From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

Ringworld (Ringworld #1)

Larry Niven

Start date: July 1, 2013

Finish date: July 31, 2013

Discussion: 2013 Reads

Why we're reading this: This month's main pick.…more
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2013 Reads

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What Members Thought

Jul 08, 2013 Matthew rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Can't say I was a huge fan of this book. In general it seems that my sensibilities to not meld well with a lot of 1970's scifi. Unline some other books that I have read like Stranger in a Strange Land, I didn't really have any problems with the ideas here. I felt the book was just sort of boring. The first two-thirds of it was very uneventful and seemed rather pedantic. When we finally did make our way to the Ringworld, the reader really didn't get to learn all that much about it. We experienced ...more

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Jun 19, 2009 Tom rated it it was ok

Shelves: hard-copy

First half of this book was quite good, but the second half was not. Once arriving at the Ringworld, it's like the characters ran out of story... 2nd half was just trudging across the Ringworld, yes occassionally getting in a tight spot or seeing something interesting, but mostly to no great end.

Again, another science fiction story with a great deal of chauvinism. Female characters are only here to serve at the pleasure of the male characters. Imagine, a race so far advanced from ours that they ...more

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Jul 11, 2013 Russell Patterson rated it it was ok

Shelves: stopped-reading

I am sure that this is a fine book, but ultimately, after a number of chapters I find that I just don't care.

It was a selection for Sword and Laser and I started the book with high hopes, listening to it from Audible, but while I like Luis Wu well enough and Speaker to Animals, the Kzin, ultimately I don't really care about any of it and so am starting. I may "pick it back up" at some other time, but right now, it is not holding my interest.

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Nov 19, 2010 Jason rated it liked it

I appreciate and understand why Ringworld won all the awards it did and why it is considered a classic of science fiction. However, reading Ringworld reminded me that I don't really like "hard" science fiction. While I am glad I read it and I don't feel like I wasted my time or anything, it did remind me that I greatly prefer fantasy -> give me Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, or Rick Riordan any day. ...more

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May 31, 2013 Neil rated it it was ok

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But I was so relieved to be done - it felt like work. Two stars might be too generous. There were some fun moments and this is a classic, so there must be something wrong with me for not liking it. One star for those few fun moments and one guilt induced star for my lack of appreciation for what so many refer to as a work of sci-fi art. ;-)

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Jul 09, 2013 Bill rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, owned-ebook, booklog-2013

At first, I was disappointed. I read the beginning of it back in the 80s. Remember it being more hard-science-fictiony. But now it seems that it's a bit of a snide lark. But, now that I'm done with it, I'm actually pleased that I finished it. Might not have had a thrilling plot or complex characters. But it was a definitive Big Dumb Object story and I enjoyed the ride. ...more

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