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seanquistador 's review for:
Ringworld
by Larry Niven
A panoply of sci-fi tropes are explored here, several of which were new to me. Dyson Spheres are mentioned, teleportation, FTL travel, Kemplerer Rosettes [sic] and the titular Ringworld, as well as the many innovations necessary to develop such a world. Certainly enough to drive a curious reader like myself through the story.
The aliens are reduced to a singular trait that makes them comfortably predictable. Evolution on the Kzin planet favored a species that is by nature hostile, which served them well until they encountered humans. By contrast, and often to great comedic effect, the Puppeteers benefited from an overpowering sense of caution (i.e., cowardice) whose society advanced often as the consequence of moderately braver, “insane” puppeteers. Amusingly, the leader of the species, which is currently engaged in running away from a galactic explosion whose influence will not reach the Earth for several thousand decades, is titled "Hindmost", as he who leads from behind and in the safest position.
If you're looking for in-depth characterization, that's not what you're going to get. Of all the characters, that of Nessus (all puppeteers, Chiron being another, seem to be named after centaurs of Greek myth) is most interesting, mostly for the contradiction that is his profound intelligence and ability to work through problems and his crippling cowardice. Louis Wu is a 200-year-old human trying to escape boredom; Speaker-to-Animals is a large, warrior feline that sees most things as an affront or an opportunity for conflict, which becomes more amusing as the characterization plays out. Women who read this book are likely to be mortified.
The name puppeteers proves allusive and prophetic, though this is not apparent until late in the book and proves one of the more interesting pieces of the story--marooning on an alien world aside. It's strange no one in the book wonders about this self-applied title (until very late), unless this too is an example of the wry construction of the book.
Luck as a genetic trait was explored during the book and, frankly, seemed both profound and out of place. One's needs for survival prompting an individual to behave unexpectedly and taking the form of happy coincidence is much easier to swallow than luck shaping a series of events with a long-term, non-merely-survival-related goal in mind. In that respect the book turned from sci-fi to fantasy, and while an interesting thought experiment and justification, it rang hollow, particularly since the goal of luck was determined to round out a person's character--to who knows what end. Even luck's goal seemed arbitrary and unscientific.
I went into the book with the understanding it had become a series but without much interest in reading for any other reason than being able to add this classic to my Have Read repertoire, but it's piqued my interest enough to give the second book a look as well. Should the sequel prove to be more than a disjointed ramble meant to extend the life of the story, maybe more will follow.
The aliens are reduced to a singular trait that makes them comfortably predictable. Evolution on the Kzin planet favored a species that is by nature hostile, which served them well until they encountered humans. By contrast, and often to great comedic effect, the Puppeteers benefited from an overpowering sense of caution (i.e., cowardice) whose society advanced often as the consequence of moderately braver, “insane” puppeteers. Amusingly, the leader of the species, which is currently engaged in running away from a galactic explosion whose influence will not reach the Earth for several thousand decades, is titled "Hindmost", as he who leads from behind and in the safest position.
If you're looking for in-depth characterization, that's not what you're going to get. Of all the characters, that of Nessus (all puppeteers, Chiron being another, seem to be named after centaurs of Greek myth) is most interesting, mostly for the contradiction that is his profound intelligence and ability to work through problems and his crippling cowardice. Louis Wu is a 200-year-old human trying to escape boredom; Speaker-to-Animals is a large, warrior feline that sees most things as an affront or an opportunity for conflict, which becomes more amusing as the characterization plays out. Women who read this book are likely to be mortified.
The name puppeteers proves allusive and prophetic, though this is not apparent until late in the book and proves one of the more interesting pieces of the story--marooning on an alien world aside. It's strange no one in the book wonders about this self-applied title (until very late), unless this too is an example of the wry construction of the book.
Luck as a genetic trait was explored during the book and, frankly, seemed both profound and out of place. One's needs for survival prompting an individual to behave unexpectedly and taking the form of happy coincidence is much easier to swallow than luck shaping a series of events with a long-term, non-merely-survival-related goal in mind. In that respect the book turned from sci-fi to fantasy, and while an interesting thought experiment and justification, it rang hollow, particularly since the goal of luck was determined to round out a person's character--to who knows what end. Even luck's goal seemed arbitrary and unscientific.
I went into the book with the understanding it had become a series but without much interest in reading for any other reason than being able to add this classic to my Have Read repertoire, but it's piqued my interest enough to give the second book a look as well. Should the sequel prove to be more than a disjointed ramble meant to extend the life of the story, maybe more will follow.