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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Larry Niven
Niven is the author of numerous science fiction short stories and novels, beginning with his 1964 story "The Coldest Place". In this story, the coldest place concerned is the dark side of Mercury, which at the time the story was written was thought to be tidally locked with the Sun (it was found to rotate in a 2:3 resonance just months before the story was published).In 1967, Niven won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story for "Neutron Star". He won the same award 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 ("The Slaver Weapon" with the Kzinti species). He adapted his successful 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. The "Bible" for Green Lantern was written by Niven.
Many of Niven's stories take place in his Known Space universe, in which humanity shares the several solar systems nearest to the Sun with over a dozen alien species, including aggressive felines Kzinti and super-intelligent but personally cowardly Pierson's Puppeteers, which are frequently central characters. The Ringworld series is set in the Known Space universe.
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. However, the criticism has been made that once the basic characteristics of Niven's alien species have been defined, all subsequent actions by members of that species seem predictable and predetermined[citation needed], giving them a kind of "pre-programmed" character lacking free will and excusing ruthless actions on their part (for example, the committing of genocide by a Pak Protector).
Niven has also written a logical fantasy series The Magic Goes Away.
The Draco Tavern series of short stories take place in a more whimsical science fiction universe, told from the point of view of the proprietor of a multi-species bar.
Much of his writing since 1970s has been in collaboration with Jerry Pournelle and/or Steven Barnes.
Download Books :
Niven Larry - Ringworld
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