Coyote: A Novel of Interstellar Exploration

It is evident that this is less of a novel than a collection of short stories, this however doesn't detract from enjoying the stories. Some of the concepts are standard sci-fi stuff, but presented with unique twists that made it all worthwhile. I have reccomended this to several friends and would make the reccomendation again.

Alan has struck gold with this Heinleinesque novel of interstellar colonization. It has lots of texture and good characters to make the story a book you don't want to put down. I wish that this one would become a series book. After reading hundreds of Star Trek books; this one is a breath of fresh air in a new and more real universe.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; unlike other readers I did not feel that it was disjointed. Although some of the chapters may have been written as separate stories they blended into each other quite well. I have read all of Allen Steele's novels and I think this one is his best by far. I hope there is a sequel.

#1 Harriet, of course, has beaten everyone to summarize the book, but I think some other criticisms here aren't fair. I really don't understand the reaction of the previous reviewer to Allen Steele's politics. Yes, a lot of Allen Steele makes me believe he's a pro-union, 1950s, Harry Truman-style Democrat. I doubt Steele and I would agree on much, but his politics are open and clear. He makes a dig at Newt Gingrich and Jesse Helms. So what -- are we Republicans that thin-skinned? I'm not.Secondly, the idea that this is just "Legacy of Heorot" is silly. Legacy... a brilliant book... was a story about a bad alien with stranging mating habits (something Niven himself mentions in the acknowledgments to Legacy. Coyote is a story about -people- colonizing a new world. If there are similiarities from that, it's only because Steele, like the authors of "Legacy" did his homework.I would have loved a tad more of Steele's excellent visual descriptions --- the gas giant around which Coyote orbits is mentioned a handful of times, but I never grew tired of the descriptions.Are his politics distracting to the story? Not at all. Is the story worth reading? Darn tooting! Does this story ring true, does it hang together, is it entertaining? Absolutely.

With the advent of one-party rule comes certain destruction. But with the fall of that party comes something even worse. And sometimes, what you intend to change for the better sometimes changes into something much, much worse.In 2070, America is three nations -- The United Republic, New England, and Pacifica. The Liberty Party runs the Republic, but some citizens are unhappy. And there just happens to be a huge starship awaiting hijacking.The best parts of this book are the glimpses into the government (in the first part), the building of the world (in the next part), and what happened on Earth afterward (the third part). The only thing I'm not happy about is that Steele never printed the charter from the new planet.You've got intrigue. You've got sci-fi action. You've got conspiracies. You've got one-hundred-odd humans on a planet 230 years away from earth. You've got a whole new calendar system. You've got teenagers rebelling. You've got really interesting aliens.What more do you need? Read this book.