Subterranean Press has recently published this 616-page collection of Larry Niven’s short fiction. Larry Niven is best known for his Ringworld series of novels and his collaborations with Jerry Pournelle. But Niven is also a gifted short story writer and this collection amply puts his best work on display. If you haven’t read Larry Niven’s well-crafted fiction, this is the ideal place to start. If you’ve enjoyed Larry Niven’s work, this volume includes some stories new to you. Plus there’s the eye-popping Edward Miller cover! Don’t miss this one!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
* Becalmed in Hell
* Bordered in Black
* Neutron Star
* The Soft Weapon
* The Jigsaw Man
* The Deadlier Weapon
* All the Myriad Ways
* Not Long Before the End
* Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex
* Inconstant Moon
* Rammer
* Cloak of Anarchy
* The Fourth Profession
* Flash Crowd
* The Defenceless Dead
* The Flight of the Horse
* The Hole Man
* Night On Mispec Moor
* Flatlander
* The Magic Goes Away
* Cautionary Tales
* Limits
* A Teardrop Falls
* The Return of William Proxmire
* The Borderland of Sol
* Smut Talk
* The Missing Mass
Remarkable, though, how many here were written and published in the 1960s.
Niven turned to writing novels after all those short stories in the 60s, Todd. But he still wrote short fiction occasionally decades later.
Does anyone remember the “new” Larry Niven in the mid-late 70’s when he “re-wrote” Flash Gordon in the 24th Century? Also-did anyone else figure out that the entire “ringworld” was a clever rewrite of “World Out Of Time”?
I know many authors do this same thing. Niven’s Ring World turned World out of time into a series of “episodes” which came together well wnough to go on for more and more ringworld books including his creations out of the past( the Pak from Protector), the “UN” now policing the entirety of known space, I fear the coming of AI’s which will paper the universe with a million more versions and episodes of what began in “planet out of time” as the as the returning Corpsicle, sent out as a pilot of a “seed ship”-delivering DNA packages to water planets to beprepared for habitation by humans. On his return, millions of years in the future, the now ancient and decrepit pilot discovering Earth way out of orbit and with a mightily shortened life”
This story was the basis for the story line in Ringworld- even Speaker is brought from World Out of Time, where the weird cat was a combination of a snake like body with fur and a cats’s head.
Simak did the same thing; with “Shakespeare’s planet” which was a rewrite of the Troll Preserve. Both have dragons, a person called Shakespeare and strange Aliens controlling the universe from behind all the scenes. And also he too had a thing for weirdly large and often smart cat like creatures.
Martin, your analysis of Niven and Simak is Right On the Money! Yet, both writers had a loyal fan following and sold a lot of books!
As Todd pointed out, most are 60’samd early 70’s stories and that is when I read my Niven short fiction. So, up until Inconstant Moon, I had read everything here and very little thererafter. Looks like a fun title.
You would love this collection, Scott. Many of these stories slipped under my radar so it was great to have them collected in one nice volume.
Great cover indeed.
You can see more great Edward Miller covers at: http://www.edwardmiller.co.uk/
Exactly, George and Scott…I gather Niven doesn’t think much of most of his later short fiction…which did tend to the notional, what I’ve seen.
Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex delighted me as a teenager.
I picked this up a few weeks ago. Niven is at his best in short fiction. I find his novels suffer from poor characterization and dialogue which is less problematic in shorter lengths.
I prefer Niven’s short fiction, too, Steve. He’s more of an idea guy so the characterizations and dialogue are not his strong suit.
I remember in the early Seventies my brother-in-law and I were reading and swapping all the Niven collections that were available then. Great stuff. I haven’t read the later stories in this collection, but I probably ought to.
I found all the stories in this collection worth reading, James. Like you, I grew up reading those great early stories in the 1960s and 1970s. Marvelous!
I’d take issue with your statement “Larry Niven is best known for his Ringworld series of novels and his collaborations with Jerry Pournelle.” Perhaps that’s true in the greater fiction and genre fiction community, but I think a great many SF fans think of his Known Space works first, and as his best. I certainly do. Like you, Scott, and others, I have read – and have in paperback – all but the final 4 stories, which is why I decided not to buy this book.
Subterranean is doing a great job.
Subterranean Press is one of my favorite publishers, Rick. THE BEST OF LARRY NIVEN is a wonderful volume with the same format as Shiner’s COLLECTED STORIES.
Oh, I did get an email this morning that Subterranean has shipped my copy of Lewis Shiner’s Collected Stories.
Another guy I need to catch up with, but these mammoth story collections are intimidating.
I like having all these great stories in one, well-made volume, Evan. The same for the COLLECTED STORIES OF ROBERT SILVERBERG.
One of these days I will get to some of these writers…
I just keep chipping away, Patti.