Ringworld
Author: Larry Niven
Year: 1970
Abstract:
At the heart of our galazy, thousands of stars have exploded, sending out a tremendous wave of energy that will take
20,000 years to reach Earth. Four individuals are selected from all of Known Space to mount a mission to a distant star
system that may hold the secrets to help intelligent life in the galaxy survive the coming cataclysm. They find a world that
is a million miles wide, 600 million miles long, and shaped in a ring 93 million miles in diameter. A man, a woman, a kzin,
and a puppetteer, are the four crew. Can they set aside their individual differences long enough to unlock the secrets of the
Ringworld?
| Advanced Mind | |
| Exploration/Quest |  |
| Military/Fighting | |
| Horror | |
| Magic | |
| Advanced Technology | |
| Time Travel/Alternate History | |
| Science | |
| Aliens/Beasties | |
| Contemporality |
Other books in this series:Ringworld
The Ringworld Engineers [1980]
The Ringworld Throne [1996]
tyranist's Review
Took me a while to get to this one, but I'm glad I finally did. Somehow I managed to read a number
of Niven books, without ever hitting this one. Odd in light of its place in science fiction history.
In spite of being written in 1970, this hearkens back to the classic '50s science fiction in a way that
few others have managed. It is hard sci-fi with enough adventure and ever so slight misogyny
to make us feel like we're reading early Asimov or Doc Smith. The premise is marvellous and the
world incredible. I shouldn't have expected less, though, when you consider that The Integral Trees
was one of the first sci-fi books I fell in love with. The characters are smart and interesting being
alien and familiar at the same time. The plot is solid and underlying the whole thing is a tremendous
fascination with this world he's created.
I have a copy of Ringworld Engineers somewhere. I'll have to pull it out soon and give
it a go.
Spectre's Review
This is a keeper. I loved the many little gadgets Mr. Niven invented and threw into the story. Most spectacularly, the
ringworld, taken from Freeman Dyson's 'Dyson Sphere' theory. The characters were well written, and evolved throughout
the story quite believably, and appropriately. I was very pleased with the pace, and the interesting things Niven brought
into the foray to make the story more interesting. This is a little more on the thinker side, meaning you'll need to appreciate
scenery and ideas more than just gut-wrenching action. I loved it.
Spectre's Rating
Wonderful gadgets and miscellaneous technologies.