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Coyote Universe #5
Galaxy Blues
Accused of grand theft and expelled from the Union Astronautica space fleet, Jules Truffant takes on a job as shuttle pilot for the freighter Pride of Cucamonga in exchange for amnesty, only to find himself taking part in a perilous voyage across the galaxy to plant a probe in the path of a black hole that is making its way through an inhabited star system.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
Allen M. Steele
230Ìýbooks408ÌýfollowersBefore becoming a science fiction writer, Allen Steele was a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Missouri, and his home state of Tennessee. But science fiction was his first love, so he eventually ditched journalism and began producing that which had made him decide to become a writer in the first place.
Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.
Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.
Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.
Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 14, 2024
� � there is no god except those that we create ourselves.�
In the 21st century, the United Republic of America was a theocratic, authoritarian regime under the thumb of a far right, conservative group aptly monikered the New Christian Right. Coyote is a new colony created in the 24th century by the cryogenically maintained survivors of a hijacked starship the URSS Alabama who chose to flee the URA and their repressive, xenophobic policies. (Sound familiar? I’m willing to bet that Allen Steele knew exactly what he was doing, who he was parodying and who he was warning when he created that scenario at the start of the Coyote series).
GALAXY BLUES, is a sublime space opera set in Steele’s futuristic Coyote universe that clearly pays homage to both Star Wars and Star Trek tropes. It is the story of Jules Truffaut, a disconcerted and disgruntled dissident, ejected from the Union Astronautica space fleet, who believes that he no longer has a viable home and life on earth. It’s “Coyote, here I come� but his only path to interstellar emigration is as a stowaway on a starship. The game is on and GALAXY BLUES is a definite winner for fans of the sci-fi genre.
If you tell me that Allen Steele didn’t have a mental image of Jabba the Hutt lurking in the corners of his thinking when he created the “c³ó²¹²¹³ú’b°ù²¹²¹²Ôâ€� character, I’ll call you a liar. How’s this for a literary reprise of Star War’s memorable gangster slug:
What came through the door was something that looked like a bloated and incredibly ancient bullfrog. Swaddled in heavy robes of crimson and gold whose train dragged behind him, he lurched forward on thick, bipedal legs, his shoulders bowed by the weight of years. Rubbery jowls fell from either side of a broad, thick-lipped mouth and sparse white hair hung limp from a flat, slightly ridged skull. Two deep-set eyes � one half-closed and slightly askew � gazed straight ahead in what appeared to be an expression of senile boredom.�
There’s no shortage of legit science for readers who fancy themselves to be geeks or nerds informed in matters astronomical (with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan):
“Coming into view from behind the limb of the planet was something that, at first glance, resembled an enormous eye. Red-rimmed, as if irritated by something caught in the cloudy white mass of its pupil, it wept a vast tear that seemed to fall away into space. Altogether, it resembled the baleful glare of an angry god � a Cyclops among the stars. Although still several million miles away, nonetheless it was awesome, and utterly terrifying. The black hole at its nucleus was invisible to us, surrounded by the ionized gas that made up its ergosphere � the ring of dust and debris that swirled at sublight velocities around its outer event horizon.�
An easy four star recommendation. Two thumbs up.
Paul Weiss
In the 21st century, the United Republic of America was a theocratic, authoritarian regime under the thumb of a far right, conservative group aptly monikered the New Christian Right. Coyote is a new colony created in the 24th century by the cryogenically maintained survivors of a hijacked starship the URSS Alabama who chose to flee the URA and their repressive, xenophobic policies. (Sound familiar? I’m willing to bet that Allen Steele knew exactly what he was doing, who he was parodying and who he was warning when he created that scenario at the start of the Coyote series).
GALAXY BLUES, is a sublime space opera set in Steele’s futuristic Coyote universe that clearly pays homage to both Star Wars and Star Trek tropes. It is the story of Jules Truffaut, a disconcerted and disgruntled dissident, ejected from the Union Astronautica space fleet, who believes that he no longer has a viable home and life on earth. It’s “Coyote, here I come� but his only path to interstellar emigration is as a stowaway on a starship. The game is on and GALAXY BLUES is a definite winner for fans of the sci-fi genre.
If you tell me that Allen Steele didn’t have a mental image of Jabba the Hutt lurking in the corners of his thinking when he created the “c³ó²¹²¹³ú’b°ù²¹²¹²Ôâ€� character, I’ll call you a liar. How’s this for a literary reprise of Star War’s memorable gangster slug:
What came through the door was something that looked like a bloated and incredibly ancient bullfrog. Swaddled in heavy robes of crimson and gold whose train dragged behind him, he lurched forward on thick, bipedal legs, his shoulders bowed by the weight of years. Rubbery jowls fell from either side of a broad, thick-lipped mouth and sparse white hair hung limp from a flat, slightly ridged skull. Two deep-set eyes � one half-closed and slightly askew � gazed straight ahead in what appeared to be an expression of senile boredom.�
There’s no shortage of legit science for readers who fancy themselves to be geeks or nerds informed in matters astronomical (with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan):
“Coming into view from behind the limb of the planet was something that, at first glance, resembled an enormous eye. Red-rimmed, as if irritated by something caught in the cloudy white mass of its pupil, it wept a vast tear that seemed to fall away into space. Altogether, it resembled the baleful glare of an angry god � a Cyclops among the stars. Although still several million miles away, nonetheless it was awesome, and utterly terrifying. The black hole at its nucleus was invisible to us, surrounded by the ionized gas that made up its ergosphere � the ring of dust and debris that swirled at sublight velocities around its outer event horizon.�
An easy four star recommendation. Two thumbs up.
Paul Weiss
September 5, 2022
Another fun romp by Steele, set in the Coyote universe. Galaxy Blues features Jules Truffaut as the main protagonist, a young pilot from the Union who wants to go to Coyote. Jules was sacked as a pilot (long story) and as he has 'stardust' in his veins, decided to stowaway on the Robert E. Lee from Highgate on Earth to the Coyote system via the 'Starbridge'. After various trials and tribulations, (and some jail time), he is offered a job as a shuttle pilot for Janus corporation, which is owned by Morgan Goldstein, the billionaire introduced a few installments back.
Goldstein is on a mission to open trade with the aliens, looking for some plain old monopoly power, and takes an old freighter to the alien megastructure, carrying a load of weed (marijuana), which the aliens have a taste for (literally). Needless to say, things do not go as planned for Goldstein and the mission, though they did get to meet other aliens in the 'galactic club'.
Galaxy Blues is a rather light hearted homage to the genre to be sure, and Jules is an interesting lead. Steele continues to provide some solid comfort reads for fans of the genre and if he keeps writing them, I will keep reading them. 4 goofy stars!!
Goldstein is on a mission to open trade with the aliens, looking for some plain old monopoly power, and takes an old freighter to the alien megastructure, carrying a load of weed (marijuana), which the aliens have a taste for (literally). Needless to say, things do not go as planned for Goldstein and the mission, though they did get to meet other aliens in the 'galactic club'.
Galaxy Blues is a rather light hearted homage to the genre to be sure, and Jules is an interesting lead. Steele continues to provide some solid comfort reads for fans of the genre and if he keeps writing them, I will keep reading them. 4 goofy stars!!
August 27, 2021
Galaxy Blues is the seventh of eight novels set in the Coyote universe. I liked it but it’s probably my least favorite of the seven I’ve read so far. The novel is told first person by Jules Truffant, a space pilot who was tossed out of Union Astronautica after a cheating scandal involving his brother was uncovered, and who later is arrested on Coyote after illegally stowing away on a trip from Earth. Jules is given a chance to redeem himself when a affluent Coyote business man offers him a spot as shuttle pilot in his ragtag group of folks assembled to do some trading with the newly discovered alien race introduced in the previous novel, Spindrift. A couple other crewmates were also on the mission in the previous novel.
The first part of the book was set on Coyote, which was fun to revisit, and some familiar characters showed up for cameos. The bulk of the plot is centered on the mission to and from the alien planet, with some time also spent on the planet. As one would expect, things don’t go exactly as planned and there is a clash of personalities amongst the seven on the ship, and there is ever-present tension between the humans and the alien ambassador accompanying them from Coyote. Furthermore, there is a slow-burning off-again on-again romance between Jules and a woman, Rain, which you could see coming a mile away especially after they initially hated each other at the commencement of the mission. Rain rubbed Jules the wrong way as she was unqualified for the mission and was along only because of her political standing on Coyote which was revealed later in the book.
The space adventure parts were great and realistically portrayed, as Steele is so good at doing. He also tends to flesh out characters well compared to other science fiction writers I’ve read. The romance tension between Jules and Rain didn’t work so much for me though. There was always some issue between them and for me too many eye-rolling moments.
The loose ends were tied up neatly at the end, and a door was left open for the next novel, Hex, which is the last of the series. I'm looking forward to reading it. There is also a hard to find novella set in the Coyote universe floating around out there which I need to track down.
The first part of the book was set on Coyote, which was fun to revisit, and some familiar characters showed up for cameos. The bulk of the plot is centered on the mission to and from the alien planet, with some time also spent on the planet. As one would expect, things don’t go exactly as planned and there is a clash of personalities amongst the seven on the ship, and there is ever-present tension between the humans and the alien ambassador accompanying them from Coyote. Furthermore, there is a slow-burning off-again on-again romance between Jules and a woman, Rain, which you could see coming a mile away especially after they initially hated each other at the commencement of the mission. Rain rubbed Jules the wrong way as she was unqualified for the mission and was along only because of her political standing on Coyote which was revealed later in the book.
The space adventure parts were great and realistically portrayed, as Steele is so good at doing. He also tends to flesh out characters well compared to other science fiction writers I’ve read. The romance tension between Jules and Rain didn’t work so much for me though. There was always some issue between them and for me too many eye-rolling moments.
The loose ends were tied up neatly at the end, and a door was left open for the next novel, Hex, which is the last of the series. I'm looking forward to reading it. There is also a hard to find novella set in the Coyote universe floating around out there which I need to track down.
July 6, 2016
Decent but distinctly average addition to the Coyote series which sees a cobbled together crew of misfits travel to the headquarters of the Talus and have further encounters with the alien Hadjj. Overall it feels very dated (or maybe an homage to the grandmasters of the 50s) & doesn't really push the main story arc far enough to warrant a 300 page novel. It would have worked just as well if not better as a novella or even a short story.
January 26, 2008
Like SPINDRIFT, this novel is set in Steele's Coyote universe and shares some of the characters although it isn't a part of the initial core trilogy. It is a rigidly structured and meticulously plotted space-opera novel, with well-developed alien characters and good modern flourishes added onto a classic sense-of-wonder style of storytelling. Excellent science fiction!
May 23, 2015
Not quite up to the standard that I'm use to from Allen Steele but then again he's the master of space opera. Overuses the word "copacetic" way to much. Didn't really believe in the love story portion. We get to see more of the Coyote universe including a number of new aliens (though from afar). Much too short but lots of action especially the second half.
March 6, 2014
The title is a tune composed by the PSI crew member. Cheesy, clichéd, weak storyline but great fun, with added black holes.
It's like Bond, James Bond, in spaaaaaace.
March 5, 2012
Loved the personality of Jules and the humour in the buildup. Shame it had such a soft ending.
June 17, 2023
A Western Hemispherical Union spacer stows away on a Coyote ship to claim political asylum on Coyote. The Coyoteans aren't pleased with his methods and throw him in the stockade. When the richest man on Coyote shows up and offers him a job he accepts and becomes a shuttle pilot on the first trade mission to the newfound alien world Talus.
The rich guy is in a super hurry to be the first trader to the aliens so the ship they take isn't so great, the crew is a bunch of misfits, and the plan is to bring a load of grass to the aliens and find out what they'll trade for it when they get there. Things don't go as planned, the aliens are not as honest as one would hope, everybody gets fired, some get high, and the aliens give them the option of salvaging the trip by going on a suicide mission for them.
After so much time wading through tall grass and shooting giant man eating ostriches it's nice to be reminded that Steele can write some really good space stuff. The real, gritty, nuts and bolts space stuff he basically pioneered with his space construction worker stories. This one has a good deal of flying by the seat of your pants, some stomach turning wormhole transit, and plenty of zero G floating. The characters aren't complex, every one having a hair trigger temper, the aliens are conveniently timid so the humans only interact with three of them, and there is a bit of humor involving baseball and hash browns. Easy to read, flows nicely, and a basic story with a bit of a twist at the end. I'll not spoil it for you but there is a picture of a black hole on the front of the book.
The rich guy is in a super hurry to be the first trader to the aliens so the ship they take isn't so great, the crew is a bunch of misfits, and the plan is to bring a load of grass to the aliens and find out what they'll trade for it when they get there. Things don't go as planned, the aliens are not as honest as one would hope, everybody gets fired, some get high, and the aliens give them the option of salvaging the trip by going on a suicide mission for them.
After so much time wading through tall grass and shooting giant man eating ostriches it's nice to be reminded that Steele can write some really good space stuff. The real, gritty, nuts and bolts space stuff he basically pioneered with his space construction worker stories. This one has a good deal of flying by the seat of your pants, some stomach turning wormhole transit, and plenty of zero G floating. The characters aren't complex, every one having a hair trigger temper, the aliens are conveniently timid so the humans only interact with three of them, and there is a bit of humor involving baseball and hash browns. Easy to read, flows nicely, and a basic story with a bit of a twist at the end. I'll not spoil it for you but there is a picture of a black hole on the front of the book.
March 11, 2018
This is a 2.5 star rounded to 3.
It's always a tricky balance when you try to have a witty, narcissistic, sarcastic semi-asshole as a main character. It can come off super awesome and funny or he can just feel like a dick.
I liked the main character in the very first part of the book, but he got pretty old quick. How does somehow who never thinks before he talks survive in the Western Hemisphere Union, much less in their military? It beggars the belief. Quite literally it's impossible to believe. He acts like an idiot teenager from some utopia who never had to answer for how he talks/acts. That is not what the WHU is.
It's always a tricky balance when you try to have a witty, narcissistic, sarcastic semi-asshole as a main character. It can come off super awesome and funny or he can just feel like a dick.
I liked the main character in the very first part of the book, but he got pretty old quick. How does somehow who never thinks before he talks survive in the Western Hemisphere Union, much less in their military? It beggars the belief. Quite literally it's impossible to believe. He acts like an idiot teenager from some utopia who never had to answer for how he talks/acts. That is not what the WHU is.
January 28, 2022
I can't believe this went to publish with a romance line and characters that weak. The action/ship maneuvers were described in a fairly fun way - I actually found those parts the most interesting and engaging in the book. The character interactions, character growth, and the plot were thinner than a piece of plastic wrap. All the loose ends are tied up in the end because Jules is cocky, cool, and informal; I can't express how many times I rolled my eyes over his lines and the general descriptions of Rain, the cold but alluring woman Jules IMMEDIATELY falls for. Honestly you get a better romance story out of Twilight its so weak. Oh also the only POC is *violently* xenophobic, Islamic, and not developed at all other than to attack someone out of, idk, craziness - not a good look. Also, the only other woman had barely any lines, he put in a "good" joke about people being so politically correct haha and socialists are so lame, aaand Allen is obviously allergic to the pronoun "they" and instead uses heshe/hisher/himher for the aliens. Can't express how visually jarring it is to encounter heshe in a sentence over and over, but yeah, it wasn't even a good reading experience. I regret the 10 cents I spent on this.
December 30, 2024
Looked for a book to read while on winter break at my parents' house; found this amongst my dad's fancy editions of sci-fi classics. And it did have the feel of something written decades ago rather than this century. Nothing terribly wrong with that; it was an entertaining enough space romp. But the romance part felt more obligatory than interesting, and the main character was fairly stereotypical, the Strapping Young White Man. Still, it had some compelling moments, particularly once the black hole came into play. And being a later book in a series didn't prevent me from understanding what was going on at all.
June 22, 2017
Very interesting concept, but the writing didn't impress me. The main character is the macho tough guy, capable of everything and jaded with the world. The women are one-dimensional background characters (as are almost all of the other supporting/secondary characters). Many of the major plot twists and events are very predictable, and the general style of the writing feels decades old (women called "sweetie" and greeted with a kiss in a professional setting, the book is full of baseball references, etc).
October 16, 2022
"Galaxy Blues� is part of Allen Steele’s ‘Coyote Universe�. I have not read any of the other books but this enjoyable Sci FI book reads like a standalone novel that doesn’t really need any additional knowledge to be enjoyed. Jules Truffaut, the main protagonist, stows away aboard a starship and thus begins a wide-ranging, somewhat humorous tale full of aliens and humans acting like adults, instead of the usual space opera battles, although there is a high-stakes gambit or two, afoot. Highly Recommended. Apple Books. 322 pages.
December 4, 2022
I've always loved the Coyote universe, and it was one of the first space operas and space colonization stories I'd ever read, and I was so happy to revisit it in Galaxy Blues. While the story was focused more on the broader universe rather than Coyote itself, I loved the view into the alien races of the Talus, I hint of which we got in Spindrift and the later Coyote books. I really liked the characters and how intrigue turned to peril, as the story progressed. Moving straight on to Hex, and hope to see more from this universe someday.
September 24, 2019
I was disappointed with this one, it added nothing to the Coyote story.
December 3, 2022
Generally just terrible. I finished it out the loyalty to the original book in the series, but otherwise didn't enjoy it.
March 27, 2025
I liked the style and it was a pretty fun adventure, the story could have been a lot better I think. The writing really saved this one for me.
3.2
3.2
May 6, 2013
Jules Truffaut has been having a rough time. Because of a cheating scandal involving his younger brother, he's been thrown out of the Union Astronautica and can't, legally, work as a spacer again. He's determined not to accept that, though, and has created not one but two false identities to get back into space, get work loading cargo--and stow away on a starship headed to Coyote, the human race's first colony on a world outside the solar system.
Unfortunately, he has barely escaped from that starship and landed on Coyote in a lifeboat before he's arrested and tossed in the stockade in Liberty. Now, at best, he's looking at a long prison term on Coyote, and at worst, deportation back to the Western Hemisphere Union on Earth.
Then Morgan Goldstein shows up and makes him a different offer.
Goldstein, a wealthy, well-connected, and not overly scrupulous business man, needs one more crew member, a shuttle pilot, to crew his expedition to the Talus to open trade with the hjadd, the alien species most interested in relations with humans. If Jules signs on, Goldstein will make sure he gets released and his case is continued--indefinitely.
As the first human trade mission to the Talus, nothing is simple or straightforward, and no one else on the expedition is volunteering information. Things are shaky enough on board before a mistake at a formal welcome ceremony angers the Talus and leaves them with one--very dangerous--chance to salvage relations.
This is, compared to other Coyote Universe stories, relatively light, a fast-paced, old-fashioned hard sf adventure. There's not a lot of depth here, but it does feature Steele's trademark excellent story-telling skills and solid character development.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend.
Unfortunately, he has barely escaped from that starship and landed on Coyote in a lifeboat before he's arrested and tossed in the stockade in Liberty. Now, at best, he's looking at a long prison term on Coyote, and at worst, deportation back to the Western Hemisphere Union on Earth.
Then Morgan Goldstein shows up and makes him a different offer.
Goldstein, a wealthy, well-connected, and not overly scrupulous business man, needs one more crew member, a shuttle pilot, to crew his expedition to the Talus to open trade with the hjadd, the alien species most interested in relations with humans. If Jules signs on, Goldstein will make sure he gets released and his case is continued--indefinitely.
As the first human trade mission to the Talus, nothing is simple or straightforward, and no one else on the expedition is volunteering information. Things are shaky enough on board before a mistake at a formal welcome ceremony angers the Talus and leaves them with one--very dangerous--chance to salvage relations.
This is, compared to other Coyote Universe stories, relatively light, a fast-paced, old-fashioned hard sf adventure. There's not a lot of depth here, but it does feature Steele's trademark excellent story-telling skills and solid character development.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend.
June 21, 2021
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK, But Science Problems Near the End Mar it
December 14, 2008
For the most part, Allen Steel's "Galaxy Blues" is an OK book. Granted, there's not a whole lot of depth to any of the characters. But, outside of a bit of simplistic behavior, the writing's fairly good. The one thing that really nagged at me was the science. It's apparent that Steele put a good amount of effort into at least paying lip-service to physics. But, near the end, it becomes obvious that he didn't run all the numbers:
-Starting around page 247, the characters have to accelerate their main ship to 2.5 x 10^3 km/s and cover 1.5 AU (2.25 x 10^8 km) in 30 hours. They seem to do this at 1g. But, running those numbers means it would take about twice as long at that acceleration. The only way I can make the time come close is to assume instantaneous acceleration to that speed (and they don't have that capability).
-Then, while at "cruise velocity" (2.5 x 10^3 km/s), they have to take off in another ship and land it within 1.3 x 10^5 km and 7 hours. Again, the writing implies at most 1g deceleration (actually, it implies they coast there and only decelerate during the last "couple of hundred miles). But, by my calculations, without decelerating, that "coast" would have lasted a grand total of 52 seconds. Even if they had started decelerating immediately, it would call for a deceleration of 500,000g to slow down from that speed in that distance. Going back to rendezvous with the main ship, the numbers are about an order of magnitude even worse.
Overall, the book is decent. It's good for a couple of hours of light entertainment. But, with the science problems and simplistic behaviors, the best I can rate it as an OK 3 stars out of 5.
OK, But Science Problems Near the End Mar it
December 14, 2008
For the most part, Allen Steel's "Galaxy Blues" is an OK book. Granted, there's not a whole lot of depth to any of the characters. But, outside of a bit of simplistic behavior, the writing's fairly good. The one thing that really nagged at me was the science. It's apparent that Steele put a good amount of effort into at least paying lip-service to physics. But, near the end, it becomes obvious that he didn't run all the numbers:
-Starting around page 247, the characters have to accelerate their main ship to 2.5 x 10^3 km/s and cover 1.5 AU (2.25 x 10^8 km) in 30 hours. They seem to do this at 1g. But, running those numbers means it would take about twice as long at that acceleration. The only way I can make the time come close is to assume instantaneous acceleration to that speed (and they don't have that capability).
-Then, while at "cruise velocity" (2.5 x 10^3 km/s), they have to take off in another ship and land it within 1.3 x 10^5 km and 7 hours. Again, the writing implies at most 1g deceleration (actually, it implies they coast there and only decelerate during the last "couple of hundred miles). But, by my calculations, without decelerating, that "coast" would have lasted a grand total of 52 seconds. Even if they had started decelerating immediately, it would call for a deceleration of 500,000g to slow down from that speed in that distance. Going back to rendezvous with the main ship, the numbers are about an order of magnitude even worse.
Overall, the book is decent. It's good for a couple of hours of light entertainment. But, with the science problems and simplistic behaviors, the best I can rate it as an OK 3 stars out of 5.
January 1, 2014
Still another disappointment from the Coyote universe. I highly recommend the book Hex as the only real addition to the Coyote Univers worth reading. It supplies a lot more information with rich characters and an engaging story.
Galaxy Blues however was again sub par. He writes well which makes it palatable. You always feel like it will get good, that you will get deeper into the characters and the story. But it never happens. He basically develops three characters, the protagonist Jules Truffant, Goldstein a billionaire industrialist, and Rain a young woman with a large chip on her shoulder.
The story attempts to be a rollicking adventure and is only somewhat successful. It's told first person from Jules point of view so we get to hear a lot of his thoughts. He is very arrogant and self confident and I barely tolerated him. It's been him against the world his whole life and any bad or illegal behavior is easily justified in his mind. There is the prerequisite sexual tension between him and Rain as he works to gain her trust (and more ...)
All other characters are cardboard cut-outs to fill the background. I found it offensive that he threw in a middle-eastern, Koran totting, hard core Islamic as the wild card to do the crazy man thing. He did not even take the time to develop this guy other than mention he was on deck once in a while.
We do learn more about the Talus race, but almost not worth plodding through this Heinlein juvenile classic wannabe.
Read Hex! and all of the original Coyote trilogy and the two Coyote expansion novels. I also found Orbital Decay enjoyable.
Galaxy Blues however was again sub par. He writes well which makes it palatable. You always feel like it will get good, that you will get deeper into the characters and the story. But it never happens. He basically develops three characters, the protagonist Jules Truffant, Goldstein a billionaire industrialist, and Rain a young woman with a large chip on her shoulder.
The story attempts to be a rollicking adventure and is only somewhat successful. It's told first person from Jules point of view so we get to hear a lot of his thoughts. He is very arrogant and self confident and I barely tolerated him. It's been him against the world his whole life and any bad or illegal behavior is easily justified in his mind. There is the prerequisite sexual tension between him and Rain as he works to gain her trust (and more ...)
All other characters are cardboard cut-outs to fill the background. I found it offensive that he threw in a middle-eastern, Koran totting, hard core Islamic as the wild card to do the crazy man thing. He did not even take the time to develop this guy other than mention he was on deck once in a while.
We do learn more about the Talus race, but almost not worth plodding through this Heinlein juvenile classic wannabe.
Read Hex! and all of the original Coyote trilogy and the two Coyote expansion novels. I also found Orbital Decay enjoyable.
September 5, 2012
Divertente e veramente� spaziale
Ho una particolare predilezione per la space opera, soprattutto laddove gli autori mettono grande cura nel creare in maniera dettagliata un universo complesso e credibile. Un libro con viaggi interstellari, situazioni d’azione, personaggi caratterizzati da ironia e coraggio ha già ottime probabilità di piacermi. Se poi la storia è carina ed è ben scritto, allora mi conquista.
Questo è il caso di “Galassia nemica� di Allen Steele, una vecchia conoscenza di questo sottogenere della fantascienza. La sua produzione letteraria comprende un buon numero di libri inseriti nella stessa linea temporale, ma indipendenti l’uno dall’altro, per cui li si può leggere in qualsiasi ordine e, una volta ambientati nel suo universo, ci si muove con disinvoltura concentrandosi quindi sulla trama.
La storia di “Galassia nemica� è avvincente, perché, come succede dei buoni libri, non sai cosa aspettarti dalla pagina successiva e, per questo, continui ad andare avanti. Il protagonista è simpatico, non si prende troppo sul serio e più di una volta ti fa scappare una risata durante la lettura. L’ambientazione, pur essendo fuori della realtà a cui siamo abituati, è comprensibilissima per merito dell’autore, che accosta immagini eccezionali ad altre molto più comuni e nelle quali è possibile riconoscersi. Il ritmo è incalzante e anche la parte tecnologica è molto credibile (nell’ambito della sospensione dell’incredulità ).
Insomma, un bel libro.
E per una volta devo dare merito a Urania di averlo pubblicato in Italia.
Ho una particolare predilezione per la space opera, soprattutto laddove gli autori mettono grande cura nel creare in maniera dettagliata un universo complesso e credibile. Un libro con viaggi interstellari, situazioni d’azione, personaggi caratterizzati da ironia e coraggio ha già ottime probabilità di piacermi. Se poi la storia è carina ed è ben scritto, allora mi conquista.
Questo è il caso di “Galassia nemica� di Allen Steele, una vecchia conoscenza di questo sottogenere della fantascienza. La sua produzione letteraria comprende un buon numero di libri inseriti nella stessa linea temporale, ma indipendenti l’uno dall’altro, per cui li si può leggere in qualsiasi ordine e, una volta ambientati nel suo universo, ci si muove con disinvoltura concentrandosi quindi sulla trama.
La storia di “Galassia nemica� è avvincente, perché, come succede dei buoni libri, non sai cosa aspettarti dalla pagina successiva e, per questo, continui ad andare avanti. Il protagonista è simpatico, non si prende troppo sul serio e più di una volta ti fa scappare una risata durante la lettura. L’ambientazione, pur essendo fuori della realtà a cui siamo abituati, è comprensibilissima per merito dell’autore, che accosta immagini eccezionali ad altre molto più comuni e nelle quali è possibile riconoscersi. Il ritmo è incalzante e anche la parte tecnologica è molto credibile (nell’ambito della sospensione dell’incredulità ).
Insomma, un bel libro.
E per una volta devo dare merito a Urania di averlo pubblicato in Italia.
June 15, 2021
Before I diss this book know that I have loved all six (so far) of the Coyote books. But here's the problem. Steele has a tendancy to write far too much irrelevant description such as short space journeys with what button was pressed, what the ship said to the star gate, and what the star gate said back. Stuff that is just useless packing. I've noted this tendancy throught the Coyote books but managed to ignore it as the story was good and the writing clear. But with this one Galaxy Blues, very little happens for at least 180 pages, and the big part of the story is crammed into the last 50 or so.
The other problem is that Steele is often just a little too person centred, that's not why I read Sci-fi. I want more ideas and to be taken to new places landscapes and spacescapes.
Aside from that its a good book. But if you wanted to choose one of the Coyote books to skip - this is the one if you don't like the packing.
The other problem is that Steele is often just a little too person centred, that's not why I read Sci-fi. I want more ideas and to be taken to new places landscapes and spacescapes.
Aside from that its a good book. But if you wanted to choose one of the Coyote books to skip - this is the one if you don't like the packing.
February 7, 2009
This book was originally serialized in Azimov's Science Fiction Magazine, which is where I read it. Instead of reading it in the four monthly installments, I waited until all four issues had been published and then read the entire book.
I was completely unfamiliar with Allen Steele's writing and found this book to be, for the most part, an enjoyable sci fi diversion. I tend to lean towards more thought provoking science fiction but occasionally, a good old fashioned adventure story is a welcome change.
One of the best elements of Steele's writing is his emphasis on character development. Often, so called, "hard" science fiction spends too much energy on the technology and world building aspects of the genre and nowhere enough time on the characters who are living through the story. Obviously, strong characters are almost always an essential part of good fiction but, sadly, this is sometimes overlooked by modern science fiction writers.
The only flaw to this book is that the actual adventure itself gets a little boring and predictable at times. For the most part, Allen Steele's story telling instincts and the likability of his characters manage to hold the book together and make it worth reading.
"Galaxy Blues" seems to be part of or related to a series of books that Steele has written about a fictional planet called Coyote.
I was completely unfamiliar with Allen Steele's writing and found this book to be, for the most part, an enjoyable sci fi diversion. I tend to lean towards more thought provoking science fiction but occasionally, a good old fashioned adventure story is a welcome change.
One of the best elements of Steele's writing is his emphasis on character development. Often, so called, "hard" science fiction spends too much energy on the technology and world building aspects of the genre and nowhere enough time on the characters who are living through the story. Obviously, strong characters are almost always an essential part of good fiction but, sadly, this is sometimes overlooked by modern science fiction writers.
The only flaw to this book is that the actual adventure itself gets a little boring and predictable at times. For the most part, Allen Steele's story telling instincts and the likability of his characters manage to hold the book together and make it worth reading.
"Galaxy Blues" seems to be part of or related to a series of books that Steele has written about a fictional planet called Coyote.
April 7, 2015
Galaxy Blues (2007) 266 pages by Allen Steele.
The story is set in the Coyote universe, taking place after the events of Spindrift. The first person narrative of Jules Trussant kept me turning the pages. The characters were good, the story had a very good flow, and besides just this story, Steele also continues the Coyote storyline. We have more interaction between human and alien races, and at the end the Hjadd aren't a complete mystery.
Jules has always wanted to go into space and after graduating the academy, he is on his way, until he is kicked out of the service. Being that he has been blackballed he comes up with the idea of going to Coyote and requesting asylum. Using an alias Jules gets a job on a space station and works for months, plotting a way to get aboard the shuttle. We come in right as he puts his plan into action, the reader is instantly pulled right into the action, the baseball metaphors and planning let us learn something about Jules.
Once arriving on Coyote, Morgon Goldstein the CEO of Janus (one of the largest corporations formerly of Earth), is looking for a crew for his new venture in trading with the Hjadd. Jules now has a choice between joining the crew or being deported. Even without the alternative it sounded like a pretty good job. So off on the first human-alien trading mission they go.
This is another fantastic Allen Steele novel.
The story is set in the Coyote universe, taking place after the events of Spindrift. The first person narrative of Jules Trussant kept me turning the pages. The characters were good, the story had a very good flow, and besides just this story, Steele also continues the Coyote storyline. We have more interaction between human and alien races, and at the end the Hjadd aren't a complete mystery.
Jules has always wanted to go into space and after graduating the academy, he is on his way, until he is kicked out of the service. Being that he has been blackballed he comes up with the idea of going to Coyote and requesting asylum. Using an alias Jules gets a job on a space station and works for months, plotting a way to get aboard the shuttle. We come in right as he puts his plan into action, the reader is instantly pulled right into the action, the baseball metaphors and planning let us learn something about Jules.
Once arriving on Coyote, Morgon Goldstein the CEO of Janus (one of the largest corporations formerly of Earth), is looking for a crew for his new venture in trading with the Hjadd. Jules now has a choice between joining the crew or being deported. Even without the alternative it sounded like a pretty good job. So off on the first human-alien trading mission they go.
This is another fantastic Allen Steele novel.
March 29, 2011
Yet another great entry in the Coyote saga of books. Now I'm just itching for more! I've ready everything there is so far, but I'm not ready to be finished! At least there's another book coming out this year. I think this has got to be, hands down, one of the most fascinating sci-fi universes that I've ever jumped into. The stories are believable, yet exciting. The characters are very colorful. I love that, even though most of the books can stand on their own, characters and events overlap (especially between this book and Coyote Horizon). It really makes these stories seem like events that are real and not just make believe. I highly recommend this book for anyone that has enjoyed any other Coyote novels. And even if you haven't yet, don't feel like you have to read the others first before you jump into this one (although it'll help with historical background); this stands on its own as a great science fiction novel.
More Coyote please!
More Coyote please!
February 28, 2013
Another non-Coyote book set in the Coyote universe. I was never a huge fan of the series or spin-offs, but Steele has kept it just interesting enough to keep me coming back. This one was probably my least favorite. The secondary characters were really flimsily drawn, with one in particular who was little more than a stereotype. (The Arab named Ali. We know little about him except that he seems to be the only one who mutters things in a foreign language even though a number of characters are from various places in Europe. And, not to spoil, but um, let's just say that his actions at the end were pretty predictable given the stereotype).
I only have one Coyote universe book to go, "Hex." I will probably read that one soon. Then maybe I can finally put it to rest, at least until another one comes out.
I only have one Coyote universe book to go, "Hex." I will probably read that one soon. Then maybe I can finally put it to rest, at least until another one comes out.
April 4, 2015
I've read most of Allen Steele's book since meeting him at an Orlando con some 10+ years back. I have greatly enjoyed the Coyote series and somehow I missed this one although I had read all the others. I don't recall all the books that well since it has been a while but I might consider this at the bottom of the bunch. What bugged me was the characters just seemed so one dimensional and the situations often seemed so typical, so canned. Other flaws were the value of the marijuana and that the Hdaaj considered it so valuable, just seems awfully corny. The story line itself wasn't too bad and it would seem there is the opportunity for Steele to write another book around Jules. I'm glad I read it but if you haven't read the entire Coyote series and related stories I wouldn't recommend it as a stand alone read.
January 17, 2016
Overall, I really like Allen Steele's stuff. The book jacket comparisons to Heinlein are apt. His style is very similar. Very down-to-earth(no pun intended), altruistic protagonists, well imagined plots, and lots of hard science. All that said, I was a little disappointed, when I finished this book. I mean that despite the fact that I finished it quickly, and it had all of the above elements, it seemed like something Steele could've written over a weekend, almost formulaic. Don't get me wrong. I would LOVE to be able to write such a book, but maybe I've come to expect more from Steele. I've read a lot of good stuff lately, and this is by no means, bad. It's just good, and I think it could've been better.
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