Neutron Star

I much prefer Niven's shorter, earlier, and solo efforts, and his first short story collection demonstrates why. This is a wonderful collection of short stories from Niven's Known Space universe, with stories ranging from the readable to the superb. There is an astonishing breadth of imagination displayed here, with not one but several alien races who are *alien*, in appearance, psychology and culture. And it's not just the aliens; Niven shows how human cultures have diverged during periods of colonial isolation, developing different moral codes.

They're all hard sf, but Niven is one of the authors who can populate his hard sf setting with plausible characters who feel like real people. There's also some thoughtful discussion of moral show more problems in a couple of the stories.

This collection is nearly forty years old as I write this, and it shows--there have been advances in technology that Niven didn't forsee, making for some oddly backwards technology in the stories. But science fiction isn't about predicting the future; it's speculation about possible futures and the people living in them. Good sf lasts even when it's overtaken by events in real life, and these stories haven't been harmed by the passage of time since they were written.

All in all, a well-rounded collection that shows what can be achieved with the short form in science fiction.

Comments thread: http://julesjones.livejournal.com/73390.html show less

Short stories that epitomize classic science fiction.

This takes place in Niven’s known space universe that contains Ringworld, but you don’t need any prior knowledge to enjoy these stories.

While the stories are separate, several contain the adventures of Beowulf Shaeffer. A lanky opportunistic star pilot that gets suckered into several adventures. He’s quite a lazy rogue but he’s very clever and his rascality pairs perfectly with Niven’s somewhat sophomoric sense of humor. He’s a great grinning companion for the reader and seems to actually grow heroic (at least a little) by the final story.

These stories paint a fascinating world and have plenty of great science fiction plot twists. A few of the stories got so science-y show more that I had to mentally review my high school physics knowledge. The stories that don’t contain any twists or mystery fall a little flat but the rest make up for it. For an anthology, the stories flow very well and the setting is very consistent.

If you like strange new worlds and seeking out new life, this is a great pick. Niven seems to really shine when he’s snappy and doesn’t have to fill a whole novel. show less

I liked this more the further I got into it. All the stories are set in the same future, more or less, and that was irritating at the beginning. His characters tend to be rather flat, but the stories are still pretty fascinating.

Another likable character, the roguish Beowulf Shaeffer, getting in and out of scrapes. Has one of the best contrasts between alien and human psychology in science fiction; 'At The Core'.

Seven Short stories, the title story often being used as a teachable example of hard Science fiction. The physics is respectable.

Van http://mom.biblion.nl/ :
De albino-sterrenpiloot Beowulf Shaeffer van de planeet Tisgelukt heeft dringend geld nodig sinds zijn maatschappij op de fles ging. Vandaar dat hij tegen veel geld opdrachten begint te aanvaarden voor de poppenspelers, vegetarische Vreemdelingen met veel geld maar weinig moed. De opdrachten brengen hem naar alle uithoeken van het Bekend Heelal en doen hem de meest vreemde, maar vaak ook zeer gevaarlijke wezens en situaties het hoofd bieden, dat hem alleen lukt door zijn onverwoestbare flair. Larry Niven is in de jaren zeventig en tachtig vooral bekend geworden door zijn Ringwereld-cyclus in het Nederlandse taalgebied. Deze twee verhalen, "Neutronster" en "Vlaklander", verschenen eerder als Meulenhoff SF 39 show more en nu in hardcover op klein formaat. Nivens verhalen zijn amusant en dragen de lichte toets en het typische levensgevoel van de jaren zestig. Bij herlezing zijn ze nog niet echt gedateerd, maar het blijft vooral ontspanningslectuur voor een SF-minnend publiek. Normale druk. - Bob Van Laerhoven. show less

Collection of short stories with lots of appearances from one of my favourite alien races, Pierson's Puppeteers.