!) who submits herself fully to her husband's will (we never see her again). A woman who aspired to be a Poet, and for failing, was condemned to permanent solitary confinement, who went crazy (we never see her again). A woman who aspired to be a Poet, succeeded brilliantly, and then, because there was no place for her in society, went crazy. (Later, she begs the off-worlder man to deflower her as she has no hope of love and therefore fulfillment with men of her planet. Of course he accedes. Sigh.) Two submissive sex slaves/servants who are content and have no desire to change their society ("otherwise, how would anyone know what to do!?"). Not to mention an offhand comment that men of the more enlightened Federation of planets (where women are not subjugated) no longer have balls. Everything remains in stasis for the whole book.
OK, so a book doesn't have to be feminist. I'm OK with that.
The main problem with the book is that it jumps around, never finishing ideas, leaving loose ends everywhere.
There's an elderly female poet who is Jacinth (the main character)'s inspiration. But, after a brief appearance. we never find out anything more about her. Did she die? We don't know. We spend some time with the interpersonal relations of Jacinth's family. Then she leaves, and we never see them again. Then, big time jump, and the story switches totally to the point of view of the interplanetary agent who is summoned to deal with the problem of Jacinth being the victim of a mysterious attack. He falls victim to attack himself, and that whole part of the book is about the registered criminal underworld and his troubles with them. Then, we forget about all that, and in the last DOZEN (literally) pages of the book, we suddenly find out about a huge food crisis and a difficulty of communication with aliens that is inhibiting trade for food. Can we solve this in 12 pages? Yes!
I really wonder who thought that publishing this was a good idea.
However, as far as the feminism went – I had a hard time believing that this book was even written by a woman. I looked up Elgin online, and yes, she is a real woman, and known as a feminist. She wrote this book as one of several to make money to put herself through grad school as a linguist. Not only has she published quite a few science-fiction novels, she's invented an artificial feminist ‘women's language' and written many self-help type books on communication. Huh.
I can only guess (and hope) that Elgin became more proficient at communicating her ideas herself as time went on, because this short book (only 142 pages) has a surprising number of problems crammed into its brief length.
First, if you're going to call yourself a feminist, how about having at least one female character who is shown as admirable or resilient in any way? The women we meet are: an intelligent woman (with my name!) who submits herself fully to her husband's will (we never see her again). A woman who aspired to be a Poet, and for failing, was condemned to permanent solitary confinement, who went crazy (we never see her again). A woman who aspired to be a Poet, succeeded brilliantly, and then, because there was no place for her in society, went crazy. (Later, she begs the off-worlder man to deflower her as she has no hope of love and therefore fulfillment with men of her planet. Of course he accedes. Sigh.) Two submissive sex slaves/servants who are content and have no desire to change their society ("otherwise, how would anyone know what to do!?"). Not to mention an offhand comment that men of the more enlightened Federation of planets (where women are not subjugated) no longer have balls. Everything remains in stasis for the whole book.
OK, so a book doesn't have to be feminist. I'm OK with that.
The main problem with the book is that it jumps around, never finishing ideas, leaving loose ends everywhere.
There's an elderly female poet who is Jacinth (the main character)'s inspiration. But, after a brief appearance. we never find out anything more about her. Did she die? We don't know. We spend some time with the interpersonal relations of Jacinth's family. Then she leaves, and we never see them again. Then, big time jump, and the story switches totally to the point of view of the interplanetary agent who is summoned to deal with the problem of Jacinth being the victim of a mysterious attack. He falls victim to attack himself, and that whole part of the book is about the registered criminal underworld and his troubles with them. Then, we forget about all that, and in the last DOZEN (literally) pages of the book, we suddenly find out about a huge food crisis and a difficulty of communication with aliens that is inhibiting trade for food. Can we solve this in 12 pages? Yes!
I really wonder who thought that publishing this was a good idea.
May 20, 2020
DAW collectors # 10
The third book in the Coyote Jones series
Cover Art and interior drawings: George Barr
Suzette Haden Elgin (born Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins; November 18, 1936 – January 27, 2015)
In "At the Seventh Level" In order for Abba to be admitted to the society of civilized planets, it had made slight improvements in its treatment of women. Until then, women were considered as not human, as a sort of necessary beast, but not more....As a result, one brilliant female had risen to the top, the Seventh Level. Thereby she had become the spiteful target of male fury, female envy, and finally of a deviously evil plot that might cost the world its status.
The series consists of:
Coyote Jones
1. The Communipaths (1970)
2. Furthest (1971)
3. At the Seventh Level (1972)
4. Star-Anchored, Star-Angered (1979)
5. Yonder Comes the Other End of Time (1986)
Not really my cop of tea.
The third book in the Coyote Jones series
Cover Art and interior drawings: George Barr
Suzette Haden Elgin (born Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins; November 18, 1936 – January 27, 2015)
In "At the Seventh Level" In order for Abba to be admitted to the society of civilized planets, it had made slight improvements in its treatment of women. Until then, women were considered as not human, as a sort of necessary beast, but not more....As a result, one brilliant female had risen to the top, the Seventh Level. Thereby she had become the spiteful target of male fury, female envy, and finally of a deviously evil plot that might cost the world its status.
The series consists of:
Coyote Jones
1. The Communipaths (1970)
2. Furthest (1971)
3. At the Seventh Level (1972)
4. Star-Anchored, Star-Angered (1979)
5. Yonder Comes the Other End of Time (1986)
Not really my cop of tea.
June 2, 2011
Reminds me of a cross between Stranger In A Strange Land and A Handmaid's Tale.
February 3, 2019
Suzette Haden Elgin was an American SF writer and linguist, whose works appeared mostly in the 1970s and 80s, and is probably best known for her feminist SF trilogy that begins with Native Tongue (1984). Her recurring character Coyote Jones was introduced in Communipaths (1970), and two other novels were release shortly thereafter: Furthest (1971), and At the Seventh Level (1972). Two later novels were also released: Star-Anchored, Star-Angered (1979) and Yonder Comes The Other End of Time (1986).
“For the Sake of Grace” first appeared in the May 1969 edition of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and has no mention of Coyote Jones. It describes some events on a human-colonized world that has developed an extreme and bizarre society, especially with regard to the elevation of poets but also the total subjugation of women. Elgin used the full story for an extended Prologue in At the Seventh Level, and then in the newly written part of the novel brings in Coyote Jones as a visiting telepathic agent of Mars-Central.
I have to admit that I found the initial setting to be implausible and story to be boring, not realizing that this was merely going to serve as a backdrop for the main plot. If the novel had gone on like that, I would have found it unreadable. A potential feminist SF theme is left undeveloped. Probably the conceptually most interesting speculation is the use of competing masters of poetry in war. Fortunately, when Coyote Jones arrives, he discovers the world (now named Abba after the enclosed rhyme scheme) to be as bizarre and offensive as does the reader. Jones is tasked with investigating a high profile crime and thereby pluckily encounters some more of the arcane aspects of the culture of Abba. After the conclusion of that investigation, and the departure of Coyote Jones, the novel tacks on an essentially unrelated short story set later on the same world, as an Epilogue. If intended as a fix-up novel of shorter works, the structure is a failure.
The central novella “Abba” is an entertaining read as an adventure of a non-conventional rogue facing off against narrow-minded bureaucrats, and enjoying himself. I’m afraid there isn’t much more there to recommend the book.
“For the Sake of Grace” first appeared in the May 1969 edition of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and has no mention of Coyote Jones. It describes some events on a human-colonized world that has developed an extreme and bizarre society, especially with regard to the elevation of poets but also the total subjugation of women. Elgin used the full story for an extended Prologue in At the Seventh Level, and then in the newly written part of the novel brings in Coyote Jones as a visiting telepathic agent of Mars-Central.
I have to admit that I found the initial setting to be implausible and story to be boring, not realizing that this was merely going to serve as a backdrop for the main plot. If the novel had gone on like that, I would have found it unreadable. A potential feminist SF theme is left undeveloped. Probably the conceptually most interesting speculation is the use of competing masters of poetry in war. Fortunately, when Coyote Jones arrives, he discovers the world (now named Abba after the enclosed rhyme scheme) to be as bizarre and offensive as does the reader. Jones is tasked with investigating a high profile crime and thereby pluckily encounters some more of the arcane aspects of the culture of Abba. After the conclusion of that investigation, and the departure of Coyote Jones, the novel tacks on an essentially unrelated short story set later on the same world, as an Epilogue. If intended as a fix-up novel of shorter works, the structure is a failure.
The central novella “Abba” is an entertaining read as an adventure of a non-conventional rogue facing off against narrow-minded bureaucrats, and enjoying himself. I’m afraid there isn’t much more there to recommend the book.
July 11, 2024
An odd little vintage SF paperback
Suzette Haden Elgin is an interesting figure, but while this book touches on some of her areas of expertise, it doesn't really do much with the ideas, even accounting for the expectations of the early 70s.
Coyote Jones is a familiar trope of a humorous government agent, with a cute telepathic gimmick, who gets to have just-off-camera sex with (let's see) three attractive women (for their own good of course!).
The problem he is sent to the distant planet to solve feels oddly artificial, and its solution oddly random. The male-dominated ancient culture of the planet could have been more interesting, especially given the peculiarly disconnected epilogue, whose main function seems to be to show us that the events of the main part of the book didn't really have any lasting effect (and to make a little pun).
The idea of Criminal as an official profession was a fun thought; it could have been explored more. And I never did figure out who arranged for his brief kidnapping, or why, and that was weird.
But hey, it was short and comfortably vintage and an easy read. One could do worse!
Suzette Haden Elgin is an interesting figure, but while this book touches on some of her areas of expertise, it doesn't really do much with the ideas, even accounting for the expectations of the early 70s.
Coyote Jones is a familiar trope of a humorous government agent, with a cute telepathic gimmick, who gets to have just-off-camera sex with (let's see) three attractive women (for their own good of course!).
The problem he is sent to the distant planet to solve feels oddly artificial, and its solution oddly random. The male-dominated ancient culture of the planet could have been more interesting, especially given the peculiarly disconnected epilogue, whose main function seems to be to show us that the events of the main part of the book didn't really have any lasting effect (and to make a little pun).
The idea of Criminal as an official profession was a fun thought; it could have been explored more. And I never did figure out who arranged for his brief kidnapping, or why, and that was weird.
But hey, it was short and comfortably vintage and an easy read. One could do worse!
June 7, 2019
This one gets only four stars, although it's part of a five-star series, because the degradation of women--and of humanity--on the bureaucratic planet Abba is so disgusting. Everyone on Abba has a profession, including the criminals. Women are mostly barred from the professions. Jacinth, one of the psychically gifted women Coyote Jones is dispatched to spy on, is an exception who's mind-battered her way into the Seventh Level of Poets, and as a result, people who resent her are trying to destroy her mind and thereby endanger their whole world.
As an author Elgin had a peculiar talent for describing things in words that, taken by themselves, are terse, ambiguous, inoffensive...only in context they feel like graphic sex and violence. What we read about the awfulness of Abba isn't all that bad. In fact the planet even has its beauties--it was to some extent inspired by memories of modern Egypt (Elgin's first husband was a diplomat). But it lingers in the mind as a horrid, nasty, disgusting read about a planet where only one person has any noticeable reason to live.
As an author Elgin had a peculiar talent for describing things in words that, taken by themselves, are terse, ambiguous, inoffensive...only in context they feel like graphic sex and violence. What we read about the awfulness of Abba isn't all that bad. In fact the planet even has its beauties--it was to some extent inspired by memories of modern Egypt (Elgin's first husband was a diplomat). But it lingers in the mind as a horrid, nasty, disgusting read about a planet where only one person has any noticeable reason to live.
June 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this book - it's essentially a sci-fi mystery involving an attack by persons unknown against a highly-placed member of society on the planet Abba, which is populated by humans with a very different culture than Earth and the rest of the "Tri-Galactic Federation". In this culture, patriarchy is taken to an oppressive extreme. Also, crime is legal on the planet, as long as you are properly registered as a Criminal. Due to the unthinkable nature of the crime, the local authorities are helpless to investigate so Coyote Adams, intelligence operative from Earth, is brought in to solve the mystery.
The society of Abba is very well presented, especially given the short length of the book (this was originally published in 1972). Actually, I felt that the author did an excellent job of efficiently packing a lot of story into 142 pages. Fair warning, the portrayal of women on Abba may not be to the taste of all, but otherwise it's a very enjoyable novel. Recommended!
The society of Abba is very well presented, especially given the short length of the book (this was originally published in 1972). Actually, I felt that the author did an excellent job of efficiently packing a lot of story into 142 pages. Fair warning, the portrayal of women on Abba may not be to the taste of all, but otherwise it's a very enjoyable novel. Recommended!
March 26, 2025
Coyote Jones had never heard of Abba until he was assigned there. It was a remotely beautiful world, but one which had been admitted to the society of civilized planets only after had made concessions on its degrading treatment of women. Until then, women were considered as not human, as a sort of necessary beast, but not more.
The concessions had been slight - but as a result one brilliant female, Jacinth, had risen to the very top of that strange society, to the Seventh Level. Thereby she had become the spiteful target of male fury, female envy, and finally of a deviously evil plan that might cost the world its status.
What Coyote Jones found on Abba, the sensuality of the surface, the sexual horror beneath, and the meaning of human dignity, is a novel worthy of the talents of the most gifted SF writer since Samuel R. Delany and Roger Zelazny.
The concessions had been slight - but as a result one brilliant female, Jacinth, had risen to the very top of that strange society, to the Seventh Level. Thereby she had become the spiteful target of male fury, female envy, and finally of a deviously evil plan that might cost the world its status.
What Coyote Jones found on Abba, the sensuality of the surface, the sexual horror beneath, and the meaning of human dignity, is a novel worthy of the talents of the most gifted SF writer since Samuel R. Delany and Roger Zelazny.
March 8, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
"At the Seventh Level (1972) is part of a loose sequence of novels that feature Trigalactic Intelligence Service agent Coyote Jones and his voyages to various worlds. Although this sequence ostensibly has the trappings of SF space opera, Suzette Haden Elgin subverts the genre conventions so that the premise functions as a polem ical feminist text with satirical [...]"
"At the Seventh Level (1972) is part of a loose sequence of novels that feature Trigalactic Intelligence Service agent Coyote Jones and his voyages to various worlds. Although this sequence ostensibly has the trappings of SF space opera, Suzette Haden Elgin subverts the genre conventions so that the premise functions as a polem ical feminist text with satirical [...]"
June 15, 2024
Elgin's continuing character Coyote Jones, a not terribly subtle espionage agent, travels to a planet of entrenched gender roles and social divisions to solve an apparent assassination attempt. A reasonable enough adventure story of sorts, although many aspects of the society never quite jell for me, and surprisingly (given Elgin's interests), there's a distinct lack of developed female characters.
January 3, 2021
Continuing my read-through of Suzette Haden Elgin’s 1970s SF novels about telepathy, misogyny, and language across three galaxies in the far future... This one is my favorite so far. Really well-constructed dystopian society and adroitly played mystery plot.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews