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Ringworld

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Ringworld

By: Larry Niven
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Summary

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel, Ringworld remains a favorite among science fiction readers.

The artifact is a vast circular ribbon of matter, some 180 million miles across, with a sun at its center. Pierson’s puppeteers—strange, three-legged, two-headed aliens—discovered this “Ringworld” in a hitherto unexplored part of the galaxy. Curious about the immense structure, but frightened by the prospect of meeting the builders, they set about assembling a team to explore it:

Louis Wu, human—old and bored with having lived too fully for too many years, seeking an adventure, and all too capable of handling it.

Nessus, puppeteer—a trembling coward from a species with an inbuilt survival pattern of nonviolence. This particular puppeteer, however, is insane.

Speaker-to-Animals, kzin—large, orange-furred, and carnivorous. The kzin are one of the most savage life-forms known.

The party’s expedition, however, goes disastrously wrong when their ship crash-lands and its motley crew faces a daunting trek across thousands of miles of Ringworld territory.

©1970 Larry Niven (P)1996 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Action & Adventure Adventure Classics Science Fiction Fiction Mind-bending Interstellar
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Critic reviews

“Larry Niven’s 1970 Hugo Award winner, Ringworld, is arguably one of the most influential science fiction novels of the past fifty years…It’s clear that Ringworld hasn’t just become a cultural staple because it’s a good idea: its inspirational power comes from Niven’s success in bringing it to life. The sense of scale and wonder is joyful. I challenge you to read it without feeling awestruck.”

“[Grover Gardner] captures the personalities of the travelers through individual vocalization and provides smooth, expressive narration. The listener is soon caught up in the adventures of these vivid characters as they struggle to survive…A rousing adventure.”

“Niven’s style is such that you can be awed, then titillated, then amused all on the same page…After more than thirty years, the story remains interesting, and the ideas fascinating. I highly recommend this audiobook, whether you’ve experienced Ringworld already or not. I enjoyed every minute.”

“[Gardner] skillfully uses inflection and timing to heighten drama or highlight humorous details as appropriate. Parker deftly brings to life Louis Wu and other members of the ‘motley crew’…This is SF—and narration—at its best.”
All stars
Most relevant
Over 40 years later, ringworld still remains relevant, intriguing and thought provoking. A great pillar of science fiction which has inspired scores of other stories and films since.

A classic of science fiction

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Ringworld is a gripping tale: a product of towering technical imagination. A must for fans of the genre it is easy to see how he has influenced later authors such as Ian M Banks. It suffers from a grating misogyny which means it hasn't aged well. Kind of depressing that male science fiction authors in the 1970s could imagine astounding technical developments in the future but couldn't conceive of a change in the social status of women. Unlike some other reviewers I liked the narrator and thought he was a good match.

Classic of the genre

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this is a classic, but it's a little dated. narration is a bit stiff and the story falls mildly flat but it's worth a go, if only for completeness.

Not bad, not what it's reputation makes it

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I have read this so many times over the years. Larry Niven was, and continues to be such an imaginative writer and creator of his own 'known space' This edition was ably narrated and I enjoyed it very much.

revisiting a sci-fi classic

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This was a great story with a fascinating premise. But women don't come out well, being dippy and/ or sex objects. Perhaps a product of its time.

Good story, shame about the sexual politics

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