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Destroyer of Worlds (Fleet of Worlds #3)
The final volume of Larry Niven's Ringworld prequel trilogy began with a massive galactic core explosion bang. As hoards of refugees frantically escape, they create chaos that stretches from planet to planet; star to star. The standalone sequel to Juggler of Worlds lives up to every expectation. Now in mass market paperback.
MP3 CD, 1 pages
Published
November 10th 2009
by Blackstone Audiobooks
(first published November 6th 2009)
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Wow, how long has it been since I read a Larry Niven book? I think I might have stopped after The Ringworld Throne, which would mean 1996? Long time. Anyway, this is a cracking good hard sci-fi read, with familiar races such as the Puppeteers, the Pak Protectors, and a species new to me, the Gw'oth all concerned with fleeing an explosion at the core of the galaxy. Since I've been away from Niven's work for so long, none of the little story holes that others mention in their reviews really bot...more
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By and large I liked this book for much the same reasons as Juggler of Worlds. Part of the strength of Known Space as a setting is its depth, so there's plenty of room for more material. Lerner writes a very different sort of protagonist than Niven alone, and I still appreciated that contrast, even if it wasn't in such sharp relief as the previous book.
That said, the pacing was often a little jumpy, and the ending was very abrupt. Plenty of stuff had happened, but I wasn't left with th...more
That said, the pacing was often a little jumpy, and the ending was very abrupt. Plenty of stuff had happened, but I wasn't left with th...more
I listened to this as an audio book rather than actually read it. The alien names really messed with the flow of the reading but notwithstanding this minor concern, I found the novel quite entertaining. Niven/Lerner contrive situations where various alien species must apply their distinct intellectual approaches to affect the outcome, sort of like the McGyvver TV series. This a gentler Niven in that everyone survives except for an AI and seems to imply more sequels since the characters still ...more
Well, this was just what I needed after reading something emotionally challenging. Reliably delivered the Niven cocktail of fast-moving plot, great alien species, plausible science, and 3D-enough characters.
I don't read a whole lot of science fiction anymore, and when I do, I have very little patience for flat characters, stiff writing, cheap plot devices, etc. Fortunately, Destroyer of Worlds is well-crafted. It doesn't say a whole lot of deep things about human nature or the state...more
I don't read a whole lot of science fiction anymore, and when I do, I have very little patience for flat characters, stiff writing, cheap plot devices, etc. Fortunately, Destroyer of Worlds is well-crafted. It doesn't say a whole lot of deep things about human nature or the state...more
Niven & Lerner's Destroyer of Worlds is a good continuation of the "worlds" series, focusing on Beowulf Schaffer, Nessus, and Baedeker. The interactions of the humans and Puppeteers with the Pak Protectors - and finally getting a satisfactory answer to what the hell Brennan was doing at the end of Protector (written in the early 70s) make this entirely worth reading if you're already a Niven fan. The ending of the novel is a little bit shaky and unsatisfying: it feels rushed and abrupt...more
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I have read all of the Ringworld series, so read this one too because it seemed to be related.
Over the years I have read quite a bit by Niven (and his various coauthors.) Some of the books have been outstanding (Ringworld, Lucifer's Hammer) but others far less enjoyable (Ringworld Engineers, The Integral Trees.) I rate this one as average. One thing I do like about Niven's Known Space stories is that he has created an interesting back drop for his writings and writes within the bounds ...more
Over the years I have read quite a bit by Niven (and his various coauthors.) Some of the books have been outstanding (Ringworld, Lucifer's Hammer) but others far less enjoyable (Ringworld Engineers, The Integral Trees.) I rate this one as average. One thing I do like about Niven's Known Space stories is that he has created an interesting back drop for his writings and writes within the bounds ...more
Mark
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Larry's Niven's novels of Knownspace
Recommended to Mark by:
Dragon Page Cover to Cover podcast
This is not my favorite of Larry Niven Known-space novels but if you enjoyed Niven's novels set in the Known-space universe (Protector, A Gift from Earth, Ringworld (& sequels)) then Destroyer of Worlds is definitely a fun read.
Earlier novels in this series have a certain fatality and ruthlessness which gives them a little more edge than the Niven/Lerner collaborations. Put simply, you don't have to worry too much about losing your favorite characters. I think this puts the series mo...more
Earlier novels in this series have a certain fatality and ruthlessness which gives them a little more edge than the Niven/Lerner collaborations. Put simply, you don't have to worry too much about losing your favorite characters. I think this puts the series mo...more
Interesting. I enjoyed the story. I liked the Gwo'th, and I'm still curious about them, because in the book we sort of don't get to see much from their perspective... There's a bit of ambiguity about them. Are they as dangerous as the Puppeteers think or do they have a sense of loyalty? Are they just looking to gain knowledge about the advanced technology, or are they helping to solve the problem common to all involved? Both.
Should have known better! Lost my taste for existential crises. Not just an 'end of the world' scenario: It's an 'End of 3 or 4 species/civilizations' scenario. Have to be younger to really get into this. Good 'science' (i.e., 'hard' SF) and probably good insights into the psychology/sociology of the subject. Not what I would normally choose for entertainment / relaxation though.
Amblingbooks.com
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
available-on-audio,
science-fiction
"Niven and Lerner...clearly enjoy revisiting aliens familiar from Niven's menagerie while spinning an elaborate tale of interplanetary intrigue.Their many fans will, too." - Booklist
Listen to Destroyer of Worlds on your smartphone.
Listen to Destroyer of Worlds on your smartphone.
Human Sigmund Ausfaller is joined by chicken 2 headed cow/ostrich and super intelligent starfish/squid to do battle with hyper-evolved & hence hyper-violent humanoid. The Pak threaten New Terra and the Fleet of Worlds as the Ringworld series continues.
Niven is just getting better and better, and Known Space is his most entertaining playground. In this new series, co-written by Lerner, he not only revisits Known Space, but also ties together subplots from all the prior Known Space novels in a seamless fashion. He builds the whole plot of these new books out of snippets and side stories from his prior work, to the point where one is almost convinced that he had planned these later books before even starting the Known Space tales from 20 and mor...more
This one was much better than the last, but still not up to Niven's earlier work. I think he's past his "sell-by" date. I can't recall the last book he wrote on his own. For hard core Niven fans only.
Niven is still worth reading although I cannot tell if the partnership has helped or hindered. Some glaring inconsistencies but better than TSA.
This is a prequal to Ringworld. It starts off slow but really picks up after a while. If you liked Ringworld, this is worth the read.
Best of the series. This one has the action, plot and aliens that I have come to enjoy for Niven.
Interesting premise
Good book in the series. I like seeing how all I learned about in the Ringworld's world/universe came to be...
Hardcover
One of the best books I have ever read. The third book of the before-Ringworld trilogy.
Ah, how nice it is to be back in an old familiar universe every now and again. Pak, Puppeteers and of course humans and all of the chaos that ensues throughout the boundaries of Known Space and beyond. Found the new aliens quite endearing, even up to and after the final "I'm sorry."
Protectors and the Gw'oth make for an intellectually stimulating story!
This one is much better than the previous book, Juggler of Worlds.
This one is much better than the previous book, Juggler of Worlds.
How many literary series have lasted for 40+ years. The 'Known Space' series started in the mid-60s. Niven has maintained it, fresh, with a sub-set of new collaborations with Edward Lerner, focused on the 'Ringworld' subplot. It's classic Niven. For the new reader, you need to minimally read 'Ringworld' and also if possible include 'Tales of Known Space'. Great novels.
Good story that pulls in the pak.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Definitely entertaining to read. I think the ending was kind of a surprise. I think the timespans could have been explained better.
It was an excellent book that defined the characters superbly.
Id been disappointed by the last Niven/Lerner team-up, but this one was pretty good. Some glaring--and uncharacteristic--stupidities on the part of characters weakened it, but overall, it wasnt bad.
While it's not classic Niven, it's always nice to revisit Known Space. It's where I got my start in sci-fi and it feels like coming home.
Great book, very engaging. I love how this series fleshes out some of the repeating characters in the known space books. Can't wait to read the next one.
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Laurence van Cott Niven's best known work is Ringworld (Ringworld, #1) (1970), which received the Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics. The creation of thoroughly worked-out alien species, which are very different from humans both physically and mentally, is recognized as one of Niven's main strengths...more
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