Book Review: Protector by Larry Niven
By 2125 AD, the human race had spread across the cosmos and colonized worlds christened with such names as Wunderland, We Made It, Home, Jinx, and others. Within Known Space, there are two primary groups of humans. Flatlanders are those accustomed to living on Earth or other planets while Belters reside in the asteroid belt.
After traveling interstellar space for over 30,000 years, an alien named Phssthpok enters our solar system in search of others from his species, known as the Pak. Their physiology is comprised of three stages: childhood, breeder, and finally, genderless protector. Pak sustain themselves primarily on a root from the Tree of Life. Over 2.5 million years ago, a group of breeders left the Pak homeworld, after it had been ravaged by war. They were never heard from again, but after thorough study of Pak history and astronavigation, Phssthpok set out to find them.
As he entered Earth's solar system, Phssthpok encountered and captured a Belter named Jack Brennan. While in captivity, Brennan discovered and consumed a large quantity of Tree of Life root. As a result, Brennan mutated into a human-Pak hybrid complete with hardened skin, enlarged musculature, increased speed, and immense intelligence. Brennan's transformation had completed soon after Phssthpok landed on Mars to conceal himself from other humans.
However, telescopes both in the asteroid belt and on Earth had tracked the Pak’s ship. Nick Sohl, leader of the Belters, teams up with retired UN law enforcement officer Lucas Garner to track down the alien (or "Outsider"). By the time they reach Mars, they are greeted not by Phssthpok, but by Brennan--who murdered his Pak captor. Brennan explains to Sohl and Garner the purpose of Phssthpok's journey. Yet, when the Pak realized that there was no colony of breeders, he planned to create one in the same way as Brennan was transformed.
Shortly after meeting Sohl and Garner, Brennan escapes in Phssthpok's ship. Abandoning his supply of Tree of Life root, Brennan disappears into interstellar space.
Two centuries later, a human named Roy Truesdale is kidnapped for four months and returned with part of his memory erased. Roy is but one in a string of victims abducted by a mysterious strangers known only as Vandervecken. Soon after he awakens from his abduction, Roy encounters a lovely Belter named Alice Jordan and together, they set off to the edge of the solar system where Vandervecken supposedly lurks--and might somehow be connected to the legendary "Brennan-monster".
What awaits Roy and Alice near the solar system's tenth planet Persephone? Is it the human-alien hybrid that was once a Belter named Jack Brennan? If so, what is the reason behind the abductions and how is it connected to the pending war between humans and the Pak?
Protector is divided into two connected novellas, Phssthpok and Vandervecken, respectively. Of the four Niven books I've read over the past few months (the previous three being Tales from Known Space, Convergent Series, and A Gift from Earth), Protector was the most engaging. I enjoyed the development and exploration of the Pak species and the scenes that were written from Phssthpok's point of view, which made his off-camera death disappointing. Finally, the combination of science and storytelling surrounding the ship-to-ship combat near the end kept me turning pages. Next up, A World Out of Time.
After traveling interstellar space for over 30,000 years, an alien named Phssthpok enters our solar system in search of others from his species, known as the Pak. Their physiology is comprised of three stages: childhood, breeder, and finally, genderless protector. Pak sustain themselves primarily on a root from the Tree of Life. Over 2.5 million years ago, a group of breeders left the Pak homeworld, after it had been ravaged by war. They were never heard from again, but after thorough study of Pak history and astronavigation, Phssthpok set out to find them.
As he entered Earth's solar system, Phssthpok encountered and captured a Belter named Jack Brennan. While in captivity, Brennan discovered and consumed a large quantity of Tree of Life root. As a result, Brennan mutated into a human-Pak hybrid complete with hardened skin, enlarged musculature, increased speed, and immense intelligence. Brennan's transformation had completed soon after Phssthpok landed on Mars to conceal himself from other humans.
However, telescopes both in the asteroid belt and on Earth had tracked the Pak’s ship. Nick Sohl, leader of the Belters, teams up with retired UN law enforcement officer Lucas Garner to track down the alien (or "Outsider"). By the time they reach Mars, they are greeted not by Phssthpok, but by Brennan--who murdered his Pak captor. Brennan explains to Sohl and Garner the purpose of Phssthpok's journey. Yet, when the Pak realized that there was no colony of breeders, he planned to create one in the same way as Brennan was transformed.
Shortly after meeting Sohl and Garner, Brennan escapes in Phssthpok's ship. Abandoning his supply of Tree of Life root, Brennan disappears into interstellar space.
Two centuries later, a human named Roy Truesdale is kidnapped for four months and returned with part of his memory erased. Roy is but one in a string of victims abducted by a mysterious strangers known only as Vandervecken. Soon after he awakens from his abduction, Roy encounters a lovely Belter named Alice Jordan and together, they set off to the edge of the solar system where Vandervecken supposedly lurks--and might somehow be connected to the legendary "Brennan-monster".
What awaits Roy and Alice near the solar system's tenth planet Persephone? Is it the human-alien hybrid that was once a Belter named Jack Brennan? If so, what is the reason behind the abductions and how is it connected to the pending war between humans and the Pak?
Protector is divided into two connected novellas, Phssthpok and Vandervecken, respectively. Of the four Niven books I've read over the past few months (the previous three being Tales from Known Space, Convergent Series, and A Gift from Earth), Protector was the most engaging. I enjoyed the development and exploration of the Pak species and the scenes that were written from Phssthpok's point of view, which made his off-camera death disappointing. Finally, the combination of science and storytelling surrounding the ship-to-ship combat near the end kept me turning pages. Next up, A World Out of Time.
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