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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
A pretty enjoyable early entry in Niven's "Known Space" universe, this one is memorable first of all for its setting - Mt. Lookitthat, a high, steep-edged plateau that forms the only habitable area on its planet. I think that what most drew me in to this book was the (somewhat Asimovian, I dare say) way in which the plot was propelled by the unique social structure of the society envisaged here, with its distinction between Crew (the descendants of those who piloted and ran the original colonial ship) and Colonists (the descendants of the passengers who were brought in suspended animation). The story begins as a unique threat to that established social order appears.
There is, it must be said, a bit of sexism in the book, though not more than you'd, alas, expect from a male science fiction author in 1968 (there's less, I would say, than in Niven's Ringworld, if that helps). Nonetheless, it's a solid novel, and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone who has enjoyed Niven's better-known works.
There is, it must be said, a bit of sexism in the book, though not more than you'd, alas, expect from a male science fiction author in 1968 (there's less, I would say, than in Niven's Ringworld, if that helps). Nonetheless, it's a solid novel, and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone who has enjoyed Niven's better-known works.
Niven, Larry. A Gift from Earth. Del Rey, 1984.
Niven’s Known Space series is always fun and can be morphed into any number of genres and keep several balls in the air at the same time. Gift begins with the question of what would happen if a tyrannical society that uses organ harvesting as a form of punishment suddenly received disruptive technology that made organ harvesting obsolete. To this it adds the question of what happens if you put a man with the power to render himself virtually invisible as an accidental conscript in the revolution. I am tempted to say you can’t make this stuff up, but I guess Niven can. 4 stars.
Niven’s Known Space series is always fun and can be morphed into any number of genres and keep several balls in the air at the same time. Gift begins with the question of what would happen if a tyrannical society that uses organ harvesting as a form of punishment suddenly received disruptive technology that made organ harvesting obsolete. To this it adds the question of what happens if you put a man with the power to render himself virtually invisible as an accidental conscript in the revolution. I am tempted to say you can’t make this stuff up, but I guess Niven can. 4 stars.
A really strong story overall. The one major flaw is that it is very much a product of its time, even one side note mentioned communicating with dolphins. I don't think you could write story that ticked more boxes of '70s-era sci-fi ideas in a single package if you tried. Still, though, where the story is not too dated it is really impressive.
If you are a fan of sci-fi, especially stories of colonization in space, I believe that you'll enjoy this book! Most of the time with Larry Niven, I find myself pacing back to re-read a page or section, as his way of writing dialogue can be a little confusing at times. All in all, a short and interesting read!
