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Man-Kzin Wars #8
Choosing Names
ROUND EIGHT, MONKEY BOYS!
In a new story, Larry Niven tells of the earliest days of the first Man-Kzin War.
The Kzin had learned of the existance of human-occupied space, a find that promised new technolgies for the race, and new wealth for the fierce Kzin Warriors in the form of land, slaves...and food. Kzin had sent ships to probe the Solar System, expecting no danger from mere weed-eating apes. But the Warrior Race had underestimated monkey ingenuity, and the ships were destroyed by "peaceful" technology that the humans had hurriedly changed into weaponry.
The surviving Kzin have been caged and are being studied. "For you, the war is over," the monkey-boys have told the Kzin. Incomprehensible to the Kzin, for whom no war is ever over. The humans are sure that the huge warcats cannot escape their prison. But there is something the humans do not realize. One of the Kzin is a Telepath...
Cover Illustration: Stephen Hickman
In a new story, Larry Niven tells of the earliest days of the first Man-Kzin War.
The Kzin had learned of the existance of human-occupied space, a find that promised new technolgies for the race, and new wealth for the fierce Kzin Warriors in the form of land, slaves...and food. Kzin had sent ships to probe the Solar System, expecting no danger from mere weed-eating apes. But the Warrior Race had underestimated monkey ingenuity, and the ships were destroyed by "peaceful" technology that the humans had hurriedly changed into weaponry.
The surviving Kzin have been caged and are being studied. "For you, the war is over," the monkey-boys have told the Kzin. Incomprehensible to the Kzin, for whom no war is ever over. The humans are sure that the huge warcats cannot escape their prison. But there is something the humans do not realize. One of the Kzin is a Telepath...
Cover Illustration: Stephen Hickman
281 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1998
20 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
Larry Niven
687 books3,304 followersLaurence 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.
Niven also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes The Magic Goes Away series, which utilizes an exhaustible resource, called Mana, to make the magic a non-renewable resource.
Niven created an alien species, the Kzin, which were featured in a series of twelve collection books, the Man-Kzin Wars. He co-authored a number of novels with Jerry Pournelle. In fact, much of his writing since the 1970s has been in collaboration, particularly with Pournelle, Steven Barnes, Brenda Cooper, or Edward M. Lerner.
He briefly attended the California Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics (with a minor in psychology) from Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, in 1962. He did a year of graduate work in mathematics at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has since lived in Los Angeles suburbs, including Chatsworth and Tarzana, as a full-time writer. He married Marilyn Joyce "Fuzzy Pink" Wisowaty, herself a well-known science fiction and Regency literature fan, on September 6, 1969.
Niven won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story for Neutron Star in 1967. In 1972, for Inconstant Moon, and in 1975 for The Hole Man. In 1976, he won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for The Borderland of Sol.
Niven has written scripts for various science fiction television shows, including the original Land of the Lost series and Star Trek: The Animated Series, for which he adapted his early Kzin story The Soft Weapon. He adapted his story Inconstant Moon for an episode of the television series The Outer Limits in 1996.
He has also written for the DC Comics character Green Lantern including in his stories hard science fiction concepts such as universal entropy and the redshift effect, which are unusual in comic books.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/larryn...
Niven also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes The Magic Goes Away series, which utilizes an exhaustible resource, called Mana, to make the magic a non-renewable resource.
Niven created an alien species, the Kzin, which were featured in a series of twelve collection books, the Man-Kzin Wars. He co-authored a number of novels with Jerry Pournelle. In fact, much of his writing since the 1970s has been in collaboration, particularly with Pournelle, Steven Barnes, Brenda Cooper, or Edward M. Lerner.
He briefly attended the California Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics (with a minor in psychology) from Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, in 1962. He did a year of graduate work in mathematics at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has since lived in Los Angeles suburbs, including Chatsworth and Tarzana, as a full-time writer. He married Marilyn Joyce "Fuzzy Pink" Wisowaty, herself a well-known science fiction and Regency literature fan, on September 6, 1969.
Niven won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story for Neutron Star in 1967. In 1972, for Inconstant Moon, and in 1975 for The Hole Man. In 1976, he won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for The Borderland of Sol.
Niven has written scripts for various science fiction television shows, including the original Land of the Lost series and Star Trek: The Animated Series, for which he adapted his early Kzin story The Soft Weapon. He adapted his story Inconstant Moon for an episode of the television series The Outer Limits in 1996.
He has also written for the DC Comics character Green Lantern including in his stories hard science fiction concepts such as universal entropy and the redshift effect, which are unusual in comic books.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/larryn...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 8, 2019
As with the other books in the Man-Kzin Wars series, this is a collection of short stories. The writing ranges from not bad to excellent. An assortment of tales from the early days of the Man-Kzin wars, mostly involving huge disparity of technology, and how that can (or can't) be overcome.
May 25, 2022
Collection
This is a collection of stories set in the known universe. Some of the authors are fans of Larry Niven and do a precise job of playing in his world.
This is a collection of stories set in the known universe. Some of the authors are fans of Larry Niven and do a precise job of playing in his world.
April 16, 2024
Really good and surprisingly up to date
Written so many years ago and the best of the best still. Amazing and surprisingly done in a world created believable today.
Written so many years ago and the best of the best still. Amazing and surprisingly done in a world created believable today.
June 1, 2025
A good one to revisit
August 25, 2016
Eighth of the Man-Kzin Wars books, this one mostly set in the early part of these wars. The five stories in this book are generally concerned with several themes, namely the nature and contribution of Telepaths, and the necessity for humans to overcome their centuries-old programmed pacifism. Another theme is that of “naming” among the Kzin, for if one earns a “name,” he is given implied status. Telepaths are typically not named, and are really considered minor help, despite their prodigious parapsychological gifts. The first story, “Choosing Names,” by Mr. Niven himself, addresses this issue with a somewhat surprising ending which made me chuckle.
I enjoyed this collection of stories a good deal, in part because of the thematic aspects but also because of the stories themselves. My favorite was “Telepath’s Dance,” in which a captured Kzin telepath (who was on a “naming quest”) makes contact with a human one, with initial confusion then communication between them. “Galley Slave” sort of reverses the roles, with the human telepath, Dr. Marybeth Bonet, having been captured and made into, well, a galley slave, serving up meals to her captor Kzins. She and the Kzin telepath have a sort of exchange of communications, but Dr. Bonet uses her human wiles to trick…well, don’t want to give away the rest.
Quite enjoyable all around. Five stars.
I enjoyed this collection of stories a good deal, in part because of the thematic aspects but also because of the stories themselves. My favorite was “Telepath’s Dance,” in which a captured Kzin telepath (who was on a “naming quest”) makes contact with a human one, with initial confusion then communication between them. “Galley Slave” sort of reverses the roles, with the human telepath, Dr. Marybeth Bonet, having been captured and made into, well, a galley slave, serving up meals to her captor Kzins. She and the Kzin telepath have a sort of exchange of communications, but Dr. Bonet uses her human wiles to trick…well, don’t want to give away the rest.
Quite enjoyable all around. Five stars.
August 24, 2011
A long running anthology series with stories set during the Man-Kzin Wars in Larry Niven’s Known Space universe. Niven started this thing up because while the Wars were very significant in the history of Known Space, he himself was not adept at writing about conflict. Niven has written some of the stories but most are by other authors. The writing ranges from average to excellent. Recommended if you are a fan of Known Space.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1026
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1026
January 23, 2009
More of the same - Felinoid aliens with Klingon-like attitudes attack Known Space - humanity must re-learn how to wage war in a hell of a hurry. Shared world collaboration that works fairly well.
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April 14, 2008Science Fiction
September 16, 2008
Part of the series
May 16, 2015
The Man-Kzin war books are always a good solid SiFi read. Nice shared world storyline that always delivers a entertaining read. Very recommended
April 24, 2020
"Telepath's Dance" by Hal Colebatch and "Jotok" by Paul Chafe were pretty good.
January 14, 2016
Wonderful read; on to next big kitty story.
December 4, 2013
SCREAM AND LEAP!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews