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Achilles' Choice
The gods of Olympus offered a fateful choice to the warrior, Achilles--a short, glorious life, or a long, dull one.
Achilles chose glory.
This is the story of the Eleventh Olympiad in the late 21st century--a contest not only for glory but for survival--and of the woman who dared to compete for the highest stakes of all.
The future of humanity.
Achilles chose glory.
This is the story of the Eleventh Olympiad in the late 21st century--a contest not only for glory but for survival--and of the woman who dared to compete for the highest stakes of all.
The future of humanity.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
3 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Larry Niven
689 books3,312 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 36 reviews
December 6, 2018
I was talking with someone about the idea of taking all restrictions off professional sports and allowing body modifications and drugs etc. They suggested this book and the first half is an interesting take on that scenario. Then it gets all ubermensh, conspiracy, corporate warring factions etc. Overall some interesting ideas and too much yada yada.
May 25, 2023
pretty quick read (ignore how long it took me to read this), enjoyed this more than I thought i would! I felt like it did not get that deep into any themes until the final 20 pages or so but I really enjoyed how those 20 pages played out. not sure why but it kinda reminded me of the Guilty Gear storyline. also I'm not going to lie i very much bought this because of the cover
November 16, 2018
An absolutely engrossing idea, but unfortunately I felt like it ended abruptly and the author didn't give enough detail throughout. First book in awhile I thought needed an extra 100 pages
September 23, 2024
3.5, interesting concepts here, though hotter 30 years ago than now. We need to get back to some of these questions
September 9, 2019
One of Niven's worst books. It reads more like the outline of a story, with a few bits of action fleshed out, than it does a complete work of fiction. To be avoided.
November 27, 2007
The idea that a few can win or die in the future isn't a new idea and it wasn't new even when Niven was writing this. I am of the opinion that Niven is just an idea man. His writing just isn't that good. However, this quick little story was fun to read even if the writing and story had a few holes. I read bits and pieces before bed since it was so uncomplicated and clean in both story and writing.
The future Olympics isn't based on body strength alone, mental strength and ablity are also measured. The only was to truly compete is to be boosted, a process that turns the body up to high and cannot be sustained unless the person wins and is hooked up to the network. But perhaps there is trouble even within the winner's circle. The heroine must figure out what is going on while the winner's circle tries to criple her research (one of my favorite parts - a dedicated AI that grows with you starting from when you are a kid. It is an extention of yourself and your best friend. I want one). Oh, and she has to win so she doesn't die.
Simplistic but a good, very quick read. I associate it with high school and good times so perhaps my rating is a bit high but the story might be worth reading while sitting around in the library for an hour or two.
The future Olympics isn't based on body strength alone, mental strength and ablity are also measured. The only was to truly compete is to be boosted, a process that turns the body up to high and cannot be sustained unless the person wins and is hooked up to the network. But perhaps there is trouble even within the winner's circle. The heroine must figure out what is going on while the winner's circle tries to criple her research (one of my favorite parts - a dedicated AI that grows with you starting from when you are a kid. It is an extention of yourself and your best friend. I want one). Oh, and she has to win so she doesn't die.
Simplistic but a good, very quick read. I associate it with high school and good times so perhaps my rating is a bit high but the story might be worth reading while sitting around in the library for an hour or two.
September 22, 2016
Set in the not so distant future, Larry Niven and Steven Barnes' plot takes the ancient Greek myth of Achilles and gives it a contemporary twist.
Two other well known science fiction classics are mentioned within the story line. The first, "2001," as the movie version. The second Ursula K. Le Guin's: "The Left Hand of Darkness."
Boris Vallejo's black and white illustrations add to the story.
Originally published in 1991, it is interesting to see the accurate predictions of fitness trackers and voice activated computerized assistants like Surri.
Two other well known science fiction classics are mentioned within the story line. The first, "2001," as the movie version. The second Ursula K. Le Guin's: "The Left Hand of Darkness."
Boris Vallejo's black and white illustrations add to the story.
Originally published in 1991, it is interesting to see the accurate predictions of fitness trackers and voice activated computerized assistants like Surri.
November 15, 2017
I purchased a first edition, hardback copy of this book and I loved the illustrations by the phenomenal Borris Vallejo (not only his cover art but several black and white illustrations within the text). Larry Niven and Steven Barnes managed to produce a marvelous vision mixing extreme body modification, invasive technologies (both of the body and mind), predicted big-data collection and then took it to one extreme conclusion, and pulled this off without boring the reader to tears. This is high-concept all the way.
My only bitch-point is that by leaving little room for characters in the round, this story left little time to "get to know" or even sympathize with the main character (let alone secondary characters).
For example, I was ticked off that the main character basically allowed her digital "nanny" to be utterly destroyed just because she wanted access to classified data. The excuse that she believed she had another "copy" of her "nanny" available doesn't take her off the moral hook of treating her digital "nanny" disrespectfully. After all, this "nanny" was a surrogate mother and father to her, built an entire digital world with her, and raised her within it. As a highly developed AI, the ethical implication of her being destroyed (even temporarily) by her "child" is incredibly morally wrong. When this sort of behavior by the main character is shown early, my ability to sympathize with her evaporates. My thought was that it only served her right to get cut off from the "nanny" when she discovers her backups fail and she's left all alone for the first time in her life. I would have preferred to see her grieve more. It would have made her seem more human.
My only bitch-point is that by leaving little room for characters in the round, this story left little time to "get to know" or even sympathize with the main character (let alone secondary characters).
For example, I was ticked off that the main character basically allowed her digital "nanny" to be utterly destroyed just because she wanted access to classified data. The excuse that she believed she had another "copy" of her "nanny" available doesn't take her off the moral hook of treating her digital "nanny" disrespectfully. After all, this "nanny" was a surrogate mother and father to her, built an entire digital world with her, and raised her within it. As a highly developed AI, the ethical implication of her being destroyed (even temporarily) by her "child" is incredibly morally wrong. When this sort of behavior by the main character is shown early, my ability to sympathize with her evaporates. My thought was that it only served her right to get cut off from the "nanny" when she discovers her backups fail and she's left all alone for the first time in her life. I would have preferred to see her grieve more. It would have made her seem more human.
January 4, 2024
This has been on my bookshelf for so long that I'd forgotten what it was about! So not the most memorable of books, not even the most memorable of the Niven / Barnes partnership, but a short, easy read.
The story is a bit different from most SF, centering as it does on sports events in the future. Specifically, the Olympics, but not quite as we know them! In this future and almost utopian world, Olympic gold winners become part of the ruling elite. The downside is that to compete successfully, participants must be 'Boosted' - having their physical and mental facilities artificially enhanced. If they fail to win, then the process will ultimately prove fatal.
This is the 'Achilles' Choice' of the title - to live a short but glorious live, or a long but dull one. The dilemma underlies the whole story, which is not just about people facing that choice, but about the sort of world which requires that sort of choice.
Ultimately, the story attempts to explore some deep thoughts about what it means to be human. I say attempts, because I didn't really connect with that aspect of it. It posed good questions, but offered only vague and unsatisfactory answers.
Or perhaps I just didn't get it!
But overall, a short but engaging read with an interesting and original background and written with the smoothness you would expect from an experienced and talented team.
The story is a bit different from most SF, centering as it does on sports events in the future. Specifically, the Olympics, but not quite as we know them! In this future and almost utopian world, Olympic gold winners become part of the ruling elite. The downside is that to compete successfully, participants must be 'Boosted' - having their physical and mental facilities artificially enhanced. If they fail to win, then the process will ultimately prove fatal.
This is the 'Achilles' Choice' of the title - to live a short but glorious live, or a long but dull one. The dilemma underlies the whole story, which is not just about people facing that choice, but about the sort of world which requires that sort of choice.
Ultimately, the story attempts to explore some deep thoughts about what it means to be human. I say attempts, because I didn't really connect with that aspect of it. It posed good questions, but offered only vague and unsatisfactory answers.
Or perhaps I just didn't get it!
But overall, a short but engaging read with an interesting and original background and written with the smoothness you would expect from an experienced and talented team.
July 17, 2025
I expected this to be a cheesy sci-fi book going in, and I was right. This book suffers from what most science fiction books do, it just did not age well. Published in 1990, set around 2050 and read in 2025, it just was laughable at times what technology was predicted. At one point an AI is said to have almost a gigabyte of data that forms her personality. That was A LOT of disk space back then, but pitifully small by today's standards. Another scene had the main character needing to find a phone, which was amusing, since everyone has a phone in their pocket today and they all have much more than a single gigabyte of memory!
I really felt like this book sprung from a good idea that just was not fleshed out at all. It lacked world building. It honestly felt like I was reading a part of a series, and I started in the middle. I had no idea what was happening and why at times. I might have enjoyed this book 30 years ago, but not today.
I really felt like this book sprung from a good idea that just was not fleshed out at all. It lacked world building. It honestly felt like I was reading a part of a series, and I started in the middle. I had no idea what was happening and why at times. I might have enjoyed this book 30 years ago, but not today.
April 10, 2025
Boris Vallejo's interior illustrations elevate this by a star, but this is a somewhat slow-moving and convoluted story. A future olympic-esque event tests the bodies and brains of a generation of scientist-athletes. It's also a game of death (dun dun dun), which is a trope I really enjoy, but this is from the dawn of the technothriller, so by the time the characters are hacking and getting hacked by various AI entities, my investment had evaporated. There are significant differences, of course, but vibe-wise I found this to be very similar to Ender's Game, and I think I would just recommend and read or reread of that instead of this.
January 31, 2024
Can’t say I’ve ever read a science fiction sports based book before. Now I have and it reminded me why I don’t particularly love competitive sports. It’s an older book with very classic science fiction world building - advanced technological enhancements, complex government systems, the lot.
Was a bit of a confusing read overall, I enjoyed some of the technology but the detailed science for the academic sections of this version of the Olympics lost me. But the illustrations throughout the book were cool.
Was a bit of a confusing read overall, I enjoyed some of the technology but the detailed science for the academic sections of this version of the Olympics lost me. But the illustrations throughout the book were cool.
March 14, 2020
It took me forever to finish this - I marked it as started almost 2 years ago.
I did start 3 new jobs, and moved twice, so it was less the book, and more finding time to read.
That said this wasn't bad - it did feel like it was building towards something different than it was, but it was a quick read and enjoyable. It didn't really make me "think" or spark my imagination, but it was fun and kept moving, so there's that.
I did start 3 new jobs, and moved twice, so it was less the book, and more finding time to read.
That said this wasn't bad - it did feel like it was building towards something different than it was, but it was a quick read and enjoyable. It didn't really make me "think" or spark my imagination, but it was fun and kept moving, so there's that.
June 15, 2023
1991 pub date- covers AI art, intelligence, and political influence- good in the way that Fahrenheit 451 is
Read
August 17, 2023Hot trash. A blast to read. Tried reading out loud to Sachi at bedtime and it sounded so baaaaad
January 13, 2024
Id only use this book to wipe my ass if I ran out of TP
August 12, 2025
Only 3 stars for writing and style, but 4 stars for concepts and story. Very interesting view of the Olympics and future technology.
October 23, 2012
Achilles was given a choice: a short glorious life, or a long dull life. He chose the former.
In the future, the Olympics have changed. Athletes compete in three fields: artistic, academic, athletic. In order to compete at the highest level, they have to resort to 'boosting', which enhances their physique as desired. The only problem is, the long term effects are fatal. Few will live more than eight years after taking it. The only way to survive is to win gold in the Olympiad, which gets you the right to be 'linked' to the international computer system, which can also counter the effects of Boost. Suicide after the Olympics is not uncommon. As well, people can compete representing a country or a multi-national corporation.
Jillian Shomer is an athlete who after seeing a linked former athlete have a seizure realizes that there are darker elements. The linked are the controllers of the world, and they may be warring among themselves. As well, despite her plans to compete without boosting, finally has to resort to it in order to actually be competitive. Unless she does well enough to be linked, she has just signed her own death certificate. As well, her research is drawing the attention of one of the Council that is elite of the linked.
I read this book when it first came out, back in the early nineties, and remember considering it a good read, but rather light. It *is* a short book, but on reread, while it's not a particuarly complicated book, it does have a bit more in the way of layers. Boost could be read as an allegory on performance enhancing drugs these days (timely after the recent revelations concerning Lance Armstrong). And the idea of an elite that controls not just economics, but nations as well, is something that comes up regularly.
I won't say that it's a classic, but Achilles' Choice does hold up well after more than twenty years after being published, and in near-future SF, that can be saying something.
In the future, the Olympics have changed. Athletes compete in three fields: artistic, academic, athletic. In order to compete at the highest level, they have to resort to 'boosting', which enhances their physique as desired. The only problem is, the long term effects are fatal. Few will live more than eight years after taking it. The only way to survive is to win gold in the Olympiad, which gets you the right to be 'linked' to the international computer system, which can also counter the effects of Boost. Suicide after the Olympics is not uncommon. As well, people can compete representing a country or a multi-national corporation.
Jillian Shomer is an athlete who after seeing a linked former athlete have a seizure realizes that there are darker elements. The linked are the controllers of the world, and they may be warring among themselves. As well, despite her plans to compete without boosting, finally has to resort to it in order to actually be competitive. Unless she does well enough to be linked, she has just signed her own death certificate. As well, her research is drawing the attention of one of the Council that is elite of the linked.
I read this book when it first came out, back in the early nineties, and remember considering it a good read, but rather light. It *is* a short book, but on reread, while it's not a particuarly complicated book, it does have a bit more in the way of layers. Boost could be read as an allegory on performance enhancing drugs these days (timely after the recent revelations concerning Lance Armstrong). And the idea of an elite that controls not just economics, but nations as well, is something that comes up regularly.
I won't say that it's a classic, but Achilles' Choice does hold up well after more than twenty years after being published, and in near-future SF, that can be saying something.
September 10, 2016
An interesting take on how the Olympics evolve and will effect life in 100 years. Larry Niven and his co author Steven Barnes develop the books premise based on the concept of the gods of Olympus offering a fateful choice to the warrior Achilles.....a short glorious life, or a long dull one. People chosen for the Olympiad in the late 21 rst century can try to compete drug free and probably fail or can have a process called Boosting that increases their strength, agility etc by 25 percent. The problem is that once boosted your body begins to shut down and you die in about 4 years. The only hope and ultimate goal is to win the Gold medal. These winners of the Gold medal are saved from death by being allowed to link with the world collective. Fun book and an easy read. Definitely draws symbolism with todays performance enhancing issues and the human desire to win over everything else.
September 6, 2011
In this novel, Olympic athletes are allowed to “enhance” their bodies, to the point that they will not survive more than a few years after the competition. Unless they win, that is, in which case they join the ruling council and are “linked” to a neural interface that fixes the issue. Mildly entertaining.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1100
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1100
December 15, 2012
These days, with my career in overdrive, I am looking for books that don't take a lot of thought and concentration. I had seen this book in my personal library for several years and not read it, making assumptions about its nature from the cover. But it was surprisingly entertaining and thought provoking. I am a fan of both of these authors, and find I like it even better when they team up.
March 24, 2011
Interesting concept, but read like an expanded short story or something intended for the young adult audience. The characters were two-dimensional, and very few seemed to have any but the most cursory of motivations. In short, disappointing for Niven but at least it was a quick read.
Read
September 1, 2007Unlike most of Niven's other writing. Didn't think the story line was very good.
May 11, 2008
"It was ok" about summarizes it. Some very good ideas but hard to read because of subject material.
Read
April 13, 2009Great novel with short story feel and smart, fit, beautiful female lead. Who says a woman can't be all three? And, who says men don't like smart chicks. considering this book was written by men...
July 9, 2009
This just isn't my sort of book, but I stuck with it because (1) it had been recommended by one of my loved ones and (2) I was curious about how the business of Boosting would turn out.
May 12, 2010
Boring.
August 11, 2011
A really silly book, a waste of time.
May 22, 2012
Perhaps more like 2.5. But it was very thought-provoking the first time I read it, and it's still interesting to re-read from time to time.
December 5, 2013
One of my favorite books when I was a teen. I just loved the way the Olympians had to win in mental and physical challenges.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews