Niven returns to the ringworld with information gathered from enthusiastic MIT students who had studied the orbital mechanics of the structure and found that its rigidity meant it didn’t actually orbit the sun, and would instead be unstable and fall into the sun if it got off its path. If that doesn’t excite you, I probably would recommend skipping this book. It’s not quite more of the same, from Niven’s Ringworld series, but it’s certainly similar. It leaves me questioning why I read this book. Not why should anybody read this book, but why did I?
Chmeee snarled, “How much intelligence does it take to sneak up on a leaf?” He flipped the droud to Louis and shambled toward his water bed.
I guess I read this book out of curiosity. I like Science Fiction. I don’t consider this a great book, but it’s good science fiction. It’s obsessed with ideas, and these ideas drive the story: evolution from a common ancestor based on environmental niches that hominid species can fit themselves into; Louis Wu and company arriving as an Excession and trying to discover the truth behind the myths of these regressed peoples; the ringworld falling into the sun. This last is the true focus of the novel, and what most of the novel deals with directly. Niven tells an engaging story about three people trying to save the ringworld from wobbling in its track and falling into the sun. So, it’s an exploration and adventure tale, with a standard linear narrative--though there is at least one flashback here. And I am entertained. Further, this unrelatable idea of a ringworld interests me in a way. It’s a sort of mental puzzle box--the idea seems so fantastic that seeing the shortcomings takes some time.
He was on the flight deck, speaking via the intercom system; and that might or might-not have been significant.
But my main problems with the novel are brought about by social issues that are mentioned but not explored in any illuminating depth. In the same way that Niven uses hard science fiction themes as points to hang the story off of, he also uses social themes like pregnancy free sex (as negotiation method and currency both), electronic drug addiction, insanity, the inevitability of death, kidnapping and slavery, different cultures and species working together or not, etc. But he simply states these social issues and then drops any further exploration of them. The exploration by Louis Wu of this ringworld take center stage, and everything else is a dropped ball. That’s frustrating to me, as the novel raises some interesting issues before rushing past to further pursue the story of righting the ringworld’s wobble.
She stood. “Shall we indulge in rishathra?”
Louis had been expecting that, a little, and it wasn’t Laliskareerlyar’s odd appearance that made him hesitate. It was the terror of taking off his armor and his tools. He remembered an old sketch of a king brooding on his throne. I’m paranoid. But am I paranoid enough?
In Ringworld, Louis Wu slept with every female character in the book. And here, again, it’s mostly the same. He meets a bearded lady and sexes her. He meets a giant and sexes his wives. He gets followed by a librarian who sexes him. Etc. The quote above isn’t even from one of those sexual relations. It’s annoying that Niven doesn’t do anything with the sex, simply describes it and moves back to the adventure tale. Even John Carter of Mars did more interesting things with sexual relations, and that isn’t saying much at all. The sex is unnecessary to the story. The book is simply sex, violence, and a mystery. The violence always results from the mystery, the sex comes in the periods between the violence, and the mystery consumes as much of the book as isn’t sex or violence.
The sun was just past zenith in a nearly cloudless sky. An endless sunlit landscape stretched before them: ponds, groves of trees, fields of grain, and rows of dark green vegetables. Louis felt like a target. A coil of black wire was taped to his shoulder. Now he pulled it free and flung it away. One end was still attached to his suit. It would radiate heat if she fired now.
So, in short, I wanted to read more of an adventure tale that began with Ringworld, and this fit the bill. Without being the introduction of the concept, this novel leaves much to be desired. But I didn’t hate the book and can understand why fans of orbital mechanics in literature would love this book. It wasn’t for me. It’s not good writing, but it’s writing that gets out of its own way. It raises interesting social points then drops them in a way that feels like wish fulfillment. Some of the ideas are fascinating though, and I kept reading for those.
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