Ratings38
Average rating3
In the twenty-ninth century, Louis Wu, a 200-years-young adventurer, became one of the first humans from Known Space to set foot on the Ringworld, and his exploits there became legends among many of the native races. During Louis Wu's second sojourn on the Ringworld, he was able to save it from total destruction... but several hundred million people died anyway, and that was a mighty weight on one man's conscience.
But odd events on the Ringworld would require Louis Wu's attention once again: Vampires were gathering in untold numbers; Protectors, immensely powerful beings dedicated to safeguarding their own bloodlines above all else, were interfering with species not their own and with each other. If the Ringworld was to remain intact, it was going to need one central Protector of its own. But who would sit on the Ringworld Throne?...
Series
5 primary booksRingworld is a 5-book series with 5 released primary works first released in 1970 with contributions by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner.
Series
1 primary book35 released booksKnown Space is a 35-book series with 35 released primary work first released in 1965 with contributions by Larry Niven, Dean Ing, and Jerry Pournelle.
Series
30 released booksKnown Space (Publication Order) is a 30-book series with 30 released primary works first released in 1965 with contributions by Larry Niven, Dean Ing, and Jerry Pournelle.
Series
7 primary booksRingworld and Before the Discovery of Ringworld is a 7-book series with 7 released primary works first released in 1970 with contributions by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner.
Reviews with the most likes.
SUMMARY: Come back to the Ringworld . . . the most astonishing feat of engineering ever encountered. A place of untold technological wonders, home to a myriad humanoid races, and world of some of the most beloved science fiction stories ever written! The human, Louis Wu; the puppeteer known as the Hindmost; Acolyte, son of the Kzin called Chmeee . . . legendary beings brought together once again in the defense of the Ringworld. Something is going on with the Protectors. Incoming spacecraft are being destroyed before they can reach the Ringworld. Vampires are massing. And the Ghouls have their own agenda–if anyone dares approach them to learn. Each race on the Ringworld has always had its own Protector. Now it looks as if the Ringworld itself needs a Protector. But who will sit on the Ringworld Throne? “Niven's work has been an intriguing and consistent universe, and this book is the keystone of the arch. . . . [His] technique is wonderfully polished, his characters and their situations are nicely drawn . . . wraps up (maybe) a corner of a very interesting universe.” –San Diego Union-Tribune
This is the 3rd book in Larry Nivens Ringworld series, also known as the known space series
As a award winning book I was hoping this series overall was going to be something I would have enjoyed, after all I am a science fiction and fantasy fan however this series thus far has disappointed me
I found this book hard to get into, with characters that I just struggle to really care about. the plot seems to be a bit disorganized, the flow being somewhat lacking. Perhaps it was the fact that it failed to keep my interest that I just did not care to much to pay attention to what I was reading
The concepts of the book and series as a whole are really good, The idea of a mysterious ring world built around a star, inhabited by many different species of hominids as a backdrop to explore different ideas concerning humanity and evolution etc... however it just failed to really do anything for me
The plot basically follows Vallavirgillin who is gathering a group of hominids to fight the vampires, meanwhile Louis and the hind most, aka puppeteer seek to save the ringworld from what is supposed to be some kind of invading force from outside but I did not feel that materialized well. Much of the plot around Louis was all about the protectors and what they are doing trying to control and rule the ring world.
by biggest problem with this book is the way it changed subjects almost add style, one minute we are talking about the vampire threat, then suddenly its to rithshara (aka sex) then back to the protectors back to sex, then back to outside threat back to sex,
There seems to be a obsession with sex between different species, you meet someone the first thing you ask is “how do you have sex can you have sex?” I just found that this really broke the story flow and you could take every mention of sex or “rithshara” out of it and not change a single thing about the story in any way.
I guess in the end Larry Niven writing style just does not work for me and I find I am not enjoying it but you may very well enjoy, 2 stars simply because i did not like it, not that i would tell you not to read it