The River Horses

Coyote Universe

by Allen M. Steele

"The River Horses" is a stand-alone novella set on the world of Allen Steele's acclaimed Coyote series. Taking place between the events of Coyote Rising and Coyote Frontier, it follows three individuals -- Marie Montero and Lars Thompson, veterans of the recent revolution against Earth, and Manuel Castro, a posthuman Savant who was once the colony world's lieutenant governor -- as they set on a journey to explore Coyote's uncharted regions.

"Steele's intimate stand-alone novella of the fronrtier planet of Coyote chronicles the redemptive journey of two colony exiles, adding a brilliant brushstroke to the already vast6 and vivid canvas of the Coyote saga ,,, With a sophistication reminiscent of some of the genre's greatest visionaries, Steele has created a must-read for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking SF..." -- Publisher's Weekly

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Novella

119 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Before 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.

Reviews

[Jeff Koeppen · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the completion of The River Horses, I've read all there is to read of Steele's Coyote universe (eight novels in all). This novella is set on Coyote with the events taking place between the Coyote Rising and Coyote Frontier novels. The novella follows the three well-known characters as they are exiled from the colony to an unexplored area of the planet, so we discover more of the flora and fauna of Coyote as we travel along, the most significant discovery being the beasts in which the novella is named after.

The novella alternates between a straight-forward third-person adventure and a first-person perspective through one of the exile's diary. It answers some questions and fills in some blanks from the novels. Any fan of the Coyote novels will find this worthwhile.

This was hard to find so I ended up buying the Kindle version. I really hate reading for pleasure on electronics but I appreciate that I can purchase hard-to-find or out-of-print books I'm interested in on the interwebs.

[Collin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by Steele's writing for this novella. The writing switches frequently from first-person diary to third person, and his writing from the point of view of a troubled twenty-something woman comes off as flat and contrived. I've also just realized that what prvents Steele's books from jumping into the "Wow!" category is that he doesn't give much mystery or depth to his characters. Their thoughts are usually very obviously relayed to the reader, and their actions often foreshadow later events. Occasionally he has an unforseen plot twist, but most of his books read more like pieced together bits of history rather than dramatic fiction. This is for better (see Coyote and Spindrift), worse (this book) or meh (all the rest).

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice, quick read. If you're interested this takes place between Coyote rising and Coyote Frontier. Again, I read this way out of order, but it was still enjoyable and answered some questions I remember having when I read Coyote Frontier. You don't need to read this to enjoy the other books, but it does flesh out the back-story that is mentioned in Coyote Frontier. I also read "The War Between Dogs and Boids", a short story set during the events of the original Coyote book and this was definitely a more polished and developed story. If you are enjoying the Coyote series this is a must read.

[Antonio Ippolito · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steele ci riporta sul tumuluoso pianeta Coyote, con un racconto ambientato dopo la vittoriosa rivolta contro l’Unione. Le varie città coloniali si stanno ormai consolidando; l’atmosfera di sopravvivenza e solidarietà del primo volume della serie è ormai lontana: con la guerra, si è persa anche l’innocenza.
Seguiamo le vicende di Marie Montero e del suo compagno Lars Thompson, esiliati dalla Nuova Florida per un brutto episodio di violenza. Solo l’influenza del fratello di lei, Carlos, ormai sindaco di Libertà, ha evitato che la condanna fosse a un vero e proprio carcere: d’altronde, i due saranno più utili alla comunità esplorando nuove terre pericolose. Formeranno un terzetto decisamente malassortito insieme a Manuel Castro, ovvero Manny, il “savant” che accompagnava la Matriarca alla fine del primo volume ed era stato governatore della colonia durante il dominio dell’Unione: detestato da molti perchè cyborg e perché ex nemico, cerca anche lui una nuova vita.
Il che permette a Steele di scrivere una delle sue belle storie avventurose, dove un gruppo di emarginati, guidati dall’energica Missus Smith, sta cercando di fondare una sua nuova comunità. Come in Coyote, c’è una coppia in crisi, e una gravidanza che complica parecchio la vita: anche se Marie Montero non ha il fascino della “badass” Wendy Gunther, riuscirà a guadagnarsi la stima dei lettori nonché quella della sua nuova comunità, e a scoprire sentimenti davvero nuovi.
Scopriremo che i fiumi di Coyote abbondano di mostri, non ci sono solo le gattobalene; e vedremo come alla fine vecchie logiche commerciali e familistiche si impongano anche in un mondo libertario come Coyote. Insomma un racconto pieno di temi: forse, avrei voluto vedere di più i mostri.. ma per questo ci sarà tempo nei prossimi racconti.

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The River Horses" (2007) 118 pages
Good+. A novella set on Coyote. Maria and Lars are exiled from Liberty with the instructions to explore. Trying to hide out in another colony will put them back in the stockade. Manny Castro, a savant (human brain in a mechanical body), volunteers to accompany them. Maria is doing a good job of trying to become a better citizen. Lars wants to hide out with friends (that would presumably hide them) in Bridgeton, even though that was strictly forbidden.
I probably would have liked it better when the six or seven Coyote novels were fresh in my mind (read 2009-15). Maybe there was some back story of why Maria and Lars were in the stockade, other than being hellraisers. I remember nothing that is a spoiler for this story, even though three of those books were written after 2007.
Anyway, this is Maria and Lars handling their freedom, exploring Coyote, interacting with Manny, and a smidge of Coyote politics.

[James Geary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been over a decade since I read the Coyote series, and there have been some spin-off novels I hadn't gotten around to, so finally decided to get back into it and wasn't disappointed. I always loved the worldbuilding and character-building of the Coyote universe, and this novella threw me right back into it, as if I'd read the rest of the books only yesterday. I liked how this little interlude gave me more background into the choices Maria made and something unexpected about the Savant Manuel Castro, which sheds more light on the events after Coyote Rising and leading into Coyote Frontier. I'm really looking forward now to reading the rest I've yet to get to from this series, and hope that maybe there'll be more come from it.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just for providing background in the Coyote story universe, I’d give this 4 stars but as a novel, it felt a bit light and underdeveloped.

3 stars

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even shorter than I expected but a nice little story about life on Coyote.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short set in the Coyote Universe. Two former resistance fighters are banished due to a bar fight, and the cyborg decides to go with them. They take a hovercraft down river and go exploring, where they find grass and birds. Then they meet up with some other explorers and change their plans. Also, Nessy.

Like much of the rest of the series this is a "day in the life" story that shows the difficulties of starting a frontier settlement with some personal interactions thrown in. It fits in well, builds on some established characters and furthers the overall universal plot. If you haven't read any of the previous works you will not know what is going on at all.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

VALUTAZIONE PERSONALE: 3,0

Romanzo breve ambientato nell'universo di Coyote, possiamo definirlo uno spin-off del secondo capitolo della trilogia, Coyote Rising: gli eventi narrati, infatti, si collocano cronologicamente tra la fine del precedente e prima del terzo e conclusivo episodio. Personalmente, a dispetto di quanto si legge nella descrizione, faccio fatica a considerarlo fruibile anche come romanzo a sé stante, risultando anzi la naturale continuità del secondo episodio.

[John Volker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answered some questions about the Coyote series