Writing separately, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle are responsible for a number of science fiction classics, such as the Hugo and Nebula Award-win...
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May 22, 2008
Annago
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 17, 2009
Ryan
rated it: 
I caught my friend Ryan reading some cheesy looking sci-fi and thought maybe I should give the genre a try. Outside of HG Wells, I haven't had much exposure since I was a teenager. This story is well written, but ungodly slow. Hell, I have the patience to read, but this one is mostly discussion and very little action. The story hits a climax two-thirds of the way through and then runs out of steam. I give it three stars for being thought provoking.
Feb 07, 2012
J.R.
rated it:
Ok, I am saying up front: I'm the author of Outies. Yes, I wrote it. I have to put some number of stars on it. or I can't tell you about it. If I only put one, I'd be lying, and anyway you wouldn't see this.
This is a sequel to The Mote in God's Eye and The Gripping Hand, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, and I wrote it on a bet. As in:
"I bet you can't!"
"Bet I can!"
"Can Not!"
"Can TOO!"
"Can't!"
More...
This is a sequel to The Mote in God's Eye and The Gripping Hand, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, and I wrote it on a bet. As in:
"I bet you can't!"
"Bet I can!"
"Can Not!"
"Can TOO!"
"Can't!"
More...
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Jul 09, 2008
Jake
rated it:
Like so many books I’ve read, The Mote in G-d’s Eye was recommended to me by father, many years ago. And, like many books I’ve read, it’s actually taken me years to read it. I don’t really know why; I know I tried to read it once when I was younger, and it somehow didn’t grab me. Maybe I wasn’t ready for it, or maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood. In any case, I’ve been on more of a sci-fi kick lately, and Starladustess had equally good things to say about this one, so I finally knuckled under
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Jun 15, 2008
John
rated it:
Written in 1972, The Mote in God’s Eye is the premier work by award winning authors Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, who also collaborated on the science fiction classics Footfall and Lucifer’s Hammer. Grand Master Robert A. Heinlein called it "possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read." It easily makes my Top 10 Sci/Fi Book List.
The story is set in the year 3017 A.D. The Second Interstellar Empire of man is in the process of forcefully reuniting many c More...
The story is set in the year 3017 A.D. The Second Interstellar Empire of man is in the process of forcefully reuniting many c More...
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Jun 02, 2008
Tripp
rated it: 
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle wrote a number of science fiction novels which I fondly remember. The Legacy of Heorot tells the story of colonization and the perils of misunderstanding xenobiology. Footfall is an exciting update on the War of the Worlds. Lucifer's Hammer concerns the collapse of society in the face of a comet impact on Earth. My major issue with Lucifer's Hammer, bloat, is a much bigger issue in highly regarded Mote in God's Eye.
The bloat issue is gigantic here. The More...
The bloat issue is gigantic here. The More...
2 comments
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Jan 09, 2011
James
rated it:
A brilliant and gripping book. One of the best jobs of creating a truly alien life form, culture and civilization, rather than the usual "aliens" who act just like human beings who happen to look different - and then going on to let the human reader see events through those alien eyes, from their perspective. The human characters are also well developed and the plot serves as a gripping mystery as well as an adventure story, and left me with a strong sense of empathy for the individu
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Aug 18, 2011
Matthew
rated it: 
Deep-future science fiction the way Tom Clancy would write it.
Utterly plausible and believable, a vision of first contact that demolishes the happy-go-lucky optimistic mentality, pointing out the very real hazards and dangers inherent in such a venture...even assuming no harmful intent on the part of the "other". Just in their nature to eventually overpopulate every space they enter.
Their description of first physical contact still gives me goosebumps, the human pilot strips naked and More...
Utterly plausible and believable, a vision of first contact that demolishes the happy-go-lucky optimistic mentality, pointing out the very real hazards and dangers inherent in such a venture...even assuming no harmful intent on the part of the "other". Just in their nature to eventually overpopulate every space they enter.
Their description of first physical contact still gives me goosebumps, the human pilot strips naked and More...
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Oct 01, 2011
Tamahome
rated it:
(Sffaudio is recording a discussion of this book on 10/1 with Julie.)
Got the audio. Hey, this could be exciting. :)
13% - Sounds more 'vintage' and cool through the iPhone speaker. Very Star Trek, even with Scottish and Russian crewmen. But what is the fascination with royalty in sff?
18% - Wow there's a lot of characters. Moties kind of sound like Immotiles (Peter Hamilton - Pandora's Star). Hmm.
list of characters
http://www.adherents.com/lit/bk_Niven_Mo... More...
Got the audio. Hey, this could be exciting. :)
13% - Sounds more 'vintage' and cool through the iPhone speaker. Very Star Trek, even with Scottish and Russian crewmen. But what is the fascination with royalty in sff?
18% - Wow there's a lot of characters. Moties kind of sound like Immotiles (Peter Hamilton - Pandora's Star). Hmm.
list of characters
http://www.adherents.com/lit/bk_Niven_Mo... More...
Dec 06, 2010
Sandra aka Sleo
rated it:
3.5 stars
I listened to this book, and although the narrator, L.J. Ganser, barked it out like a sports announcer, it was engaging, suspenseful, and quite funny at times. The narrator was not a distraction once I got used to his style.
The human space explorers seemed incredibly naive and stupid at times in their trust of an alien species, to whom they gave human attributes without questioning their own assumptions. This was a little distracting from the suspense, as I kne More...
I listened to this book, and although the narrator, L.J. Ganser, barked it out like a sports announcer, it was engaging, suspenseful, and quite funny at times. The narrator was not a distraction once I got used to his style.
The human space explorers seemed incredibly naive and stupid at times in their trust of an alien species, to whom they gave human attributes without questioning their own assumptions. This was a little distracting from the suspense, as I kne More...
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 12, 2008
Talkswithwind
rated it:
This book is one that is commonly on, 'Best of SF,' lists. It is there for a reason. It was written in 1973 and it shows in many ways. What also shows is the influence it had on other books in Science Fiction.
This book is about the Moties, the aliens that The Empire of Man has just run into. It is told from the point of view of the representatives of Empire sent to investigate these aliens. This book represents the most complete description of an actually-alien species I've run into More...
This book is about the Moties, the aliens that The Empire of Man has just run into. It is told from the point of view of the representatives of Empire sent to investigate these aliens. This book represents the most complete description of an actually-alien species I've run into More...
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Dec 29, 2010
Philip
rated it:
I'm joining the Beyond Reality group in reading this starting December 1st. I've had a copy on my shelf for maybe a year, having remembered reading maybe the first quarter of it as a freshman in high school, not finishing before I had to return it to the library, and always regretting it!
Getting a head start on this one!
-------
See the discussion on Beyond Reality. . . .
Getting a head start on this one!
-------
See the discussion on Beyond Reality. . . .
3 comments
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Nov 26, 2008
Steve
rated it:
This is one of my favorite books; I first read it in high school and I've read it several times since. It's a tight story that is set in the far future but really belongs with 18th-century boys-coming-of-age stories, adventure on the high seas. I'd go so far as to say that it's nearly a perfect SF adventure novel.
After a thousand years of spacefaring and two hundred years of interstellar war, the Second Empire of Man is consolidating, hoping to reattain the triumphs and security of t More...
After a thousand years of spacefaring and two hundred years of interstellar war, the Second Empire of Man is consolidating, hoping to reattain the triumphs and security of t More...
Nov 05, 2011
David
rated it:
I had very high hopes for this novel. It was recently listed in spot #61 on NPR's 2011 reader's poll of the top 100 science fiction and fantasy books. I must say that I was disappointed. It's good but not great, and certainly not one of the best ever sci-fi stories (at least, as far as my interests go). The description of the "Motie" alien biology and social structure is very interesting, and so are the ideas of technologies that allow faster-than-light interstellar travel. However,
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Oct 29, 2011
Brendan
rated it:
Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: this is not a fast-paced, seat-of-your-pants, thrill ride of a science fiction novel. That's not to say that it's boring, but if you're coming into this looking for action and adventure, you'll likely be disappointed, and you are definitely in the wrong frame of mind to appreciate it.
With that said, this is truly an excellent book, intriguing and thought-provoking throughout. It's a bit of a throwback to the days when scifi authors could More...
With that said, this is truly an excellent book, intriguing and thought-provoking throughout. It's a bit of a throwback to the days when scifi authors could More...
Aug 01, 2011
Julie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 16, 2011
Felix
rated it:
This book was read after a long delay from the previous one. Arriving in Africa I was surrounded with travelling companions to stave off boredom. I was also affected by the loss of my ebook reader through a mugging and I didn't have any physical books as backups. Luckily, Steve, one of my companions from home coming along for the ride, relieved me of this dearth of reading matter by finishing and donating this book. A great gift too - I'd been curious about it ever since Dad had read it years ag
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Jul 04, 2011
Emily
rated it:
This book is considered a science fiction classic, but somehow I'd never read it; now corrected! It was written in 1972 but didn't feel particularly dated. I found it a bit slow going at times; the middle really grabbed me but the start and end were a bit dense. However, it was still a brilliantly told imagining of humanity's future first contact with a very alien race. It's told mainly from the perspective of the humans, but with intervals where you get to see what the aliens are thinking also.
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Jun 26, 2011
Angela
rated it:
In the year 3016, the Second Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to the faster-than-light Alderson Drive. No other intelligent beings have ever been encountered, not until a light sail probe enters a human system carrying a dead alien. The probe is traced to the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud, and an expedition is dispatched.
In the Mote the humans find an ancient civilization--at least one million years old--that has always been bottled up in their cloist More...
In the Mote the humans find an ancient civilization--at least one million years old--that has always been bottled up in their cloist More...
Jun 14, 2011
Zach
rated it:
The Mote in God's Eye is a "hard" science fiction story about the plausible unfolding of a first contact event. It's about what could happen when far-future humanity encounters an alien species, but what keeps it from being pulp is the keen scientific treatment the event receives.
It's hard to talk about why I found this book so compelling without spoiling the entire thing for someone who hasn't read it. I'm not some spoiler-nazi in my everyday life; in fact, I find that som More...
It's hard to talk about why I found this book so compelling without spoiling the entire thing for someone who hasn't read it. I'm not some spoiler-nazi in my everyday life; in fact, I find that som More...
Jun 07, 2011
Al
rated it:
Here's one of those books I've wanted to read for a long time. Probably owned it in the past in some real form, but never got around to it. I'm sort of a book 'hoarder'. In the past, this meant stacks of books everywhere in my home. Actually, that's not changed. When I last moved, somewhere on the order of 3,000 books moved with me. My attic is filled, my shelves, my garage...you get the picture.
So I've owned "The Mote.." but never read it till recently. Since I received it l More...
So I've owned "The Mote.." but never read it till recently. Since I received it l More...
Mar 26, 2011
Robyn
rated it:
A very imaginative, though spottily paced tale. It takes some time to get rolling, and it took me weeks to get through the first 200 pages or so, but once I passed that point, it got interesting, then riveting. As interesting as most of the premise was, the thing that got me interested is the sheer uniqueness of the aliens. I liked the middle ground the authors took between the cliched "more or less humanoid and nice" and "horrible monsters hell-bent on destruction" choices t
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Aug 13, 2010
Jan jr.
rated it:
Pokus přerazit čtenářský blok nějakou guilty pleasure: Poprvé jsem to četl před 9 lety a i v doočíbijícně/kulervoucně mizerném českém překladu jsem docela chápal, co na tom lidi vidí. Ale běda, nevstoupíš podruhé do téže knihy.
Čert vzal ten Pournellův feudálfašismus (-fetišismus?) v prostředí a celkovém vyznění, ale ona i ústřední biologická záhada není promyšlená až tak dokonale a vysvětlená dost odbytě a inženýrské superschopnosti emzáků prostě neuvěřitelně magické. A ta zoufalá př More...
Čert vzal ten Pournellův feudálfašismus (-fetišismus?) v prostředí a celkovém vyznění, ale ona i ústřední biologická záhada není promyšlená až tak dokonale a vysvětlená dost odbytě a inženýrské superschopnosti emzáků prostě neuvěřitelně magické. A ta zoufalá př More...
May 17, 2009
Phoebe
rated it:
I wanted to like The Mote In God's Eye--not only did it come highly recommended by both the denizens of metafilter and my good friend Karin, but it also centers on first contact with an alien race, one of my favorite themes in science fiction. Niven and Pournelle handle the species-building well--the Moties are strongly developed, emotionally believable, and consistent in their motivations. But everything else in this novel--not the least the human characters--felt extraneous and poorly develope
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(2 people liked it)
Sep 30, 2011
Jack
rated it:
Updated Sept 30: I downgraded this to three stars -- I just felt so wrong about giving the novel four stars. I'm sorry, Larry, I still love Ringworld. :-(
+++++
Okay, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle -- yeah, this is a classic -- I get that, but -- the characterization! I've had pancakes that were more round than these characters.
Yeah, bad metaphor, but you get my point.
++Spoiler Alert++
Whenever the novel focused on the aliens, it was bril More...
+++++
Okay, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle -- yeah, this is a classic -- I get that, but -- the characterization! I've had pancakes that were more round than these characters.
Yeah, bad metaphor, but you get my point.
++Spoiler Alert++
Whenever the novel focused on the aliens, it was bril More...
Jun 16, 2010
Pretty meticulous in its invention of an alien species and culture, with biologically-specific castes and a dark secret, The Mote in God's Eye is also interesting for how Niven and Pournelle depict human culture in a star-faring empire--interesting, that is, because of how staid and conservative it is. When the authors create a sarcastic, brave, heroic character who seems to voice many of the reader's thoughts--that is, a character with whom readers may identify--and then have that character giv
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Jun 21, 2009
Jake
rated it:
I think every work of fiction bears the stamp of the time it was written, but science fiction books seem particularly afflicted in this regard. Take this novel, written in 1974 long regarded as one of the classics of "hard" science-fiction. In many ways, it lives up to its reputation-- the science behind its story of first contact with aliens is admirably well imagined in its details, from from the size and design of the spaceships to the caste-structure of the alien civilization. B
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Mar 27, 2011
Andreas
rated it:
Arguably the best story about first contact ever written. A ship comes careening into a human system. The pilot is dead, and strange, and it has apparently traveled for years at sublight speeds to get there. Even more strange is the fact that the ship hardly seems enough to sustain it. Two ships are dispatched to a star system hidden inside a nebula to contact the aliens. The society of “Moties” they find is very strange, and very fascinating, almost as fascinating as the creatures themselves. W
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Jan 03, 2012
Jakub
rated it:
I love Larry Niven's books. There's something in the way he writes that I can read things even as absurd as The Integral Trees :) It'll be no surprise then to say that I really liked "The mote...". It's not one of those books that flood you with new ideas and change your perception of the world, but I still had tremendous amount of fun reading it.
If anything, it was the religious aspects of the story irked me off. Religion-backed empire is not an unusual concept, but in here More...
If anything, it was the religious aspects of the story irked me off. Religion-backed empire is not an unusual concept, but in here More...
Feb 17, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Just-in-time refactoring as a model for all engineering, the instinct of one of several highly specialized subspecies of tragically overpopulating aliens.
Also contains a nicely imperfect model for FTL space travel.
Also contains a nicely imperfect model for FTL space travel.
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