Sly Mongoose

Hey folks. Just writing to make sure that everyone knows Tobias Buckell's new novel, Sly Mongoose, blazes into the world today. I've mentioned Toby before, since I think he's both a great guy to hang out with and also a very slick writer. His novels Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin are both top notch, fast, well-crafted, action-oriented sci-fi.

I expect more of the same from Sly Mongoose. I've had a galley of it for a few months, but, through no fault of my own, I've been unable to crack it open yet. I will, though. I will. I'd like to enjoy it, though, instead of feeling like I'm cramming it in between the host of other unmentionable things that demand my time.

Don't trust old Dave's opinion on Mr. Buckell? Well how about Publishers Weekly? Here's what they had to say:

Buckell returns to the universe of Crystal Rain (2006) and Ragamuffin (2007) for another action-packed story of human colonists fighting to survive on an alien world with all the odds against them. The story bounces between two protagonists: teenage Timas, one of the few inhabitants of the floating spherical city of Yatapek who can maintain the enormous mining machine that harvests ore from the furnace-hot surface of Venus-like Chilo, and Pepper, aka Juan Smith, an elite Ragamuffin soldier from New Anegada who'd prefer to forget about his violent past. As the only survivor of a ship infected with a virus that turns people into murderous zombie slaves of the alien Swarm, the last thing Pepper wants is another fight, but with the Swarm making inroads on Chilo, he has little choice. Buckell delivers double helpings of action and violence in a plot-driven story worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.

There's plenty more about Toby here at his website: Tobias Buckell Online.