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Biased and superficial Science Fiction reviews

           
     
Ringworld

Copyright 1970 by Larry Niven

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SOJALS rating:     
one SOJALS point one SOJALS point one SOJALS point one SOJALS point one SOJALS point    Superb (5/5)

I first read this in 1974 and most recently on the 16th January 2002

Pierson's puppeteers are an ancient, technologically advanced alien race. They use They broke off contact with humanity hundreds of years before, as they began their flight to escape the inevitable, but far in the future, death of this galaxy.

Now a puppeteer has reappeared and invites our protagonist, Louis Wu, to join him on an expedition to an ancient artifact hundreds of light-years from Earth. With Louis will travel a dangerously-aggressive alien Kzin "Speaker-To-Animals" and a young human women, Teela Brown.

Louis is an adventurer, Speaker-To-Animals is an ambassador to humans but the lovely Teela's only qualification for this expedition is that she is believed, by the puppeteers, to be lucky and thus an asset to trip.

The artifact is of course the Ringworld, perhaps the largest artifact in the universe, and with living space equivalent to millions of Earths. However, this artifact is strangely inactive. It's down to Louis, Speaker and Teela to find out why it's there and whether it's safe.

It was so great reading this once again, much better than I had expected. The book is brimming over with brilliant ideas and with Niven's succinct writing and dialogue, it's a roller-coaster of adventure and discovery.

Loaded on the 17th February 2002.
    
Cover of Ringworld

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven:
A Gift From Earth
Neutron Star
Inconstant Moon
Protector
A Hole In Space
The Flight Of The Horse
Tales Of Known Space
A World Out Of Time
The Magic Goes Away
Convergent Series
The Patchwork Girl
The Ringworld Engineers
Limits
Ringworld's Children

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven and Brenda Cooper:
Building Harlequin's Moon

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
The Mote in God's Eye
Inferno
Lucifer's Hammer
Oath Of Fealty
Footfall
The Moat Around Murcheson's Eye
The Gripping Hand
The Burning City
Burning Tower

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes:
Dream Park
The Descent Of Anansi
The Barsoom Project
Achilles Choice
Saturn's Race

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Michael Flynn:
Fallen Angels

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes:
The Legacy Of Heorot
Beowolf's Children
The Dragons Of Heorot

Reviews of other works by Larry Niven, Poul Anderson and Dean Ing:
The Man-Kzin Wards