Scan barcode
A review by tukuvwi
A Hole in Space by Larry Niven
5.0
When I was 12, my uncle died by his own hand. It was a devastating loss to my grandparents and my father (his brother). I didn't know him well; my emotional universe didn't really extend much beyond myself, which is perhaps typical of 12-year olds. For several years, my grandparents did next to nothing about disposing of his book collection. I remember seeing Clausewitz and Dostoevsky in those boxes; I think Dad got those (my uncle was a Russian linguist for the Army and was stationed in Germany, where he monitored Soviet radio broadcasts from a shack on the mountain where Hansel and Gretel got lost).
My first introduction to science fiction and fantasy was through his books, many of which I eventually inherited. He was an avid science fiction fan and had many paperbacks by the leading authors of the day, as well as a fairly complete run of Galaxy, the science fiction magazine. It was through his copy of The Lord of the Rings that I became a frequent visitor of Middle-Earth. I got to know Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein by dipping into his library.
But it was this collection of stories by Larry Niven that I remember most. I don't think it is Niven's finest work (that would be Protector--sorry, Ringworld fans). There are certainly good stories in there, but this was the book where science fiction finally grabbed me. I read it over and over again. I read all of Niven's stuff I could find. I read Asimov (loved him!) and Bradbury (meh) and Heinlein.
So my rating of five stars is for sentimental reasons. If I were a bit more hard-nosed about it, I'd have to give it a three, maybe a four. But whenever I pick it up, I think of my uncle and that summer after my ninth grade year where the world became much, much larger. They say the Golden Age of science fiction is 12; for me it was 14, and it was because of this book from my uncle's collection.
My first introduction to science fiction and fantasy was through his books, many of which I eventually inherited. He was an avid science fiction fan and had many paperbacks by the leading authors of the day, as well as a fairly complete run of Galaxy, the science fiction magazine. It was through his copy of The Lord of the Rings that I became a frequent visitor of Middle-Earth. I got to know Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein by dipping into his library.
But it was this collection of stories by Larry Niven that I remember most. I don't think it is Niven's finest work (that would be Protector--sorry, Ringworld fans). There are certainly good stories in there, but this was the book where science fiction finally grabbed me. I read it over and over again. I read all of Niven's stuff I could find. I read Asimov (loved him!) and Bradbury (meh) and Heinlein.
So my rating of five stars is for sentimental reasons. If I were a bit more hard-nosed about it, I'd have to give it a three, maybe a four. But whenever I pick it up, I think of my uncle and that summer after my ninth grade year where the world became much, much larger. They say the Golden Age of science fiction is 12; for me it was 14, and it was because of this book from my uncle's collection.