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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
For an in-depth video review visit https://youtu.be/6F7XR8KmlIE?si=57hTCN8m6OMz7TQe
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to the audiobook. The comedy is a surprise, this isn’t perfect, the characters are flat especially the women, but there are some interesting parts to it.
Ugh. I know, I know. A classic. Winner of awards; the big three of SF awards, even. I found it really hard to find something I like from this book aside from the giant cat-like character named Speaker-to-Animals. The main character, Louis, was super bland, the female characters were just his sex toys basically (I thought this one was a James Bond novel in disguise) and most of all, the plot, was just meh. Too many traveloguing, too many expositions and characters explaining stuff to each other. I wished the ship crew were all aliens. That would be more interesting.
I don't really love Rendezvous with Rama as a BDO story, but at least it is not as annoying as this book. Even if I disregard the poor female characterization due to the era when it was written, the story itself failed to engage me. Anyway, so glad I am finally able to read and finish it!
I don't really love Rendezvous with Rama as a BDO story, but at least it is not as annoying as this book. Even if I disregard the poor female characterization due to the era when it was written, the story itself failed to engage me. Anyway, so glad I am finally able to read and finish it!
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Everyone says that hard sci-fi is underappreciated, so I was interested in this one. The question is: how far can having a really interesting idea, and the scientific know-how to execute it believably in a SF novel get you?
Apparently, it can get you the Hugo, Nebula, and (according to the author bio) an Australian award for International writers (The Ditmar) even if your characters are one-dimensional signpost-people, their conversations border on nonsensical, your prose veers between being basic and so unclear that it's headscratch-inducing, and you write women like an overt misogynist even by the standards of 1970. Man does Larry Niven know a lot about how a gigantic habitable ring-shaped object in space would work. Man is this book aggressively stupid when it comes to just about everything else.
Apparently, it can get you the Hugo, Nebula, and (according to the author bio) an Australian award for International writers (The Ditmar) even if your characters are one-dimensional signpost-people, their conversations border on nonsensical, your prose veers between being basic and so unclear that it's headscratch-inducing, and you write women like an overt misogynist even by the standards of 1970. Man does Larry Niven know a lot about how a gigantic habitable ring-shaped object in space would work. Man is this book aggressively stupid when it comes to just about everything else.
Understanding the ring world was the best part everything else was a bit boring and pointless to me
I'll leave Niven's treatment of women to the many who have already made great points, and also acknowledge he was at least partially a man of a different time, 50+ years ago. There's no question it took away from the reading experience though. I consider that aspect of the series as much about Niven as the time.
As for the book and series, I enjoyed it, but mainly for the big science thoughts moreso than the story itself. The idea of a/many ringworlds is very cool and was really the star of the story rather than any of the characters who I found myself only interested in as far as they would take me places to understand the workings of Niven's universe.
I think I read this because it popped up on so many lists that I couldn't ignore it any longer.
I'm happy I read it and recommend it to any serious sci-fi readers for the science specifically. The characters and especially the female characters are forgettable, but the world building is 5 star
As for the book and series, I enjoyed it, but mainly for the big science thoughts moreso than the story itself. The idea of a/many ringworlds is very cool and was really the star of the story rather than any of the characters who I found myself only interested in as far as they would take me places to understand the workings of Niven's universe.
I think I read this because it popped up on so many lists that I couldn't ignore it any longer.
I'm happy I read it and recommend it to any serious sci-fi readers for the science specifically. The characters and especially the female characters are forgettable, but the world building is 5 star
Poor writing. Bad character development, dumb names.
I had read for a while that this book was some kind of modern science fiction classic and wanted to know why. I had seen it and heard of it years ago, but only in more recent years have I started to read older and more respected old SF authors such as Heinlein, Asimov, and Niven now.
I had just before this, been reading Arthur C Clarke, and there are some similarities certainly, and it was from the same period.
In some ways, it is like Arthur C Clarke with better or more interesting or entertaining characters. It is quickly obvious that it is not a modern sci-fi novel, but with this book the characters quickly drawn the reader into the tale. A small group featuring aliens and a human lead, set off to explore and find the Ringworld of the title. It is an epic and witty tale, with much serious hard sci-fi detail relating to real physics in space and with spacecrafts and more but Niven did know how to put together a good group of interesting characters and captivating adventures. A good read, and may soon consider reading some of the related books in the series.
I had just before this, been reading Arthur C Clarke, and there are some similarities certainly, and it was from the same period.
In some ways, it is like Arthur C Clarke with better or more interesting or entertaining characters. It is quickly obvious that it is not a modern sci-fi novel, but with this book the characters quickly drawn the reader into the tale. A small group featuring aliens and a human lead, set off to explore and find the Ringworld of the title. It is an epic and witty tale, with much serious hard sci-fi detail relating to real physics in space and with spacecrafts and more but Niven did know how to put together a good group of interesting characters and captivating adventures. A good read, and may soon consider reading some of the related books in the series.