In the free-fall environment of the Smoke Ring, the descendants of the crew of the Discipline no longer remembered their Earth roots -- or the exis...
read full description
reviews
Feb 08, 2011
Mea
rated it: 
Larry Niven is a minimalist writer who paints with one or two phrases a picture that would take another author a full page. He's one of those authors I love to read just for his deftness with the written word.
In the sparesest possible prose, Niven creates marvelous and fascinating worlds of the imagination. This world in which trees float around a gravitational center and humans propel themselves from tree to tree is one of his most original, and with his imagination, that's saying a lot. More...
In the sparesest possible prose, Niven creates marvelous and fascinating worlds of the imagination. This world in which trees float around a gravitational center and humans propel themselves from tree to tree is one of his most original, and with his imagination, that's saying a lot. More...
Sep 13, 2010
Marcus
rated it: 
Having just re-read The Integral Trees, to which this is the sequel, and having enjoyed it more than I thought I would, it seemed obvious to move on to the next book. Which, luckily, was also still on my shelf (most of my Niven books are in storage...). Still waiting for that new Abercrombie proof to hit (it has now, so that's my reading for the next couple of weeks sorted!). Still, these aren't exactly difficult reads, so what the hell. I like a bit of old-fashioned science fiction every now an
More...
Jul 23, 2007
Dan
rated it: 
This is the sequel to Niven's The Integral Trees, which established one of the most daringly inventive natural environments in all of speculative fiction. While the first novel contains a lot of backstory and exposition, this is the real meat of the tale for me; I think you can get by just fine with The Smoke Ring, and maybe preserve more of a sense of wonder by starting in medias res.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 18, 2011
Benjamin
rated it:
Dear Kenny,
OK, this is the last science fiction I’m prepared to swallow for now. Larry Niven is another prolific author. I read his Ringworld last year. Ironically, he was recommended to me as a bad example. The recommender was citing Niven as an example of an author for whom setting was more important that character or story. I think he was right, but I liked Niven’s work anyways.
This is also the last of the books I picked up at the local used book store specifically for tra More...
OK, this is the last science fiction I’m prepared to swallow for now. Larry Niven is another prolific author. I read his Ringworld last year. Ironically, he was recommended to me as a bad example. The recommender was citing Niven as an example of an author for whom setting was more important that character or story. I think he was right, but I liked Niven’s work anyways.
This is also the last of the books I picked up at the local used book store specifically for tra More...
Aug 25, 2011
Andreas
rated it: 
Set in the same universe as A World out of Time but only very tenously connected to that novel, these series of two should be read as a set. The novels are set in which is not really a world. A “smoke rIng” of atmosphere and biomass orbits around a neutron star, forming a huge but habitable donut-shaped space. In other words, no gravity. Humans have colonised this “smoke ring” in various ways. Enjoyable, but more for the wickedly cool setting than for the stories.
Note: These are now al More...
Note: These are now al More...
Jan 28, 2010
Rindis
rated it:
The sequel to Niven's The Integral Trees, it build upon it and does well as an independent book. I first discovered the Smoke Ring when this book was serialized in Analog, and had no problem reading this second book first.
That said, I do recommend starting with The Integral Trees, because while the plots are largely independent, this one does build upon the first book. It is maybe 16 years after the first book, and the characters from that have been living happily ever after, leaving More...
That said, I do recommend starting with The Integral Trees, because while the plots are largely independent, this one does build upon the first book. It is maybe 16 years after the first book, and the characters from that have been living happily ever after, leaving More...
Sep 28, 2009
Kiri
rated it:
This book was, unusually, better than its precedessor (The Integral Trees), in my opinion. There's some actual character development (although most of it occurs for the non-human computer), and the overall plot is much more interesting. The Integral Trees set a new and unusual scene (living in variable gravity in a smoke ring around a neutron star), but then nothing much came of it; The Smoke Ring explores much further, both into the past and the present, and there's much more complexity disco
More...
Jul 11, 2008
Kathryn
rated it:
More of Larry Niven's free-fall world, with Niven's usual talent for taking hard-science and making it at once part of the story, easier to understand (relatively), and completely fascinating. The last book mostly took place on the moon-sized trees that float through the Smoke Ring, where there's at least a little gravity. This book explores an entire city floating in mid-air, with no gravity at all, with all the little details of HOW anything gets done in that kind of environment. (Example: to
More...
Mar 14, 2011
Chuck
rated it:
Re-reading via audiobook. I don't think I've read this since it first came out in 1988. It still holds up, despite a rather lackluster narrator for the audiobook. And it begs for a sequel. Niven's recently done other unexpected sequels, so it's not entirely impossible. This book is a sequel to The Integral Trees, which should be read first. Highly recommended.
Jan 18, 2008
Justin
rated it:
This book is set in Niven's State universe, as opposed to his Ringworld universe in which most of his other books are set. A good adventure takes place but the real draw of this book is its setting. The smoke ring is a habitable ring of dense air around an ancient Neutron Star, being bled from a gas giant in tight orbit around the star. It is a huge area full of life but without gravity. The prequel to this book, The Integral Trees, is named for the largest life forms in the ring. These hun
More...
Apr 06, 2009
In both this book and The Integral Trees, a lot of the fascination is with things like the laundry vats--the furniture of a life in which there isn't much furniture. The concept of the Smoke Ring itself is credited to Robert Forward (among others), but probably the details of life are mostly Niven's own devices.
May 13, 2010
Chad
rated it:
The sequel to the Integral Trees. Although it had some of the same characters as before, the main character from the first book didn't star in this one. Again, it had some cool science fiction stuff in it, but it was also a little hokey, too. Not a bad read, but not a great one, either.
Jul 02, 2011
Teddy
rated it: 
I started listening to this one and just couldn't get into it. There was a little too much technical and not enough people development for my liking and there are just too many books out there to spend time on the ones that I am reading strictly for pleasure, but not enjoying.
Nov 16, 2009
Keith
rated it:
While not quite as good as, and a bit more confusing than, The Integral Trees, this was still quite enjoyable. It was good to pick up the characters where the story left off and get a bit more of the backstory, especially on the mysterious Kendy. It would be even better if Niven ever decides to wrap up the remaining loose ends, perhaps showing what the Smoke Ring civilization might look like a generation or two down the line, but I would bet against him picking the thread back up again twenty
More...
Nov 18, 2011
Clayton
rated it:
Another fantastical story by Niven and his Integral Trees, it carries on from where the story ended. Niven is very good at creating a new, outstanding world that still follows the Laws of Known Physics, making for a queer and surreal world.
I give this novel 4 stars only because Niven tends to linger at various times of the story. Little new and unusual contents is added once the scenario is established, and unfortunately that is what I expect of a Niven Novel.
I give this novel 4 stars only because Niven tends to linger at various times of the story. Little new and unusual contents is added once the scenario is established, and unfortunately that is what I expect of a Niven Novel.
Aug 04, 2011
Zachary
rated it:
The second story of the most fantastic of Niven Worlds. The story is much smaller than the setting.
May 30, 2011
Steve
rated it:
A fun read, not as good as the ringworld buck I have read. But worth the time.
May 31, 2010
Emu
rated it:
This book, along with its predecessor, The Integral Trees, certainly delivers that classic Niven style, but the unusual environment in which the two are set kind of makes my head spin. I found myself just skimming over all the "East takes you out, out takes you west" stuff due to brainache. Please let me never have to colonize a gas torus!
Mar 01, 2008
Rob
rated it:
Sequel to Integral Trees, it follows the adventures of the people of Citizens Tree as they encounter the Admiralty in the Clump. We find out more about Sharls Davis Kendy as he rediscovers the memories he deleted about the origins of the people in the Smoke Ring.
Jun 09, 2008
Paul
rated it:
He's great at creating very imaginative alien environments, but not so good at creating realistic characters. At the end of the book, I still felt like the characters were shallow sketches. But, at least I did make it to the end of the book.
Oct 01, 2009
Jon
rated it:
Read this originally while in the Navy. Fantasy world where existence is within a small halo of atmosphere. Adaptive human life lives within fauna of this halo. Pure fantasy.
Jan 15, 2012
Craig
rated it:
Just started. For now it seems very typical of Larry Niven's hard scifi. It's very enjoyable to enter the physically strange worlds that he cooks up.
Jul 26, 2008
Douglas
rated it:
Sequel to The Integral Trees. Classic Niven--intriguing astrophysics situation with a story wrapped around it.
Jul 07, 2007
Mike
rated it:
The end of this book was set up for a sequel but none was ever written. Kind of annoying if you ask me.
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 11, 2012
