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Known Space
Flatlander
Gil "The Arm" Hamilton was one of the top operatives of ARM, the elite UN plice force. His intuition was unfailingly accurate, his detective skills second to none, and his psychic powers -- esper sense and telekinesis -- were awesome. Now you can read all the classic stories of the legendary ARM operative, collected in one volume for the first time -- plus, an all-new, never-before-published Gil Hamilton adventure! Table of Contents:
Death by Ecstasy (1969) • novella
The Defenseless Dead (1973) • novelette
ARM (1975) • novella
Patchwork Girl (1980) • novel
The Woman in Del Rey Crater - novelette
Afterword - essay
Death by Ecstasy (1969) • novella
The Defenseless Dead (1973) • novelette
ARM (1975) • novella
Patchwork Girl (1980) • novel
The Woman in Del Rey Crater - novelette
Afterword - essay
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1995
262 people are currently reading
1314 people want to read
About the author
Larry Niven
687 books3,303 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 - 30 of 95 reviews
February 14, 2019
3.5 stars for this collection of five SF novellas by hard science fiction master Larry Niven. These stories are basically SF mysteries with a uniquely psychically gifted detective as the main character. All of these interconnected stories feature detective Gil "the Arm" Hamilton, who lost his right arm earlier in his life in a spaceship accident. Once Gil recovers, he finds that his brain has developed PSI (ESP and telekinesis) powers to compensate for his lost arm - it's like he has an invisible arm that can do all of the things a normal arm can do ... plus more. His psychic arm can reach through walls, into people's bodies, and even through video screens to touch and move objects. It can come in quite handy when Gil is doing his detective work.
I was SO intrigued with this whole psychic arm concept when I read this book back in the day. My favorites were "The Defenseless Dead" and "The Patchwork Girl."
This is older SF so somewhat dated in its social attitudes, but if you can deal with that and like hard SF and/or mysteries, it's worth the read.
I was SO intrigued with this whole psychic arm concept when I read this book back in the day. My favorites were "The Defenseless Dead" and "The Patchwork Girl."
This is older SF so somewhat dated in its social attitudes, but if you can deal with that and like hard SF and/or mysteries, it's worth the read.
October 9, 2024
Gil The Arm!
Flatlander collects all five tales of Gil “the Arm” Hamilton, Larry Niven’s topnotch blend of science fiction with locked room/ impossible crime mysteries. The star of these five stories is of course Gil, a Belter, who lost his arm in an asteroid accident and, although he has had an artificial arm grafted, before he could get to a medical facility.... well, his mind simply refused to believe his arm wasn’t there. So he has a third arm, invisible, but psychically powered and only limited by his versatile imagination.
Speaking of which, Gil was a Belter, meaning he worked in a three-man crew in the asteroid belt far from crowded earth. After the accident, he returned to earth and became a Flatlander. Thus, the title of this collection. There are also Lunies (or moon dwellers) and they figure in the last two stories in this collection.
A prominent theme in these stories is overpopulation and organleggers (you know the guys who grab you in the back alleys of Rio and force you to donate both kidneys). In fact, the world has found that longer life could be achieved by transplanting failing organs and the organ banks aren’t filling quick enough for 18 billion people. It’s dangerous out there and the organleggers (like bootleggers) are vicious. Gil is a police detective tasked with stopping organ theft, a never ending battle.
The first story initially focuses on wireheading. That’s when an electrical current is directly connected through a hole in the skull to the brain and the wire header starved to death because he won’t unplug to walk ten feet to the kitchen. Addiction is well just so addicting.
Other stories address issues with time travel and with corpsicles, people who frozen themselves in hopes of a medical cure down the road. Meanwhile, organ banks are empty awaiting their parts and heirs are left empty handed for decades.
With the “Patchwork Girl,” the action moves to the moon where Gil learns about the customs of the Lunies who in less than 200 years are a distinctly different evolutionary line. This novella-length story is a real treat.
Each story features a corpse and an impossible crime such as the famous locked room mystery. Gil puzzles it out and eventually figures it out even though the answers lead where he doesn’t expect. The fun though is in the impossible story, not the solutions.
Flatlander collects all five tales of Gil “the Arm” Hamilton, Larry Niven’s topnotch blend of science fiction with locked room/ impossible crime mysteries. The star of these five stories is of course Gil, a Belter, who lost his arm in an asteroid accident and, although he has had an artificial arm grafted, before he could get to a medical facility.... well, his mind simply refused to believe his arm wasn’t there. So he has a third arm, invisible, but psychically powered and only limited by his versatile imagination.
Speaking of which, Gil was a Belter, meaning he worked in a three-man crew in the asteroid belt far from crowded earth. After the accident, he returned to earth and became a Flatlander. Thus, the title of this collection. There are also Lunies (or moon dwellers) and they figure in the last two stories in this collection.
A prominent theme in these stories is overpopulation and organleggers (you know the guys who grab you in the back alleys of Rio and force you to donate both kidneys). In fact, the world has found that longer life could be achieved by transplanting failing organs and the organ banks aren’t filling quick enough for 18 billion people. It’s dangerous out there and the organleggers (like bootleggers) are vicious. Gil is a police detective tasked with stopping organ theft, a never ending battle.
The first story initially focuses on wireheading. That’s when an electrical current is directly connected through a hole in the skull to the brain and the wire header starved to death because he won’t unplug to walk ten feet to the kitchen. Addiction is well just so addicting.
Other stories address issues with time travel and with corpsicles, people who frozen themselves in hopes of a medical cure down the road. Meanwhile, organ banks are empty awaiting their parts and heirs are left empty handed for decades.
With the “Patchwork Girl,” the action moves to the moon where Gil learns about the customs of the Lunies who in less than 200 years are a distinctly different evolutionary line. This novella-length story is a real treat.
Each story features a corpse and an impossible crime such as the famous locked room mystery. Gil puzzles it out and eventually figures it out even though the answers lead where he doesn’t expect. The fun though is in the impossible story, not the solutions.
May 15, 2016
I have added this book (and yes I do have a copy of it - partly because at the time I didn't realise how much of the volume is covered off in other books I have already read) but really there is only one story in it I needed to read having covered the rest of the book between reading "the long ARM.." and "Patchwork girl". The story in question is "The woman in del Ray Crater"
This story is set after the events of the Patchwork Girl but sees Gil Hamilton return to his role within ARM. As such its another crime scene investigation. It is also back to the same length as the previous novellas.
As I have said before now it feels that the sub-genre has been established at the time they were something new, however this story was written in 1995 so I guess for now at least the adventures of Gil Hamilton have run their course.
This story is set after the events of the Patchwork Girl but sees Gil Hamilton return to his role within ARM. As such its another crime scene investigation. It is also back to the same length as the previous novellas.
As I have said before now it feels that the sub-genre has been established at the time they were something new, however this story was written in 1995 so I guess for now at least the adventures of Gil Hamilton have run their course.
February 14, 2019
“The thing about poetic justice is that it requires a poet.”
A series of self-contained mysteries involving a man with extra sensory powers a hundred years in the future. Most of the stories involve some sort of locked-room crime which Gil Hamilton must solve, often at personal risk, using his “imaginary arm.” Our hero is clueless about females but, unlike Mike Hammer, sensitive to three sets of ethics confusing lunie morals.
“Having a hole shot through him can make a man think.”
One unique problem of writing science fiction about the future is the pace of technological innovation now. These stories are only twenty years old, but read as if they were written half a century earlier. Niven’s twenty-second century protagonist lacks many abilities you take for granted: cell phones, the internet, for example. Though his “programming” information searches sounds a lot like googling. Data bases are still seen to be separate, restricted with the go-to information source being a 180-year-old man.
“Having babies is basic.”
Also, from the perspective of 1995, Niven foresaw world population of eighteen billion, resulting is a kind of subsistence-level existence for many. “ I don’t see how we can avoid the crowding or the rigid dictatorial population control without the blessing of a major war or plague.” Malthus has at least one disciple. In contrast, even China has abandoned its draconian one-child policy. World population has not yet stabilize (and a lot could go wrong even then), but it appears that world population will peak nearer ten billion. Body part transplants play a major role in several tales, as he explores the morality of harvesting parts from unwilling donors. Niven claims, “India has been disassembling condemned criminals for transplants since 1964.”
“Nobody looks like a killer when he’s asleep.”
Side note: Niven assumes the great discoveries will still be made by brilliant, if eccentric people like Howard Hughes and Albert Einstein.
Quibbles: A lunar landing would not “pass north of the city and curved around.” A high-powered continuous wave laser would explode flesh, not neatly slice it. (Seen Star Wars too many times.)
“Criminals don’t like locked doors.”
A series of self-contained mysteries involving a man with extra sensory powers a hundred years in the future. Most of the stories involve some sort of locked-room crime which Gil Hamilton must solve, often at personal risk, using his “imaginary arm.” Our hero is clueless about females but, unlike Mike Hammer, sensitive to three sets of ethics confusing lunie morals.
“Having a hole shot through him can make a man think.”
One unique problem of writing science fiction about the future is the pace of technological innovation now. These stories are only twenty years old, but read as if they were written half a century earlier. Niven’s twenty-second century protagonist lacks many abilities you take for granted: cell phones, the internet, for example. Though his “programming” information searches sounds a lot like googling. Data bases are still seen to be separate, restricted with the go-to information source being a 180-year-old man.
“Having babies is basic.”
Also, from the perspective of 1995, Niven foresaw world population of eighteen billion, resulting is a kind of subsistence-level existence for many. “ I don’t see how we can avoid the crowding or the rigid dictatorial population control without the blessing of a major war or plague.” Malthus has at least one disciple. In contrast, even China has abandoned its draconian one-child policy. World population has not yet stabilize (and a lot could go wrong even then), but it appears that world population will peak nearer ten billion. Body part transplants play a major role in several tales, as he explores the morality of harvesting parts from unwilling donors. Niven claims, “India has been disassembling condemned criminals for transplants since 1964.”
“Nobody looks like a killer when he’s asleep.”
Side note: Niven assumes the great discoveries will still be made by brilliant, if eccentric people like Howard Hughes and Albert Einstein.
Quibbles: A lunar landing would not “pass north of the city and curved around.” A high-powered continuous wave laser would explode flesh, not neatly slice it. (Seen Star Wars too many times.)
“Criminals don’t like locked doors.”
October 10, 2018
I had read, and as far as I can recall enjoyed, some of these stories in the past, but reading them now they seem very dated ... like something from the 50’s - misogynistic and shallow. Repeated instances of women not being smart or competent enough to do something ... in one case, Gil knew for that reason the attractive young woman in one of the locked room mysteries, who was the obvious suspect, couldn’t have been the culprit. The tech discussions and world-building also haven’t stood the test of time, the mysteries aren’t that suspenseful or intriguing, and, well, that’s the entirety of what’s on offer here ... nothing else to redeem it. DNF. Scared now to reread Ringworld!
July 31, 2018
Flatlander is a collection of five sci-fi mysteries by hard scifi master Larry Niven, set in the 22nd century of his Known Space universe, and featuring detective Gil 'The Arm' Hamilton. As expected, Niven is all about the logical extrapolation of his universe. Earth has 18 billion people, and organ transplantation has revolutionized healthcare. The death penalty is in effect for almost every infraction in order to feed the voracious demands of the transplant hospitals, and the resulting new crime is organlegging, finding some victim and breaking them up for spare parts at about a million per. Next to organlegging, the other major crime is violation of the fertility laws.
Gil has his intuition, a steadfast doggedness, and the ace up his sleeves of psychic powers. An accident in the asteroid belt enabled him to develop minor telekinesis, in the form of an imaginary third arm that can reach about arm's length, and has just enough strength to lift a cigarette. It's a far cry from a telekinetic wrecking ball, but he can do some tricks, like reaching into bodies and through television screens.
The four 'old' stories are pretty solid scifi, even if they feel decades old in terms of big clunky computers and Niven attitudes on women. The new story, 'The woman in Del Rey crater', is a lacking one, and feels out of place. Pretty decent vintage scifi, and well worth the $2 I paid for them, but I would wait for a sale.
Gil has his intuition, a steadfast doggedness, and the ace up his sleeves of psychic powers. An accident in the asteroid belt enabled him to develop minor telekinesis, in the form of an imaginary third arm that can reach about arm's length, and has just enough strength to lift a cigarette. It's a far cry from a telekinetic wrecking ball, but he can do some tricks, like reaching into bodies and through television screens.
The four 'old' stories are pretty solid scifi, even if they feel decades old in terms of big clunky computers and Niven attitudes on women. The new story, 'The woman in Del Rey crater', is a lacking one, and feels out of place. Pretty decent vintage scifi, and well worth the $2 I paid for them, but I would wait for a sale.
December 15, 2020
Difficult to follow
I have read the entire Ring World series and liked 90% of it. Great characters and easy to understand. The Mote In God's Eye, Integral Trees, Flatlander and a few others I have found difficult to follow. He jumps from one line of thinking to a point later on in the same line of thinking but leaves out whatever happened in the middle.
I have read the entire Ring World series and liked 90% of it. Great characters and easy to understand. The Mote In God's Eye, Integral Trees, Flatlander and a few others I have found difficult to follow. He jumps from one line of thinking to a point later on in the same line of thinking but leaves out whatever happened in the middle.
June 11, 2023
Wow.... my new favorite mystery stories. Loved the characters, loved the universe, and the puzzles were ingeniously devised. My favorite was probably "The Defenseless Dead," because he managed to perfectly time my understanding of all the final clues mere pages before the reveal.
September 22, 2022
From the moment on p2 where the main character uses a pen to take notes in what is supposed to the distant future, it was a bit hard for me to take the adventures of Gil "The Arm" Hamilton seriously. Not that it's easy to take a character named Gil "The Arm" Hamilton seriously. Especially when his nickname comes from the phantom arm he gains when he loses his real arm in an accident. And especially especially hard to take seriously when he gets an arm transplant, leaving him with two regular arms and one ghost arm. And especially especially especially difficult when the ghost arm is primarily just used to pick up women at the bar (and occasionally reach inside someone and crush their heart). You get the point. Pulpy, silly entertainment. The longest of the five short stories, The Patchwork Girl, was decent. The rest were mostly just dumb locked room mysteries (but in space!).
May 9, 2020
For fans of Larry Niven's Known Space writings, this is a fun slice of the main organlegging era. This is a collection of sci fi murder mysteries. I appreciate Niven's strict adherence to believable science fiction - you bend a couple currently accepted science facts, but then stick strictly to the rules after that. Gil Hamilton is a detective for a specialized global police force. Gil has a particular psychic ability that gives him a unique insight into various situations and is always helpful when solving crimes. The crimes occur in a solar system where humans inhabit the asteroid belt, the moon and a very crowded earth.
Having a bit of a science background certainly helps when reading this book, but it isn't necessary.
Niven is an excellent writer who crafts engaging personalities and stories. My first introduction was his classic "Ringworld", and I would probably suggest starting there if you are new to Niven.
Having a bit of a science background certainly helps when reading this book, but it isn't necessary.
Niven is an excellent writer who crafts engaging personalities and stories. My first introduction was his classic "Ringworld", and I would probably suggest starting there if you are new to Niven.
June 26, 2022
I read it because it was a detective sci fi narrative. Detective sci fi is a tricky thing, because a decent detective story should set it up so that the reader could conceivably, figure out what was going on and should likely kick themselves when they get to the end, but a sci fi story allows literally anything to happen. Crafting a detective narrative where the rules of the game are fixed enough for the reader to still be able to speculate correctly on what's going on is tricky. (See Peter Hamilton. Aliens and sentient planets are not good plot twists!) This manages to do a really good job of keeping it all in check.
February 14, 2017
Ubersleuth Gil Hamilton is Awesome!
It took me a bit to like Gil. His a detective, of sorts, and can’t let a puzzle go unsolved. He doesn’t ruminate, and never navel-gazes. He doesn’t think; he does. He does not dither; he executes. Because of this the pace of the writing can move very fast and if you’re not paying attention you can get lost very quickly. It’s the opposite of some of these romantic epic fantasies loitering around. The writing style takes a bit of getting used to. Larry Niven always writes very directly, but here, coupled with Gil Hamilton’s no bulltish approach, the prose can feel dry especially if you’re used to a more poetic style. It’s like reading a science textbook at times. A very cool, interesting textbook.
While the characters are flat in terms of arc, I still enjoyed them. But the fun is in the radical sci fi concepts and the way the characters interact with the setting and the awesome tech. Larry is the king of Big Ideas and he dishes out tonnes of them in all of his books, this being no exception. If you like cool ideas, then you should read this!
What we have here are 5 short stories – mystery thrillers, in big-idea sci fi settings. They are inconsistent: Some are awesome, others a bit humdrum. But together, a great collection, building on each other as they go. I wish there were more!
Death by Ecstasy 5*stars
The Defenceless Dead 4*stars
ARM 2.5*stars
The Patchwork Girl 5*stars
The Woman in Del Rey Crater 3.5*stars
Overall, a solid 4 stars. Highly recommend Death by Ecstasy. And The Defenceless Dead should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in cryogenics. The Patchwork Girl for fun.
It took me a bit to like Gil. His a detective, of sorts, and can’t let a puzzle go unsolved. He doesn’t ruminate, and never navel-gazes. He doesn’t think; he does. He does not dither; he executes. Because of this the pace of the writing can move very fast and if you’re not paying attention you can get lost very quickly. It’s the opposite of some of these romantic epic fantasies loitering around. The writing style takes a bit of getting used to. Larry Niven always writes very directly, but here, coupled with Gil Hamilton’s no bulltish approach, the prose can feel dry especially if you’re used to a more poetic style. It’s like reading a science textbook at times. A very cool, interesting textbook.
While the characters are flat in terms of arc, I still enjoyed them. But the fun is in the radical sci fi concepts and the way the characters interact with the setting and the awesome tech. Larry is the king of Big Ideas and he dishes out tonnes of them in all of his books, this being no exception. If you like cool ideas, then you should read this!
What we have here are 5 short stories – mystery thrillers, in big-idea sci fi settings. They are inconsistent: Some are awesome, others a bit humdrum. But together, a great collection, building on each other as they go. I wish there were more!
Death by Ecstasy 5*stars
The Defenceless Dead 4*stars
ARM 2.5*stars
The Patchwork Girl 5*stars
The Woman in Del Rey Crater 3.5*stars
Overall, a solid 4 stars. Highly recommend Death by Ecstasy. And The Defenceless Dead should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in cryogenics. The Patchwork Girl for fun.
August 15, 2018
This handful of sci-fi locked-room mysteries, featuring a well-traveled detective with a little bit of telekinetic ability, makes for some good reading. (Also that's a lot of hyphenated words, but oh well)
"Death by Ecstasy" is a bit weak overall, but works as an introduction to the character of Gil Hamilton, his past, his abilities, and the world in which the stories are set. We're educated on the politics of an overpopulated Earth and the asteroid belt, and the organ bootlegging going on to keep people alive.
"The Defenseless Dead" is a big step up in a lot of ways. It explores more of the setting and politics, goes more in-depth about the organlegger crime syndicates, and has a better story.
"ARM" shows some clear scars of having been reworked several times, but the mystery itself- and the many suspects- are fascinating. This story moves away from the focus on organlegging, and in my opinion is better for it.
"Patchwork Girl" is the real standout here. Set on the moon, it's a more complex and involved story, with multiple moving parts as well as some detective story staples- the heartbreaking ex, for example, and some red herrings. It doesn't quite stick the landing at the end, feeling like it skips over a piece or two of the puzzle, but everything leading up to the final chapter is phenomenal.
"The Woman in Del Rey Crater" wraps up this collection nicely. After the ambitious "Patchwork Girl" it comes in at less than half the length, has a story that ties itself up neatly, and still manages to find new concepts to explore within this universe of Niven's imagining, and new ways to take advantage of Hamilton's psi abilities.
While none of these stories quite manages to hit a 5/5 for me, each having its own few issues that keep me from praising them as particularly outstanding, they never fail, nor do any part of them really drop lower than a 3.5 (and that only in parts). 4 stars is a fair score, I think, if a touch low.
What Larry Niven pulls off here is a damn fine collection of stories that mix two genres together nicely. I would absolutely recommend this book to people who can dig sci-fi and like detective stories, or vice versa, or for those, like myself, who enjoy both. If you're not a fan of one of the genres, this probably won't work so well for you.
"Death by Ecstasy" is a bit weak overall, but works as an introduction to the character of Gil Hamilton, his past, his abilities, and the world in which the stories are set. We're educated on the politics of an overpopulated Earth and the asteroid belt, and the organ bootlegging going on to keep people alive.
"The Defenseless Dead" is a big step up in a lot of ways. It explores more of the setting and politics, goes more in-depth about the organlegger crime syndicates, and has a better story.
"ARM" shows some clear scars of having been reworked several times, but the mystery itself- and the many suspects- are fascinating. This story moves away from the focus on organlegging, and in my opinion is better for it.
"Patchwork Girl" is the real standout here. Set on the moon, it's a more complex and involved story, with multiple moving parts as well as some detective story staples- the heartbreaking ex, for example, and some red herrings. It doesn't quite stick the landing at the end, feeling like it skips over a piece or two of the puzzle, but everything leading up to the final chapter is phenomenal.
"The Woman in Del Rey Crater" wraps up this collection nicely. After the ambitious "Patchwork Girl" it comes in at less than half the length, has a story that ties itself up neatly, and still manages to find new concepts to explore within this universe of Niven's imagining, and new ways to take advantage of Hamilton's psi abilities.
While none of these stories quite manages to hit a 5/5 for me, each having its own few issues that keep me from praising them as particularly outstanding, they never fail, nor do any part of them really drop lower than a 3.5 (and that only in parts). 4 stars is a fair score, I think, if a touch low.
What Larry Niven pulls off here is a damn fine collection of stories that mix two genres together nicely. I would absolutely recommend this book to people who can dig sci-fi and like detective stories, or vice versa, or for those, like myself, who enjoy both. If you're not a fan of one of the genres, this probably won't work so well for you.
June 25, 2021
Niven, Larry. Flatlander. Del Rey, 1995.
Flatlander brings together a group of Niven novellas featuring the somewhat psychic agent for ARM (Amalgamated Regional Militia), Gil the Arm. The stories are all classics of their kind and are must-reads for fans of science-fiction mystery mashups. For known-space newbies, a Flatlander is someone from Earth, which Gil is, though he managed to lose an arm in the asteroid belt. Many of the stories deal with the stealing of human organs for a burgeoning transplant industry and addiction to electronic implants that directly stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain. “Death by Ecstasy” is a good locked-room mystery with this theme. Of special interest in this edition is an essay in which Niven explains the difficulties of constructing stories that meet the often-conflicting demands of mystery plots and science fiction. Five stars for its narrow audience.
Flatlander brings together a group of Niven novellas featuring the somewhat psychic agent for ARM (Amalgamated Regional Militia), Gil the Arm. The stories are all classics of their kind and are must-reads for fans of science-fiction mystery mashups. For known-space newbies, a Flatlander is someone from Earth, which Gil is, though he managed to lose an arm in the asteroid belt. Many of the stories deal with the stealing of human organs for a burgeoning transplant industry and addiction to electronic implants that directly stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain. “Death by Ecstasy” is a good locked-room mystery with this theme. Of special interest in this edition is an essay in which Niven explains the difficulties of constructing stories that meet the often-conflicting demands of mystery plots and science fiction. Five stars for its narrow audience.
August 24, 2011
All the Gil “The Arm” Hamilton stories collected in one volume with a previously unpublished story. These are good SciFi murder mysteries set in the Known Space universe. It just goes to show that Niven has a devious mind. As he says himself, SciFi murder stories are tricky since the reader must know all the “rules” of the environment in order to have a shot at solving the mystery himself.
Note: Most of the stories were previously published in “The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton”.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1024
Note: Most of the stories were previously published in “The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton”.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1024
March 10, 2019
I had expected some compact and well-paced stories. Instead I found copious amounts of backstory, emotion, male-bonding, talk-talk-talk... etc. More importantly, the whole concept of a psychic detective doing telekinetic action in an otherwise realistic projection of the present times, appeared to be ludicrous.
The interconnected works contained herein are:
1. Death by Ecstasy
2. The Defenseless Dead
3. ARM
4. Patchwork Girl
5. The Woman in Del Ray Crater
The mysteries, if written in hard-boiled style, would have been enjoyable. Alas, that didn’t happen. The author drowned them in words.
The interconnected works contained herein are:
1. Death by Ecstasy
2. The Defenseless Dead
3. ARM
4. Patchwork Girl
5. The Woman in Del Ray Crater
The mysteries, if written in hard-boiled style, would have been enjoyable. Alas, that didn’t happen. The author drowned them in words.
May 30, 2020
Flatlander Review
Theme:
The theme for the Flatlander novel centers around the value of a human life both literally and metaphorically. This is accomplished via the problems of the broken world that the main protagonist finds himself in and the conflicting nature of his job working as an Arms agent. The theme is explored via the comparisons made between being an ARMs Agent and an Organlegger, as both supply the world with organs to be used for longevity treatments.
Although each short story is an isolated incident with references to each other, they all build upon the idea of human life being made up of more than its parts and the fact that justice is not served when personal gain (either from politicians or the masses) is considered and not rehabilitation or treatment that is just. Such an example is that of the Patchwork Girl of whom was already torn apart and scarred forever despite her innocence, proving that innocent individuals are most likely torn down as soon as possible and that justice is not concerned, merely the use of someone’s organs. This changes the nature of the law and the rights of a human being inherently and shows that human life should not be limited by the desires of others, regardless of the Consensus Gentium.
Broken World:
The broken world that the main protagonist finds himself in is the overpopulated Earth in the 22nd century. Medical technology and breakthroughs have increased the chance of successful transplants of donor cells and organs, leading to many using the system to either prolong their life or solve serious illnesses.
This leads to the vote that a human life has inherently lost its value given the overcrowded nature of the Earth and the populace wanting to live forever. This causes the legalization of harvesting prisoner organs for major crimes which soon devolves into harvesting organs for all crimes (Including petty theft, traffic tickets, etc,).
The political landscape of the Earth has also changed to that of a globalized initiative under the United Nations. This means that all laws are enacted all across the Globe, with the United Nations enforcing their laws and influence through the use of the ARM, the Amalgamated Regional Militia that polices the world and acts as a military branch of the United Nations.
Protagonist:
The main protagonist of the Flatlander novel, one of the first books to be made within the Known Space series by Larry Niven, is that of Detective Gil Hamilton, an ARMs agent, that works for the Amalgamated Regional Militia, of which is an FBI task force for the United Nations, of whom works to catch organ leggers and bring them to justice.
Gil Hamilton originally worked for most of his life as a Belter, but left his occupation to return to Earth after an accident caused him to lose his arm. Before receiving a transplant from the organ banks, he used his phantom arm feeling to grow his telekinetic and psychic abilities that allow him to use a ghost arm to move objects, feel inside individuals and conduct investigations. After his transplant, Gil still keeps his phantom arm and becomes known as “Gil the Arm Hamilton, Arm agent.”
Antagonist:
Given the nature of the novel and the face that it is made up of several short stories surrounding the life of Gil Hamilton, it’s impossible to say that there is a single antagonist. Because of this, the antagonist is the “Criminal” of whom Gil Hamilton is attempting to bring to justice. Either it’s an organ legger, a suspected murderer, or so on. Each criminal uses advanced futuristic tehcnologies to change the nature of their murder and make them nearly impossible to catch.
Scientific Theories:
There are several pieces of advanced science fiction technologies and theories that are explored in the novel that are detailed below:
-High Efficiency Transplant
In the future, the rate of rejection for an organ is much lower than modern day methods. Although the reason for this is not known, the argument holds that a lowering of rejection would promote the value of human life for physical reasons.
-Spy Beams
Spy beams are a piece of technology that uses a laser bounced off of a mirror within a room. When sound is made, it vibrates the mirror just enough to allow the laser to pick up on the differences and recreate the sound outside. In some variations, a spy beam could be used through windows, curtains and possibly even through walls.
-Cloning
In the Patchwork girl story, a woman is a surrogate for her own clone similar to how dolly the sheep was cloned. This allows her to raise her own child of which is a direct clone of herself.
-Moon Base
Permanent habitation on the moon is enacted by the 22nd century with a whole generation already having been born that grow to taller heights with the low moon gravity compared to Earth gravity.
-Stun Guns
A special weapon used to detain individuals which instantly knocks them out is used in place of other far more lethal or damaging weapons to allow the bodies to be used for organs.
-Telepathy
Psionic powers are seen as a genetic trait that is explored more in depth in the future as the population continues to grow. The mechanisms for such abilities are not explored deeply, however, it is believed to be an evolutionary trait involving the brain.
7-Telekinetic Abilities
Psionic powers are seen as a genetic trait that is explored more in depth in the future as the population continues to grow. The mechanisms for such abilities are not explored deeply, however, it is believed to be an evolutionary trait involving the brain.
-Remote Viewing
Psionic powers are seen as a genetic trait that is explored more in depth in the future as the population continues to grow. The mechanisms for such abilities are not explored deeply, however, it is believed to be an evolutionary trait involving the brain.
Favorite Part Of The Book:
By far, my favorite part of the novel is centered around the use of an inertial-less drive to create time differences in localized areas. Allowing for someone to spend months of time inside a bubble with only a few seconds passing in outside time. Although this is used creatively for murder, it does help to create a rather fascinating fantasy of being bale to get years of work done in a few hours with extra time to spend for the outside world.
Additional Thoughts:
This book is my favorite book that I have read thus far. I have always been a huge fan of LA Noire style movies and stories and the nature of this book seems to be cut and paste those styles but set in a science fiction future with strange locked room mysteries and futuristic technologies.
Theme:
The theme for the Flatlander novel centers around the value of a human life both literally and metaphorically. This is accomplished via the problems of the broken world that the main protagonist finds himself in and the conflicting nature of his job working as an Arms agent. The theme is explored via the comparisons made between being an ARMs Agent and an Organlegger, as both supply the world with organs to be used for longevity treatments.
Although each short story is an isolated incident with references to each other, they all build upon the idea of human life being made up of more than its parts and the fact that justice is not served when personal gain (either from politicians or the masses) is considered and not rehabilitation or treatment that is just. Such an example is that of the Patchwork Girl of whom was already torn apart and scarred forever despite her innocence, proving that innocent individuals are most likely torn down as soon as possible and that justice is not concerned, merely the use of someone’s organs. This changes the nature of the law and the rights of a human being inherently and shows that human life should not be limited by the desires of others, regardless of the Consensus Gentium.
Broken World:
The broken world that the main protagonist finds himself in is the overpopulated Earth in the 22nd century. Medical technology and breakthroughs have increased the chance of successful transplants of donor cells and organs, leading to many using the system to either prolong their life or solve serious illnesses.
This leads to the vote that a human life has inherently lost its value given the overcrowded nature of the Earth and the populace wanting to live forever. This causes the legalization of harvesting prisoner organs for major crimes which soon devolves into harvesting organs for all crimes (Including petty theft, traffic tickets, etc,).
The political landscape of the Earth has also changed to that of a globalized initiative under the United Nations. This means that all laws are enacted all across the Globe, with the United Nations enforcing their laws and influence through the use of the ARM, the Amalgamated Regional Militia that polices the world and acts as a military branch of the United Nations.
Protagonist:
The main protagonist of the Flatlander novel, one of the first books to be made within the Known Space series by Larry Niven, is that of Detective Gil Hamilton, an ARMs agent, that works for the Amalgamated Regional Militia, of which is an FBI task force for the United Nations, of whom works to catch organ leggers and bring them to justice.
Gil Hamilton originally worked for most of his life as a Belter, but left his occupation to return to Earth after an accident caused him to lose his arm. Before receiving a transplant from the organ banks, he used his phantom arm feeling to grow his telekinetic and psychic abilities that allow him to use a ghost arm to move objects, feel inside individuals and conduct investigations. After his transplant, Gil still keeps his phantom arm and becomes known as “Gil the Arm Hamilton, Arm agent.”
Antagonist:
Given the nature of the novel and the face that it is made up of several short stories surrounding the life of Gil Hamilton, it’s impossible to say that there is a single antagonist. Because of this, the antagonist is the “Criminal” of whom Gil Hamilton is attempting to bring to justice. Either it’s an organ legger, a suspected murderer, or so on. Each criminal uses advanced futuristic tehcnologies to change the nature of their murder and make them nearly impossible to catch.
Scientific Theories:
There are several pieces of advanced science fiction technologies and theories that are explored in the novel that are detailed below:
-High Efficiency Transplant
In the future, the rate of rejection for an organ is much lower than modern day methods. Although the reason for this is not known, the argument holds that a lowering of rejection would promote the value of human life for physical reasons.
-Spy Beams
Spy beams are a piece of technology that uses a laser bounced off of a mirror within a room. When sound is made, it vibrates the mirror just enough to allow the laser to pick up on the differences and recreate the sound outside. In some variations, a spy beam could be used through windows, curtains and possibly even through walls.
-Cloning
In the Patchwork girl story, a woman is a surrogate for her own clone similar to how dolly the sheep was cloned. This allows her to raise her own child of which is a direct clone of herself.
-Moon Base
Permanent habitation on the moon is enacted by the 22nd century with a whole generation already having been born that grow to taller heights with the low moon gravity compared to Earth gravity.
-Stun Guns
A special weapon used to detain individuals which instantly knocks them out is used in place of other far more lethal or damaging weapons to allow the bodies to be used for organs.
-Telepathy
Psionic powers are seen as a genetic trait that is explored more in depth in the future as the population continues to grow. The mechanisms for such abilities are not explored deeply, however, it is believed to be an evolutionary trait involving the brain.
7-Telekinetic Abilities
Psionic powers are seen as a genetic trait that is explored more in depth in the future as the population continues to grow. The mechanisms for such abilities are not explored deeply, however, it is believed to be an evolutionary trait involving the brain.
-Remote Viewing
Psionic powers are seen as a genetic trait that is explored more in depth in the future as the population continues to grow. The mechanisms for such abilities are not explored deeply, however, it is believed to be an evolutionary trait involving the brain.
Favorite Part Of The Book:
By far, my favorite part of the novel is centered around the use of an inertial-less drive to create time differences in localized areas. Allowing for someone to spend months of time inside a bubble with only a few seconds passing in outside time. Although this is used creatively for murder, it does help to create a rather fascinating fantasy of being bale to get years of work done in a few hours with extra time to spend for the outside world.
Additional Thoughts:
This book is my favorite book that I have read thus far. I have always been a huge fan of LA Noire style movies and stories and the nature of this book seems to be cut and paste those styles but set in a science fiction future with strange locked room mysteries and futuristic technologies.
March 23, 2019
::This is not a Beowulf Shaeffer collection, but a Gil Hamilton one::
I'd read the first three novellas in this book years ago in a paperback collection called
The Long ARM of Gil Hamilton, by Larry Niven. In this series of previously-published novellas, Gil Hamilton, Agent of Amalgamated Regional Militia (ARM), investigates crimes involving the kidnapping and removal of organs and body parts from victims for sale on the transplant Black Market ("Organlegging"), investigating the use of new technology for its possible application as a weapon - and the least favorite part of the job, Mother Hunts (tracking down women who refuse to take their birth control so they can have a baby - in a world where the population is 17 Billion, this is considered the most important part of ARM's brief).
Unlike most people Hamilton has a not-so-secret weapon - a third psychic "arm" he developed when one of his real arms was cut off during an asteroid mining mishap, which stays with him even after he gets an arm transplant on Earth. The psychic arm itself can't lift much more than a cigarette or a full shotglass, but he can reach through walls and even viewscreens with it to feel around for evidence, unlock a door, or just show off (something he does a lot in the stories).
In the first story, "Death By Ecstasy", Gil meets Taffy, a woman who's interested enough in him to follow along on his Ritual Drunk for an old friend he recently discovered dead in a tiny windowless apartment, plugged into a "Droud" (a device that uses electricity to stimulate the brain's pleasure centers, and highly addictive!). Hamilton refuses to believe his friend would kill himself in that manner, but the local police (already a bit jealous over jurisdiction) are initially eager to rule his friend's death a suicide. Gil & Taffy end up spending the night together, though both aren't sure if this means more than a night's entertainment. Of course Gil's right about his friend's death, and the discovery of what his friend was doing when he was set up to die puts Agent Hamilton in the crosshairs of Loren, the biggest and deadliest Organlegger West of the Mississippi. After the case is over Gil calls up Taffy to see if she'd like to go out again - she would, but explains the reason for her initial reluctance is because she's Dr. Taffy Grimes, Transplant Surgeon(!), so they'll need some ground rules about what to discuss and not to if their relationship is to progress!
"The Defenseless Dead" comes next, with Gil's and Taffy's relationship settling into a comfortable routine - which gets decidedly un comfortable when some guy shows up while they're out on a date and starts shooting at Gil with a laser rifle! Hamilton puts the guy down with "Mercy Needles" (nonlethal projectiles that knock the person you're shooting at out (so they can be preserved for the organ banks later!) but he dies on the spot - which tells both Gil and a local police detective this supposedly random person took something so he'd die if hit with Mercy Needles, which means he might have links to organlegging.
Taffy & Gil's evolving relationship is a secondary theme that runs through this series, save the third novella "Arm". In the first three stories written in the Sixties and published in the early Seventies, they're a monogamous couple - but in the final two, written in the Eighties and Nineties, they're seeing other people in addition to each other, and by the start of the final novella, "The Woman in Del Rey Crater", Gil Hamilton, Taffy Grimes, Gil's Loonie (born&bred on the Moon) Cop girlfriend Laura Drury, and Tammy's Loonie Doctor boyfriend Harry McCavity, are all in a four-way polyamorous relationship which, given the cultural conservatism of Lunar Society is, while not illegal, inclined to raise eyebrows at an inconvenient time.
I'd read the first three novellas in this book years ago in a paperback collection called
The Long ARM of Gil Hamilton, by Larry Niven. In this series of previously-published novellas, Gil Hamilton, Agent of Amalgamated Regional Militia (ARM), investigates crimes involving the kidnapping and removal of organs and body parts from victims for sale on the transplant Black Market ("Organlegging"), investigating the use of new technology for its possible application as a weapon - and the least favorite part of the job, Mother Hunts (tracking down women who refuse to take their birth control so they can have a baby - in a world where the population is 17 Billion, this is considered the most important part of ARM's brief). Unlike most people Hamilton has a not-so-secret weapon - a third psychic "arm" he developed when one of his real arms was cut off during an asteroid mining mishap, which stays with him even after he gets an arm transplant on Earth. The psychic arm itself can't lift much more than a cigarette or a full shotglass, but he can reach through walls and even viewscreens with it to feel around for evidence, unlock a door, or just show off (something he does a lot in the stories).
In the first story, "Death By Ecstasy", Gil meets Taffy, a woman who's interested enough in him to follow along on his Ritual Drunk for an old friend he recently discovered dead in a tiny windowless apartment, plugged into a "Droud" (a device that uses electricity to stimulate the brain's pleasure centers, and highly addictive!). Hamilton refuses to believe his friend would kill himself in that manner, but the local police (already a bit jealous over jurisdiction) are initially eager to rule his friend's death a suicide. Gil & Taffy end up spending the night together, though both aren't sure if this means more than a night's entertainment. Of course Gil's right about his friend's death, and the discovery of what his friend was doing when he was set up to die puts Agent Hamilton in the crosshairs of Loren, the biggest and deadliest Organlegger West of the Mississippi. After the case is over Gil calls up Taffy to see if she'd like to go out again - she would, but explains the reason for her initial reluctance is because she's Dr. Taffy Grimes, Transplant Surgeon(!), so they'll need some ground rules about what to discuss and not to if their relationship is to progress!
"The Defenseless Dead" comes next, with Gil's and Taffy's relationship settling into a comfortable routine - which gets decidedly un comfortable when some guy shows up while they're out on a date and starts shooting at Gil with a laser rifle! Hamilton puts the guy down with "Mercy Needles" (nonlethal projectiles that knock the person you're shooting at out (so they can be preserved for the organ banks later!) but he dies on the spot - which tells both Gil and a local police detective this supposedly random person took something so he'd die if hit with Mercy Needles, which means he might have links to organlegging.
Taffy & Gil's evolving relationship is a secondary theme that runs through this series, save the third novella "Arm". In the first three stories written in the Sixties and published in the early Seventies, they're a monogamous couple - but in the final two, written in the Eighties and Nineties, they're seeing other people in addition to each other, and by the start of the final novella, "The Woman in Del Rey Crater", Gil Hamilton, Taffy Grimes, Gil's Loonie (born&bred on the Moon) Cop girlfriend Laura Drury, and Tammy's Loonie Doctor boyfriend Harry McCavity, are all in a four-way polyamorous relationship which, given the cultural conservatism of Lunar Society is, while not illegal, inclined to raise eyebrows at an inconvenient time.
August 14, 2018
Larry Niven has long been one of my favorite authors, particularly his Known Space books. The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton (containing the short stories Death by Ecstasy, The Defenseless Dead, and ARM) was first published in 1976 and I read it about that time. Patchwork Girl came out in 1980. As I recognized that title, I likely read that, too.
Flatlander itself was first published in 1995 with these four stories PLUS a new story Woman in Del Ray Crater. I likely read Flatlander that year (but I don't remember).
Fortunately for me, Flatlander was issued in Kindle format in 2009. So, I just finished reading it yesterday. Since it had been so long, I was delighted to discover that I had remembered little of the plots (other than Gil has an "imaginary arm", due to Esper powers) so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories.
Gil Hamilton is UN police (called the UN ARM). So, all of these are detective stories in an SF setting. I particularly enjoy police procedurals these days and that is what these stories are.
You might ask why there are only five stories in the Gil Hamilton sequence.
The author's afterword answers that question: it is difficult to write a good murder mystery that is also set in a science fiction world. Not only does the author have to satisfy mystery fans but he ALSO has to satisfy SF fans at the same time.
So, I agree that I'm happy to have five GOOD stories, instead of twenty or thirty so-so stories.
Highly recommended!
Flatlander itself was first published in 1995 with these four stories PLUS a new story Woman in Del Ray Crater. I likely read Flatlander that year (but I don't remember).
Fortunately for me, Flatlander was issued in Kindle format in 2009. So, I just finished reading it yesterday. Since it had been so long, I was delighted to discover that I had remembered little of the plots (other than Gil has an "imaginary arm", due to Esper powers) so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories.
Gil Hamilton is UN police (called the UN ARM). So, all of these are detective stories in an SF setting. I particularly enjoy police procedurals these days and that is what these stories are.
You might ask why there are only five stories in the Gil Hamilton sequence.
The author's afterword answers that question: it is difficult to write a good murder mystery that is also set in a science fiction world. Not only does the author have to satisfy mystery fans but he ALSO has to satisfy SF fans at the same time.
So, I agree that I'm happy to have five GOOD stories, instead of twenty or thirty so-so stories.
Highly recommended!
September 3, 2025
I read this as a book club pick and I really struggled to get through it. This collection of short stories featured the detective Gil "The Arm" Hamilton as he solves several murders. The unique angle is that Gil has an invisible arm that he can use to feel through skin, walls, and electronic devices. The setting is decidedly sci fi (advanced technology and time on the moon). But the stories read like a jumble of events, back story, technology and setting explanations, and side stories. It felt so disorganized I found myself having difficulty keeping focused.
I won't go through each story, as I usually do, because all had some of the following features:
-Gil feeling around with his arm to find hidden clues
-Exploration of the fact that selling human organs is a big business in this world
-Discussions about the fact that childbirth is tightly restricted for the characters
-A dead body that confounds the locals
-Gil's sex life and the fact that most women seem to be only secretaries or sex partners
A couple of the stories had clear, dynamic sections. "Patchwork Girl" had the longest stretch of a cohesive, linear story.
As I read this, I often wondered why some details and side stories were even included. I didn't find Gil especially likable and the focus on organ selling seemed overdone. Some may enjoy the novelty of a detective with an invisible arm but I did not. The prose is serviceable most of the time.
I won't go through each story, as I usually do, because all had some of the following features:
-Gil feeling around with his arm to find hidden clues
-Exploration of the fact that selling human organs is a big business in this world
-Discussions about the fact that childbirth is tightly restricted for the characters
-A dead body that confounds the locals
-Gil's sex life and the fact that most women seem to be only secretaries or sex partners
A couple of the stories had clear, dynamic sections. "Patchwork Girl" had the longest stretch of a cohesive, linear story.
As I read this, I often wondered why some details and side stories were even included. I didn't find Gil especially likable and the focus on organ selling seemed overdone. Some may enjoy the novelty of a detective with an invisible arm but I did not. The prose is serviceable most of the time.
March 24, 2021
Probably my third time reading it. And to note, I have never read anything else by Larry Niven (Ringworld really doesn't seem like my cup of tea).
I was wondering how it would hold up as in the last 5-10 years we've been blessed with a bounty of diverse, creative sci-fi written by a variety of authors. Overall it holds up pretty well, although it's clearly being told through the filter of an old white guy. Apart from a few "yikes" moments when describing some characters, the world building is plausible with interesting new technologies and ways of living. Additionally it's shown with a deft hand, without being bogged down by excessive info dumps or technical information. Pacing could be a little uneven, but that's common for novellas I think.
I really like how Gil has a "psychic arm" which is a part of who his current identity and does actually help him solve crimes, but not as much as you'd think. I remember the first time I read this as a teenager being really amazed that it wasn't that big a deal in the book!
I do have a fondness for sci fi/detective stories, and I don't think there are that many out there. Overall the mysteries are good, but like the Finder series by Suzanne Palmer, the reader would be unlikely to solve the mystery themselves. Indeed, they are usually solved by the protagonist just being really good at making connections!
I was wondering how it would hold up as in the last 5-10 years we've been blessed with a bounty of diverse, creative sci-fi written by a variety of authors. Overall it holds up pretty well, although it's clearly being told through the filter of an old white guy. Apart from a few "yikes" moments when describing some characters, the world building is plausible with interesting new technologies and ways of living. Additionally it's shown with a deft hand, without being bogged down by excessive info dumps or technical information. Pacing could be a little uneven, but that's common for novellas I think.
I really like how Gil has a "psychic arm" which is a part of who his current identity and does actually help him solve crimes, but not as much as you'd think. I remember the first time I read this as a teenager being really amazed that it wasn't that big a deal in the book!
I do have a fondness for sci fi/detective stories, and I don't think there are that many out there. Overall the mysteries are good, but like the Finder series by Suzanne Palmer, the reader would be unlikely to solve the mystery themselves. Indeed, they are usually solved by the protagonist just being really good at making connections!
July 23, 2021
I know it was long time ago when Niven, with Brin, Baer, Benford and a a few others were the upcoming stars of hard science fiction. Its not that this has aged badly, it hasn't when compared to other science fiction aged all that badly. It is that I remain on the fence about Niven as a writer.
Niven's flaws are in the area of dialogue, and characterization. I mean, it's difficult to do in shorts/novellas, but if you're using the same character time after time you have opportunities (see Butcher's Dresden there's been some there over all the years). He struggles writing women characters.
The strengths are the concepts. Organ replacement/transplant is common. The demand is so high that the death penalty is the mandatory sentence for a rising number of convictions. That culture would be different between Earth, Moon and Asteroid colonies makes sense.
The Hamilton stories are really classic who done its. Hamilton's trick is a telekinetic "arm" he has after losing his original arm in the Belt. The phantom arm does not play a big role in the stories in this collection. The murders/crimes are solved through standard detection work and deduction.
Niven's flaws are in the area of dialogue, and characterization. I mean, it's difficult to do in shorts/novellas, but if you're using the same character time after time you have opportunities (see Butcher's Dresden there's been some there over all the years). He struggles writing women characters.
The strengths are the concepts. Organ replacement/transplant is common. The demand is so high that the death penalty is the mandatory sentence for a rising number of convictions. That culture would be different between Earth, Moon and Asteroid colonies makes sense.
The Hamilton stories are really classic who done its. Hamilton's trick is a telekinetic "arm" he has after losing his original arm in the Belt. The phantom arm does not play a big role in the stories in this collection. The murders/crimes are solved through standard detection work and deduction.
May 26, 2024
This series of novellas features a character named Gil "the Arm" Hamilton. During his period as a miner (belter) he lost his physical arm, and later he managed to get a transplanted arm, but in the meantime, he developed a psionic arm. His telekintetic arm is not overly strong, but can reach through walls like a ghost in order to examine things otherwise inaccesible.
This trait is the most interesting part of this series of stories, as Hamilton investigates organ bootleggers. The first story is the best of the lot. Some of the other stories depend upon futuristic cultural practicves that the reader will be unfamiliar with (the sexual activity and relationships in the lunar colony)-- Since understanding that culture is important for the other mystery stories-- it is like the author was not playing fairly with his readers...
Further, there are places where it seems that Niven was well aware that he was being paid by the word (assuming these stories were first published elsewhere) and become overly wordy and keep stretching the stories out beyond what seems practical and at othertimes enjoyable.
I enjoyed the book, but was anxious for it to come to an end.
This trait is the most interesting part of this series of stories, as Hamilton investigates organ bootleggers. The first story is the best of the lot. Some of the other stories depend upon futuristic cultural practicves that the reader will be unfamiliar with (the sexual activity and relationships in the lunar colony)-- Since understanding that culture is important for the other mystery stories-- it is like the author was not playing fairly with his readers...
Further, there are places where it seems that Niven was well aware that he was being paid by the word (assuming these stories were first published elsewhere) and become overly wordy and keep stretching the stories out beyond what seems practical and at othertimes enjoyable.
I enjoyed the book, but was anxious for it to come to an end.
February 23, 2019
A friend told me about Gil, The Arm, and I was intrigued enough to seek out this collection. Only four stories here, though the first one took over three quarters of the audiobook's length! What struck me most were the shades of The Expanse showing up in the stories (belter, Ceres, Anubis, etc) which made me wonder if the writing team of James S. A. Corey were readers of the Known Space books and thereby influenced to some extent. Flatlander predates The Expanse by decades, so it obviously not the other way around. This is no slight on The Expanse, only that it was quite interesting to me to hear such terms from a mid 90's publication, and realize that the antagonal relationships of the separate peoples and governments of Earth, the moon, and the belt was not a novel concept attributable to The Expanse. Overall, I felt the stories were readable, if uneven with regard to enjoyment by me, and the first one was overlong and could have used some whittling down. My favorite of the batch was the final one in the book. That one was quite good.
February 2, 2024
The world created is very interesting. Medical organ transplantation has become so effective, people are killing each other for organs. Most crimes are punishable by the death penalty so more organs can go to transplant. And the “freezer people”, people who are dying of illnesses to which there are no cure, or angsty teens who dream of a better tomorrow freeze themself to be woken up later. Now the freezer people are being looked at as possible organs.
The sociology of it all is interesting.
The first two short stories are great. They focus on the organlegging or stealing organs.
The next three are not.
The writing doesn’t hold up as well, and some of the mystery reveals are hard to understand.
I would read the first two, skip the rest.
The sociology of it all is interesting.
The first two short stories are great. They focus on the organlegging or stealing organs.
The next three are not.
The writing doesn’t hold up as well, and some of the mystery reveals are hard to understand.
I would read the first two, skip the rest.
August 9, 2018
An interesting collection of scifi detective stories. I liked the premise of the universe, once again I thought the world building Larry Niven gives the reader is intriguing. I thought the writing was a little dated after so many years but that helped add to the feeling of noir and I didn't mind as much because of it was a collection of shorter stories. I also liked that the stories all followed the same main character in the same world. I thought the longest story was the weakest, but I enjoyed them all.
February 24, 2020
Five stories of Gil "The Arm" Hamilton from known space.
I usually love stories by Niven, but this one was a struggle. I finished it because I started it, and I don't know if I will climb this particular mountain again.
I liked the characters in the stories, but I am thinking the "lunies" vs. "belters" vs. "flatlanders" language was a bit too much for me. Each culture had a different approach to life, love, and organ transplants, and the level of detail was just enough. But there was so much "us versus them" language that I was turned off.
I usually love stories by Niven, but this one was a struggle. I finished it because I started it, and I don't know if I will climb this particular mountain again.
I liked the characters in the stories, but I am thinking the "lunies" vs. "belters" vs. "flatlanders" language was a bit too much for me. Each culture had a different approach to life, love, and organ transplants, and the level of detail was just enough. But there was so much "us versus them" language that I was turned off.
November 21, 2020
I have likes and dislikes with Niven's work. I first read the Known Space stories a long time ago and really liked them. I tried Ringworld and did not care for it so I did not read any of the other books. I did read the Fleet of Worlds stories (all of them) and did not really care for them either. This book was sort of OK. It was attention grabbing but I don't really like murder mysteries in general and that's what these stories were about.
June 14, 2021
It is a mix of good and bad short stories. Starting story is boring, but as it lays the foundation to the main charactor you have no choice but to go through them. If you don't follow the order of the short stories, you will have hard time understanding some terms and references at some points. Overall it is a lightweight read. Classic sci fi stories with good twists. However all most all the stories are locked room myateries thanks to the future technology.
March 21, 2018
This one collects all the tales about Gill the Arm. These are fot the most part some kind of crime mysteries. So, short stories by Niven.
The stories are again great. Again Niven gets to write short, sharp and witty tales that really keep your interest.
I really enjoyed these and if you are a fan of Nivens work or would enjoy scifi crime mysteries, this is a good choice for you.
The stories are again great. Again Niven gets to write short, sharp and witty tales that really keep your interest.
I really enjoyed these and if you are a fan of Nivens work or would enjoy scifi crime mysteries, this is a good choice for you.
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