"Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille"

(Reviewed by Judi Clark MAR 20, 1998)

"Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill has the best matzo ball soup in the galaxy. Lots of garlic, matzo balls with just the right consistency to absorb the flavor, big chunks of chicken, and the whole of it seasoned to a biting perfection. One bowl, along with maybe a couple of tamales, will usually do for a meal. As for entertainment, Feng gets some of the best Irish musicians you'll ever hear — good instrumental backing, fine singing, some stupendous fiddle playing, and driving energy. Hell, some of the songs are actually Irish."

This is of similar genre as Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series in the sense that it is absurd, but hangs together as a fun sci-fi story.  Maybe not quite as funny and definitely not as cynical.

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill serves the best matzo ball soup in the galaxy and has some of the best Irish musicians you'll ever hear. Our narrator's band is tuning up for a practice session when the bomb hits and the bar is transported once again. Try not to look at the jacket cover before reading the book. Whomever designed it, didn't read the same book as me! 

• Amazon.com reader rating: from 23 reviews

Note on Steven Brust: Since posting this page up on the Web site I have had several people tell me that if I was to ever to try Fantasy, that Steven Brust would be a good author to start with. I promise, I will.

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Bibliography: (with links to Amazon.com)

• Broken Down Palace (1986)
• The Sun, The Moon and the Stars (1987)
• Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille (1990)
• Agyar (1993)
• To Reign in Hell (1994)

The Vlad Taltos Series and related books:

• The Book of Jhereg (1983)
• Yendi (1984)
• Teckla(1987)
• The Book of Taltos (1988)
• Phoenix (1990)
• The Phoenix Guards (1991)
• The Book of Athyra (1993)
• Five Hundred Years After (1994)
• Orca (1996)
• Dragon (1998)
• Issola (April 2001)
• Dzur (August 2006)

The Books of Jhereg (1999) (first 3 novels in the series combined)

The Books of Taltos (January 2002) ( Taltos and Phoenix combined)

Viscount of Adrilankha Series:

• The Paths of the Dead (November 2002)
• The Lord of Castle Black (Augusts 2003)
• Sethra Lavode (April 2004)

Written with Megan Lindholm:

• The Gypsy (1992)

Written with Emma Bull:

• Freedom and Necessity (1997)

 

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Book Marks:

• Official website for Steven Brust
• Steven Brust Fan site
• Yet Another Book Review site review of VLAD THE ASSASSIN series

 

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About the Author:

Steven Karl Zolt�n Brust was born on November 23, 1955. His parents raised both their children and the household plants by the system of Benevolent Neglect (and insist that it worked with the plants). His care and supervision have since been taken over by his family: his wife, Reen; his son, Corwin Edward; and his twin daughters, Aliera Jean and Carolyn Rozsa. He presently earns his living as a systems programmer for a computer manufacturer and as a drummer for a suburban white reggae C&W band. He also plays the guitar, acts in community theatre, fences, practices pistol-shooting, studies Shotokan karate, invents traditional Hungarian cuisine, serves as vice-president of the Minnesota Science Fiction Society.