Sly Mongoose is the third science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 of Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 writer Tobias S. Buckell

Tobias S. Buckell

Tobias S. Buckell is a Grenadian science fiction writer. His 2008 novel, Halo: The Cole Protocol, made the The New York Times Best Seller list. He currently lives in Bluffton, Ohio.-Biography:...

. The novel is a standalone but is set in the same universe as Buckell's novels Crystal Rain

Crystal Rain

Crystal Rain is the debut novel of Caribbean writer Tobias S. Buckell. Buckell calls it his "caribbean steampunk novel". Although a stand-alone novel, Buckell's books Ragamuffin and Sly Mongoose are set in the same universe with some recurring characters.- External links :* at...

and Ragamuffin

Ragamuffin (novel)

Ragamuffin is the second novel by Caribbean science fiction writer Tobias S. Buckell. It is the sequel to his first novel, Crystal Rain. Buckell labeled Ragamuffin a "caribbean space opera", with his previous novel being called "caribbean steampunk".Ragamuffin was nominated for the 2007 Nebula...

. The novels are also linked by a recurring character.

The Name "Sly Mongoose" is taken from a Jamaican folk song. The tune has been covered by different Jazz musicians including
Charlie "Bird" Parker and Louis Armstrong. The song is well-known around the Caribbean and versions with differing lyrics have been sung as calypsos. Lord Invader (of Rum and Coca Cola Fame) and Sam Manning recorded the song. The Jamaican National Dance Theatre Company have performed the song in a dance choreographed by the late Rex Nettleford.