Fleet of Worlds
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Fleet of Worlds
    Larry Niven , and Edward M. Lerner
    Manufacturer: Tor Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. The Accidental Time Machine The Accidental Time Machine
    2. Cauldron Cauldron
    3. Axis Axis
    4. Halting State Halting State
    5. The Merchants' War: Book Four of the Merchant Princes The Merchants' War: Book Four of the Merchant Princes

    ASIN: 0765318253
    Release Date: 2007-10-16

    Book Description

    Fleet of Worlds marks Larry Niven's first full novel-length collaboration within his Known Space universe, the playground he created for his bestselling Ringworld series. Teaming up with fellow SF writer Edward M. Lerner, Fleet of Worlds takes a closer look at the Human-Puppeteer (Citizens) relations and the events leading up to Niven's first Ringworld novel.
    Kirsten Quinn-Kovacs is among the best and brightest of her people. She gratefully serves the gentle race that rescued her ancestors from a dying starship, gave them a world, and nurtures them still. If only the Citizens knew where Kirsten’s people came from….

    A chain reaction of supernovae at the galaxy’s core has unleashed a wave of lethal radiation that will sterilize the galaxy. The Citizens flee, taking their planets, the Fleet of Worlds, with them.

    Someone must scout ahead, and Kirsten and her crew eagerly volunteer. Under the guiding eye of Nessus, their Citizen mentor, they explore for any possible dangers in the Fleet’s path—and uncover long-hidden truths that will shake the foundations of worlds.
    Ringworld's Children
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Ringworld's Children
    • Only slightly better than Throne
    • Not his best, but definitely worth the journey...
    • Niven is great!
    • Dissapointing to a longtime fan of the series.
    Ringworld's Children
    Larry Niven
    Manufacturer: Tor Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    AdventureAdventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    High TechHigh Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    AdventureAdventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    High TechHigh Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Ringworld Throne Ringworld Throne
    2. The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld) The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld)
    3. Ringworld Ringworld
    4. Protector Protector
    5. Three Books of Known Space Three Books of Known Space

    ASIN: 0765341026
    Release Date: 2005-04-05

    Amazon.com

    Larry Niven may be America's greatest living hard-SF writer. Much of his SF belongs to his famous future history, the Tales of Known Space. His preeminent creation is the Ringworld: an immense, artificial, ring-shaped planet that circles a Known Space star. Possibly SF's greatest feat of world-building, the Ringworld is featured in four novels: the Hugo and Nebula Award winner Ringworld (1970); The Ringworld Engineers (1980); The Ringworld Throne (1996); and Ringworld's Children (2004).

    Ringworld's Children returns series protagonist Louis Wu to the titular world. Louis and his friend The Hindmost, an alien of the Pierson's puppeteer race, are prisoners of the Ghoul protector Tunesmith, a Ringworld native, who is deliberately provoking the warships that surround his world. All the star-faring races of Known Space have sent warships to the Ringworld, and they are already at the brink of war. If fighting breaks out, the near-indestructible Ringworld will be destroyed: dissolved by antimatter weapons.

    The Ringworld series is so complex and ambitious that Ringworld's Children opens with a glossary and a cast of characters, inclusions that even many Known Space fans will need. Newcomers to Niven's artificial planet should start with Ringworld. --Cynthia Ward

    Book Description

    Welcome to a world like no other.The Ringworld: a landmark engineering achievement, a flat band 3 million times the surface area of Earth, encircling a distant star. Home to trillions of inhabitants, not all of which are human, and host to amazing technological wonders, the Ringworld is unique in all of the universe.Explorere Louis Wu, an Earth-born human who was part of the first expedition to Ringworld, becomes enmeshed in interplanetary and interspecies intrigue as war, and a powerful new weapon, threaten to tear the Ringworld apart forever. Now, the future of Ringworld lies in the actions of its children: Tunesmith, the Ghould protector; Acolyte, the exiled son of Speaker-to-Animals, and Wembleth, a strange Ringworld native with a mysterious past. All must play a dangerous in order to save Ringworld's population, and the stability of Ringworld itself.Blending awe-inspiring science with non-stop action and fun, Ringworld's Children, the fourth installment of the multiple award-winning saga, is the perfect introduction for readers new to this New York Times bestselling series, and long-time fans of Larry Niven's Ringworld.

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Ringworld's Children.......2007-06-29

    Comepletes the story began in Ringworld Throne, these two stories are not Niven's best work but are worth a "read." The stories move a little too slow for my tastes but there is multiple character development to enliven them.

    2 out of 5 stars Only slightly better than Throne .......2007-02-25

    Not quite the crapfest that was book 3 in the Ringworld series, but still a gigantic disappointment coming from Niven. Children is plagued by the same things that made the previous novel so unbearable: flat, uninteresting characters, ridiculous names, obsession over interspecies sex for no reason other than to include sex in the story, and overall a poorly written plot. To be fair, I didn't come out of this one as bewildered as after Ringworld Throne - don't even ask me to summarize THAT plot, I've yet to come across a decent one myself, mostly because trying to figure it out can cause lasting brain damage. But even so, this novel is nowhere near the original Ringworld novel, or even Engineers for that matter. Avoid if possible.

    4 out of 5 stars Not his best, but definitely worth the journey..........2007-02-06

    I didn't see the disjointedness that some other reviewers are claiming, I felt the book had a healthy, mostly linear pathway from beginning to end. I wouldn't place it with my favorite Niven books, but I definitely enjoyed it and felt the ending made a great finale to the Ringworld story (assuming that's what it is).

    5 out of 5 stars Niven is great!.......2007-01-16

    My husband has read this whole series, and he really loves all the books. Ringworld is an amazing setting, and the stories are awesome. This is one of his favorite series, and we both recommend it!

    1 out of 5 stars Dissapointing to a longtime fan of the series........2006-08-25

    Unfortunately this book reads like a sereis of incomplete notes for two or more books that was hastily joined up into one novel.

    There are repeated jumps in time that are explained but are still so disorienting that they distract you from what is taking place as you read the book. Niven's usual detailed depiction of the alien or foreign is almost completely absent from this work, and the reader spends much of his or her time re-reading to try and figure out if they missed a page by accident.

    The treatment of the primary personas in the book is almost offhandedly shabby.

    Louis Wu, the longtime main hero of the series is swep along with the story rather than being the guide for the reader that he had been up until this book. He is constantly distracted by self doubt, lament over Teela Brown, and his desire to bone anyone he meets.

    Chmee: Pretty much absent. His one appearance late in the book is exempt of flavor.

    Hindmost: bleh. This one has been one-note since the first appearance. Typical Puppeteer "I'm scared! But I can be manipulated int doing scary stuff."

    Chmee's son "Acolyte": starts out as an interesting persona in the first 1/3rd of the book, but becomes just a minor note lost in the confusion of the jumpled plotline.

    Tunesmith (the Ghoul Protector): Banal. While he shows some potential to live up the the Brennan monster, the original sentient Protector from the novel "Protector", he ends up being not much more than a step ladder.

    The new characters in this novel are:

    Roxanny: An ARM agent, crashed on the surface of the ring. Dick-fodder for Wu, and other male characters. The dynamic between her and Wu has moments but they are never adequately explored.

    Wembleth: A "native" of the ring. A plot-point involving this guy is one of the only interesting ones in the book, sadly it is explored and dropped in about two pages.

    An actual Pak Protector: Who is so uninteresting that even though I finished the book last night I already forgot her name.

    This book had so much potential, with the introduction of an original Pak I would have loved to learn more about them and the origins of the ring, but all of that is glossed over.

    Fortunately the hardover was very cheap an I'm a Amazon Prime member so shipping was free.

    Summary: Worth reading if you have read the previous three and can get it cheaply enough. Not a good intro to Niven, who is usually so much better than this.
    Ringworld
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Quite bizzare
    • Great concepts
    • Not Free SF Reader
    • scifi classic
    • Spectacualar Sci-Fi!!!
    Ringworld
    Larry Niven
    Manufacturer: Del Rey
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld) The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld)
    2. Ringworld Throne Ringworld Throne
    3. Ringworld's Children Ringworld's Children
    4. The Mote in God's Eye The Mote in God's Eye
    5. Protector Protector

    ASIN: 0345333926
    Release Date: 1985-09-12

    Book Description

    A new place is being built, a world of huge dimensions, encompassing millions of miles, stronger than any planet before it. There is gravity, and with high walls and its proximity to the sun, a livable new planet that is three million times the area of the Earth can be formed. We can start again!

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Quite bizzare.......2007-09-29

    This is a very strange book. But it is one of the most inetersting and outlandish stories I have ever read. I remember reading this book in middle school and I lost my copy. About 6 years later I played the infamous game Halo (Xbox platform) and was instantly reminded of it. I hope alot of kids discover this book because of the Halo series. It should be an instant classic to any sci-fi fan's book collection...

    3 out of 5 stars Great concepts.......2007-09-17

    The concepts that Niven uses in this novel are very interesting - I suspect that is the main reason most people have read it. The physics and nature of the Ringworld itself are unique in the sci-fi genre and highly worth being familiar with if you are a sci-fi 'geek.' The vastness and the scope of the artificial world known as Ringworld are endless fodder for discussion and imagination.

    But one of the other major concepts in the book is more rational than physical, namely the nature and use of 'luck.' Not a topic that is visited very often by any writers, I really liked Niven's idea of it for this storyline. It is an interesting idea that luck plays such a large role for the characters (one was genetically bred for their luck!?!).

    The characters are likable and very unique. Their uniqueness is also consistent throughout the novel, which was nice, and their cooperation (or not) is important for the adventure they are on. The neat little tools and gadgets in the novel are also cool to imagine.

    Admittedly, the writing is a bit stilted and choppy. Regardless of this, readers of the Foundation series as well as those who enjoy McDevitt's work will appreciate this book.

    4 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

    A Puppeteer recruits a group to travel to the Ringworld, a large, artificial construct that is a very large band around a sun.

    This group includes Louis Wu, a 200 year old bored junkie, your average warrior Kzin type, but for his people, he is remarkable tolerant, and a woman named Teela Brown. She is included for her presumable genetic dispensation towards luck being the result of so many winning birth lotteries.

    What the Puppeteer really wants they have yet to find out.


    4 out of 5 stars scifi classic.......2007-07-28

    have a slightly worn first-edition copy of this scifi classic, which I picked up in 1993 in a Kingston, Ontario used book store. I hadn't read this copy until recently; I read the novel originally back in 1982 or 1983, when I was in grade 8. The story revolves around an interstellar cast of characters, who set out to explore large, ring-shaped world that someone has constructed and is circling a star a fair distance from Earth. Reading the story this time 'round, it didn't find it as good as my memory had indicated. It's more technically oriented, and less character oriented, than I remember. There's not much in the way of character development, and I find it difficult to point to a specific climax point in the story. I guess my reading tastes have changed.

    5 out of 5 stars Spectacualar Sci-Fi!!!.......2007-06-18

    I had just finished "Protector" by Niven, and upon enjoying that little book very much, decided to continue reading in the "Known Space" series with the hard sci-fi classic, "Ringworld". The basic story of Ringworld starts off with an adventurer named Louis Wu, who in his prolonged existence has seen all marvels of Known Space and is in dire need of a new challenge to rekindle his swashbuckling spirit. After recently celebrating his 200th birthday (and also extending it via traveling westward through instantaneous portal devices) is sequestered by a member of a peculiar alien species, who offers Louis the adventure he has been seeking. The alien species, the puppeteers, have detected some kind of derelict alien artifact floating out in deep space, of which knowledge concerning it are desperately sought after; although, the puppeteers are reluctant to obtain it themselves, because of their extreme cowardice in all things from confrontation to spaceship travel. However, this particular Puppeteer that Louis meets is an outsider from the species, displaying a shred of bravery in his willingness to investigate this structure. With Louis already recruited, other members soon join the foray, from a ferocious feline like Kzin species to another human who possesses a genetically enhanced propensity for luck...of which may be needed in this expedition.

    Niven really creates a fantastical future in which to immerse one's self in; contrasting the world of "Protector" (being set in the near future) as a welcomed abandonment to believable futuristic technology. FTL travel, nigh instantaneous terrestrial travel, substances which extend life, the incredible rosette of worlds (the ultimate spaceship), to the Ringworld itself, Niven has developed here an exercise to seemingly extend your imagination to the limit. So many interesting and marvelous ideas are on display, but Niven, having a talent for storytelling, melds this wonderful future together with just the right amount of mystery and intrigue to keep the pages turning, leaving one wanting more. As with "Protector", Niven keeps this wealth of entertainment contained within a reasonable amount of pages, neglecting chapters and chapters of useless filler other Sci-Fi authors are known to do (e.g. Brin). The only criticism I can offer is with the way Niven handles dialogue between his characters. Sometimes he doesn't properly announce who is speaking in the narrative, which leads to some confusion and interrupts the flow of the book. However, this book truly deserves all the awards given to it...a true Sci-Fi classic!!!
    The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld)
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Not Free SF Reader
    • scifi classic
    • Great sequel from a great author
    • A disappointment
    • Ringworld Series
    The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld)
    Larry Niven
    Manufacturer: Del Rey
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Ringworld Throne Ringworld Throne
    2. Ringworld Ringworld
    3. Ringworld's Children Ringworld's Children
    4. Protector Protector
    5. Three Books of Known Space Three Books of Known Space

    ASIN: 0345334302
    Release Date: 1985-11-12

    Book Description

    "This rousing sequel to the classic Ringworld continues the adventures of Louis Wu and Speaker-to-Animals on that fantastic planet."--School Library Journal An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

    This sequel to Ringworld, basically back by popular demand, takes a more in depth look at what it is like to actually live there, and at the beings that actually do.

    More of the construction and engineering issues are also looked at, unsurprisingly.

    Louis and Speaker To Animals return.


    4 out of 5 stars scifi classic.......2007-07-28

    The original and informal trilogy that began with Protector ends here. There's a fair bit more character development here than in Ringworld. I remember not liking this book as much as Ringworld, and now the tables are turned, which does I guess reflect that change in reading tastes. The whole trilogy is worth reading for scifi fans, as some pretty interesting ideas are present (evolution, life cycles, stellar engineering, superconductivity...just to name a few), and it is easy reading as well.

    5 out of 5 stars Great sequel from a great author.......2007-01-12

    Larry Niven did a good job of creating a sequel to one of his most famous works. 'Ringworld Engineers' has several of the characters from the original 'Ringworld' returning and some new ones. Combine this with Niven's interesting technologies and you've got a book thats a great read and well worth its price.

    2 out of 5 stars A disappointment.......2005-10-30

    The original was recommended to me by a friend, and I enjoyed it enough to pick up the sequel, but after reading it I can see why she didn't bother to recommend this one too.

    From the title you would guess that this is about the engineers of Ringworld, but in actuality the entire thing is about alien sex. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but only a slight one. There is a plot, but it's strung together and ultimately overshadowed by Louis running from place to place in order to have sex with aliens.

    Disappointing and somewhat sad to see an author run his most well-known creation into the ground like this, presumably just to make a few extra bucks. This is one of those cases where it would have been better to just leave the original to stand alone.

    5 out of 5 stars Ringworld Series.......2005-10-24

    Exellent follow up to Ringworld. Worn out my original, just had to get another copy.
    Ringworld Throne
    Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
    • Not Free SF Reader
    • Ringworld Throne
    • dull and pointless disconnected plot
    • Niven finally returns to Ringworld
    • Embarrassingly terrible
    Ringworld Throne
    Larry Niven
    Manufacturer: Del Rey
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Niven, LarryNiven, Larry | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld) The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld)
    2. Ringworld's Children Ringworld's Children
    3. Ringworld Ringworld
    4. Protector Protector
    5. Three Books of Known Space Three Books of Known Space

    ASIN: 0345412966
    Release Date: 1997-03-30

    Amazon.com

    In Ringworld and Ringworld Engineers Larry Niven created Known Space, a universe in the distant future with a distinctive and complicated history. The center of this universe is Ringworld, an expansive hoop-shaped relic 1 million miles across and 600 million miles in circumference that is home to some 30 trillion diverse inhabitants. As in his past novels, Niven's characters in The Ringworld Throne spend their time unraveling the complex problems posed by their society.

    Book Description

    Come back to the Ringworld . . . the most astonishing feat of engineering ever encountered.  A place of untold technological wonders, home to a myriad humanoid races, and world of some of the most beloved science fiction stories ever written!

    The human, Louis Wu; the puppeteer known as the Hindmost; Acolyte, son of the Kzin called Chmeee . . . legendary beings brought together once again in the defense of the Ringworld. Something is going on with the Protectors. Incoming spacecraft are being destroyed before they can reach the Ringworld.  Vampires are massing. And the Ghouls have their own agenda--if anyone dares approach them to learn.

    Each race on the Ringworld has always had its own Protector. Now it looks as if the Ringworld itself needs a Protector. But who will sit on the Ringworld Throne?

    "Niven's work has been an intriguing and consistent universe, and this book is the keystone of the arch. . . . [His] technique is wonderfully polished, his characters and their situations are nicely drawn . . . wraps up (maybe) a corner of a very interesting universe."
    --San Diego Union-Tribune

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

    A return to the Ringworld after a long writing delay. At the start, the Ringworld denizens have to deal with vampires of a sort. Yep, whacky. Later on, Louis Wu and our puppeteer friend have some of the same work to do, as he and Speaker To Animals' son are taken captive by a vampire Pak Protector.

    They end up involved in a Protector conflict, vamps vs the others. In general though, the usual suspects aren't really the main focus of the book, it is the Pak struggle that occupies this position.


    3 out of 5 stars Ringworld Throne.......2007-06-29

    A fairly good read, multiple story lines, a little slow moving with all these different story lines going on, not as engrossing as the previous Ringworld Novels but still worth reading.

    1 out of 5 stars dull and pointless disconnected plot.......2007-06-06

    I really enjoyed the first Ringworld book, and although the second (Ringworld Engineers) was a bit so-so, I was still willing to give this one a shot. Unfortunately, it was terrible. The plot is very disjointed and thrown together. There are at minimum two unconnected stories. The first concerns a group of vampire hunters. Louis Wu is largely absent for that part of the story. Most of the first half is spent with the reader wondering why any of this is important. The second half of the novel concerns Louis Wu and some protectors. I won't spoil the plot for you, but suffice it to say there is almost nothing new in either of these plots. You simply don't care what happens to the characters. Good grief, I don't want to ever read about another protector again.

    3 out of 5 stars Niven finally returns to Ringworld.......2007-04-20

    This is actually one of the better efforts from Niven in the last l5-20 years. I read Ringworld in the 70's and Ringworld Engineers in the 80's, so I had forgotten what had occurred previously. However, I don't think it is essential to read those books first.

    The plot is basically that in the first half of the book that the races of Ringworld join together to eradicate the vampire menace while having a few orgies along the way. In the second half of the book, Louis Wu, Hindmost and Acolyte, Chmee's son, are drawn into the civil war between the Protectors. I actually enjoyed the first half of the book more.

    The dialogue and direction got a little confusing to me as the book progressed toward its end. I have noted this before that I wish Niven would let the rest of us know what the heck is going on sometimes. He seems to have some problems getting that across.

    1 out of 5 stars Embarrassingly terrible.......2007-02-23

    The third (and final, thank god) installation in the Ringworld series falls so far short of its predecessors that it leaves an unfortunate stain on the entire trilogy, which up to book 3 has been remarkable in the world of science fiction. Ringworld Throne left me so confused and angry that I'm not quite sure what to warn potential readers to expect, but here are a few that topped my list:

    - The plot makes no sense at all. The entire thing is so disjointed, badly pieced together, and overall just poorly written it makes you wonder if Niven even put any effort into the book, or was just looking for some easy money. The first half is horrendous, focusing on a group of Ringworlders fighting some vampire infestation. Every character is completely flat and lifeless, and the vampire hunting episode does not fit at all into the overall plot of the book, despite the fact it fills half the pages. I skimmed through so many of the pages its ridiculous. Awful, awful, awful.

    - There is absolutely no reason to give characters such absurd names. All it does to make up 13 syllable names is piss the reader off. Just stop it.

    - Rishanthra is fricken stupid. Why so much focus on it? How does sex between species allow trade and communication between them? It just makes no sense, and it's really lost its novelty by this point. It comes up so often it makes Niven look like a sex-crazed teenage nerd who really doesn't know anything about sex at all.

    - The "ending", if you can call it that, resolves nothing, and frankly doesn't make any sense. I know this goes back to my problem with the overall plot, but really: the ending is terrible. What happens to Louis? The ARM ships? Hindmost? Does anyone really care at this point?

    - Action scenes are so terrible it makes the plot look sensible. Anytime something major happens (e.g. battle scene) I find myself rereading the paragraph 3 times and still having no idea what the hell is going on. Niven's writing is so hacky in some areas it makes me furious.

    Well, I think you get the idea. I highly reccommend against this book, it was such a waste of time. Even if you loved Ringworld Engineers, I can almost guarentee you will hate this one.

    The GUIDE TO LARRY NIVEN'S RINGWORLD
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The GUIDE TO LARRY NIVEN'S RINGWORLD
      David B Stein
      Manufacturer: Baen
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      20th Century20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      ScienceScience | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. Ringworld's Children Ringworld's Children
      2. The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld) The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld)

      ASIN: 0671722050
      Helix
      Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
      • Perfect for science fiction fans who like complex worlds and dramatic, fast-paced plots.
      • I really liked this book
      • So much wrong but much to like...
      • Exciting Space Opera
      • Soft sci-fi book which wasn't thought through very well
      Helix
      Eric Brown
      Manufacturer: Solaris
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Mass Market Paperback

      ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      AdventureAdventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
      Space OperaSpace Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
      ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
      AdventureAdventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
      All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. Saturn Returns Saturn Returns
      2. Divergence Divergence
      3. Phytosphere Phytosphere
      4. The Last Colony The Last Colony
      5. Recursion Recursion

      ASIN: 1844164721

      Book Description

      Helix is a fast-paced action adventure novel following the plight of four humans when they crashland on what they think is a desolate, ice-bound planet. Daylight brings the discovery that the planet is one of thousands arranged in a vast spiral wound about a central sun. They set off to discover a more habitable, Earth-like world and come across strange races of aliens, and life-threatening perils, on their way.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Perfect for science fiction fans who like complex worlds and dramatic, fast-paced plots........2007-10-07

      Five hundred years after its launch a colony ship carrying four thousand humans in search of a new home finds itself on a dangerous world after a forced landing leaves the ship in a polar section of the Helix - a construct of worlds. It's s up to surviving crew members to search for a habitable section of the spiral in a journey which brings them not only face to face with aliens, but with a mystery which affects the origin of their new world. An invigorating mystery blends with science fiction to create a fast-paced plot reminiscent of Larry Nivin's Ringworld series - and perfect for science fiction fans who like complex worlds and dramatic, fast-paced plots.

      5 out of 5 stars I really liked this book.......2007-07-06

      Okay, I've read the negative reviews about this book. So, I wasn't expecting much. But, I really liked this book. Yes, there are some scientific flaws here and there. However, remember this is science fiction not science fact.

      I just couldn't put this book down. I read on the way to vacation to Bermuda and figured I'd read the rest on the way back. But, I kept reading and reading it on vacation until I was done. The pace is fast and touching at times. The story is very imaginative and had me thinking about humanity.

      So, I won't repeat what others have already stated, but read it and find out for yourself.

      3 out of 5 stars So much wrong but much to like..........2007-07-03

      There is so much wrong with Helix but there is also much to like. The central conceit of the story - that there is a huge, helical structure that houses thousands of cylindrical worlds - would lead one to expect a 'hard' SF novel but that isn't the case. The titular helix is a feat of imagination and not one of engineering and Brown clearly has no idea (or concern for) how or why it was built or even why the structure is a helix rather than any other shape. His characters are lazy constructions that rely on silly coincidences to generate personalities. The background stories pad out the tale to no effect. Pages of set up regarding Hendry's daughter all come to nought. The Kaluchek/Olembe dynamic is played out over 500 pages and then negates itself when the basis of their conflict is discovered to be false. These are all faults that could have been resolved with some editorial direction and the excision of a hundred or so pages.

      The curious thing is that, even with all these gripes, Helix is enjoyable. It's fast paced, cinematic and wondrous. The reader is carried along at such a rate that faults are smoothed over due to the sheer speed of the narrative.

      [...]

      4 out of 5 stars Exciting Space Opera.......2007-06-28

      Earth sends a colony ship to the stars as a last-ditch effort to give humanity a future. But when something happens to the ship along the way, the crew must crash-land on the closest planet. Though it's not exactly a normal planet. It's a part of a created helix of connected worlds revolving around its sun. The surviving crew decides to go in search of a hospitable world to begin their settlement. But along the way, they encounter hostile aliens, harsh environments, and a group of religious fanatical aliens bent on killing all who oppose them.

      The story bounces back and forth mainly between the characters Joe Hendry, a human on board the colony ship, and Ehrin Telsa, a native of one of the planets in the helix. As the story progresses, their stories intertwine. And we are able to follow their growth as characters along their path of discovery of what the helix is and who the builders were.

      The story keeps an exciting, fast pace throughout most of the novel, as mortal danger constantly looms. Reminiscent of the Catholic church in the times of the Inquisition, the religious fanatical aliens are the main threat. Though the description of the interplanetary ziggurat structures was a bit confusing, I found it was a minor detail in an otherwise unique idea. Far from being hard science fiction, Helix is an ideal space opera, complete with larger than life characters and a bit of romance.

      2 out of 5 stars Soft sci-fi book which wasn't thought through very well.......2007-06-16

      Very soft sci-fi (as opposed to hard science fiction). Nothing is really examined in detail, and many obvious questions are not asked or answered.

      OK, there are blimps - what is their fuel? How do these 19th century equivalent people get the hydrogen or helium for it? What exactly is smartware? These worlds are cylindrical - but nobody even asks the question about gravitational anomalies that would be experienced farther from the center. Helix - what the hell keeps this thing stable in space? Etc.

      Even many social/emotional situations are not very realistic. I would say, skip it.
      The Ringworld Engineers
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        The Ringworld Engineers

        Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover
        Similar Items:
        1. Ringworld's Children Ringworld's Children
        2. Ringworld Throne Ringworld Throne
        3. Ringworld Ringworld

        ASIN: B000GISMS8
        Ringworld
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Ringworld
          Larry Niven
          Manufacturer: Ballantine
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: B000GQ1N9K
          1980 Larry Niven The Ringworld Engineers
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            1980 Larry Niven The Ringworld Engineers

            Manufacturer: Holt Rinehart Winston
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            Similar Items:
            1. Ringworld Throne Ringworld Throne
            2. Ringworld's Children Ringworld's Children
            3. Ringworld Ringworld

            ASIN: B000HYAXYW

            Books:

            1. Foundation and Empire (Foundation Novels)
            2. Foundations of Earth Science (4th Edition)
            3. Foundations of Financial Management (The Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate)
            4. Gabriel's Ghost
            5. Getting the Love You Want Audio Companion: The New Couples' Study Guide
            6. Glory in Death (In Death, Book 2)
            7. Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
            8. Healing From Family Rifts : Ten Steps to Finding Peace After Being Cut Off From a Family Member
            9. Heart of Darkness (Norton Critical Editions)
            10. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

            Books Index

            Books Home

            Recommended Books

            1. History: Fiction or Science
            2. The Witches' Companion
            3. The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard CD
            4. The Domino Effect
            5. The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House
            6. The Secret
            7. The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War
            8. The Bug Stops Here
            9. Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and th
            10. Pakistan Business Law Handbook