Ringworld ~Larry Niven
–1970, DelRey Books
–352 pages
REVIEW SUMMARY: My foray into the classics continues with my first read of Larry Niven’s award-winning classic. While definitely hard science fiction, I found the day I spent with this nearly 40 year old masterwork to be one of imagination and adventure.
MY RATING: 4.25/5 stars
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Nessus, a member of a strange race of aliens known as the Puppeteers, gathers together a disparate crew consisting of a human male (Louis Wu), a human female (Teela Brown), and a large, ferocious creature of the Kzin race by the name of Speaker-to-Animals, to travel in a vessel faster than anything known to either race to investigate a mysterious artifact. This artifact, an enormous self-contained world, a Ringworld, is beyond anything that the Known universe has ever seen or imagined.
MY REVIEW:
PROS:
–All four major characters are interesting and well-realized.
-Mystery, suspense, drama, romance, adventure…all that in an exciting science fiction setting.
-Engaging frontier exploration aspect.
-Fantastic world-building.
-A variety of intriguing revelations keep readers on their toes.
-Many sequels for those who would like to continue on with these characters/this universe.
CONS:
-A great deal of scientific language and introduction of a variety of scientific concepts may throw off new science fiction readers or those who are not interested in hard sci fi.
–Ringworld desperately needs a special edition hardcover graced with a Stephan Martiniere illustration.
BOTTOM LINE: A must-read for those interested in exploring the various classics of science fiction. In the midst of varied scientific concepts lies an inventive, engaging adventure in a fantastically realized universe. The characters the reader travels with are interesting and worth getting to know.
I have considered myself a fan of Larry Niven since my pre-teen years. Niven’s novel, A World Out of Time, happens to have the distinct honor of being the first science fiction book that I went out and bought for myself. Before then I had always borrowed from my uncle’s bookshelf or the shelves of the local library. A few years back I read and thoroughly enjoyed his short story collection, The Draco Tavern, an homage of sorts to spaceport bars like Mos Eisely cantina.
I promised myself often that I would get around to reading Niven’s seminal classic, the novel that established his universe of Known Space, and this weekend I decided to pick up a copy and dive in. Saturday night I read roughly ten pages before drifting off to sleep. I awoke Sunday morning and spent the rest of the day exploring the remaining 332 pages of Ringworld, and oh what a great day it was!
Niven begins by introducing the reader to Louis Wu, an earth male celebrating his 200th birthday. Pharmacology in this time period has made it possible for people to remain much younger than their years, but we soon get the idea that Wu is a bit bored with life as he knows it. Enter Nessus, an alien of the race known as the Puppeteers, all of whom had reportedly disappeared many, many years ago. Nessus proceeds to offer Louis Wu the typical “offer you can’t refuse”, to go off in space farther than he has ever gone before to explore a mystery only hinted at by the puppeteer. Nessus needs a crew of three, besides himself, and the early part of the novel introduces us to these various characters as they are recruited and get to know one another. After this the group departs and the remainder of the story involves their travel to the mysterious Ringworld and the adventures that they have once they arrive there.
Ringworld is set in the year 2855. The future created by Niven is wildly imaginative and yet has a strong feeling of plausibility. That believable unbelievability exists because of Niven’s skill as a writer. The world he describes and all its wonders are handled in the kind of matter-of-fact way, and are molded so skillfully into the plot, that you don’t question it, you just go along for the ride. That ride takes your imagination on the the kind of trip that is filled with concepts and visions that stay with you after you turn that final page.
As I mentioned above, this is considered hard science fiction. I don’t pretend to know a great deal of space-related science. I have always been interested in it, but not to the point of actually taking the time to study it. (God forbid, there are novels to read!!!). I personally have just never let that bother me. If a story is good, it is good, and even large amounts of scientific exposition, as are present in Ringworld, don’t get in the way of me enjoying a book. That said, I would be reluctant to recommend a book like this to someone who has any trepidation about “getting” science fiction. So much of what I read is more easily classified as “adventure in space”. While this is true of Ringworld, there is a great deal of scientific explanation as Niven builds this fascinating world. Please don’t misunderstand. This is not an intelligence thing, it is really just a preference thing.
Ringworld won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel. Ask any reader their opinions on awards and they will vary widely. The internet is awash with flame wars regarding the validity of various award-winning stories. After finishing Ringworld, I could fully understand why it warranted the recognition of the Hugo and Nebula judges. It is full to bursting with thought provoking scientific concepts centered around an entertaining story and its titular invention, the Ringworld, has influenced the science fiction community for the past 3+ decades. Ringworld was my first exploration of Known Space with Louis Wu and company. It will not be my last.
Niven is one of the authors I have lost track of. I read many of his short stories in Analog and remember reading A World Out of Time when it was serialized in Jim Baen’s Galaxy. Those were great days for the science fiction magazines. I plan on reading some of his newer works this year. Ringworld was always a favorite but I did not read the sequels.
One of the things I feel like I missed out on was reading the sci fi mags in the days when they were putting out great stuff like this. I try to read some of the mags today to be supportive and in hopes that something I read and enjoy today will turn out to be a remembered classic in the future. I’ll probably read some of the sequels to Ringworld, especially since I would love to pick up some of the more recent collaborations that have the great Martiniere covers.
I checked my library the other day to see if they had this book after I read a short story by him, but no luck. Maybe the second-hand bookstore will, though. I am reading The Starry Rift right now, and you are right, Scott Westerfield’s story was right up my alley!
Kailana: I thought you would like the Westerfield story! I need to get back to Starry Rift soon before the library insists that I return it! 🙂
I really liked Ringworld! I enjoyed, but nearly so much, some of the novels Niven wrote with Jerry Pournelle. I remember not liking Destiny’s Rosd.
Destiny’s Road (ahem) not Rosd. I think it was part of the Heorot series.
I still haven’t read any Larry Niven! Can you believe that? I should probably fix that soon. Well, come to think of it, I’ve read a short story or two of his, but nothing that memorable. I’ll check this one out next time I see it.
I still lean towards recommending A World Out of Time first, but that may be just because it was my first Niven. We’ll see soon enough, I am reading it right now, the first time in about 3 years, and will do a review.
Jenclair: I think I have a copy of Destiny’s Road somewhere. Not sure how I ended up with it.
Sounds interesting you know. I think there is something timeless about classics that make them irresistable even when literature has taken the swing into so many different directions. Possibly why they are called classics, but I do think I will enjoy this. I like science as long as it is handled with skill. I hate nothing more than Star Trek stereotypes for instance.
I enjoyed my recent reread of Ringworld, but I was less impressed than you were – http://justhastobeplausible.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-reading-challenge-1-ringworld.html
i’ve read a few niven short stories and have enjoyed them – so this has always been on the horizon for me.
i must say, i really like the premise. obviously i knew it was about this ringworld, but the idea of getting these people to investigate it is a very engaging way of approaching it.
i look forward to reading it more than ever 😀
It’s been along time since I read the Ringworld series. I may have to go back and take a gander again.
I definitely will have to read this! The only Niven’s that I have read is Rainbow Mars. While I enjoyed the concept of the world tree, it did not compel me to read more Niven. I have Lucifer’s Hammer on my wish list for when I am in the mood for some post-apocalyptic fun. Great review. I will add it to my wish list.
I am glad you finally read this Carl! I have read it twice and totally enjoyed it both times – it still ranks high on my list of favorite SF novels. I also read the second book in this series, The Ringworld Engineers, and liked it too. In it they try to find the people who built the Ringworld. Thanks for your great review.
Rusty: I’m glad I gave up the wait and finally got to it as well. I’ve been mulling over the events of the story for the past two days and will definitely be checking out more of the Ringworld novels (and prequels) at some point.
Moo: I hope you enjoy it. I was certainly impressed enough to want to read more.
Rao: I imagine this will gnaw at me again at some point and I’ll want to give it another read.
JP: You’ll certainly need to do a review if you read it as I’d be interested in what you think.
Ian: Thanks for the link, I popped over there and shared my thoughts on your site.
Harry: I have certainly not been disappointed the past two years with where my sci fi reading has dipped into the classics. I’ve been very pleased with most of what I have read.
For something completely different, you might want to try Niven and Pournelle’s Inferno(if you have not already read it). It is about a science fiction writer who dies and ends up in Dante’s Inferno. It was a very good book but not a Ringworld style.
I think my first Niven was “The Borderland of Sol”. All of his Known Space stories were good.
I read this book 20 + years ago, and the sequel to it, I enjoyed it so much! One of those books i am due to reread soon, again. and your review doesn’t help, now I want to read it sooner rather than later! 🙂
Hi Carl, I’m writing this here so you read it. I’m having problems with Mr Linky. I don’t see it in the SCi-Fi experience’s review blog and I can’t even access the Mr Linky Homepage. No idea why. could you maybe add my two reviews to the list?:
The Restaurant at the end of the universe
The Handmaid’s tale
thank you!
I was very surprised at how much I liked this and how much of it left a lasting impression. I still find myself with farily vivid images from the book. I like books that leave those kinds of impressions.
I have never read a book by Niven, but he has been on my radar for awhile. Sounds like this one was a winner!! Damn. Guess I’ll be adding it to my TBR!!
Ok re-read this book again and yes it’s just as good as I remembered. I read the whole series at one point in high school, but do to some memory problems It was like a brand new read through. Kind of the silver lining to my memory problems actually. I can read a book and a year or so later re-read it with out remembering the entire thing.
Raolin: I do the same things with books. Let a few years pass and I forget enough about the story to actually really get a lot out of a re-read. I picked up Ringworld Engineers and hope to get to it sometime soon.
Stephanie: I completely understand. There are so many of these classic authors that are still on my radar even though I have yet to read any of their work.
Terri: I too like it when books have that kind of impact, where you get mental images and emotions that last long after you’ve closed the book.
Valentina: I hope its working now. Make sure you ‘refresh’ each time as that sometimes clears it all up.
Susan: I’m sorry? 😉
Jim: Thanks for the recommendations, I appreciate it.