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Fleet of Worlds #5
Fate of Worlds (Return from the Ringworld)
This is the fifth and last novel in Larry Niven's "Ringworld" series. This series began in 1970, with the publication of Ringworld, now, in conjunction with Edward M. Lerner, Niven brings the series to its conclusion.For decades, the spacefaring species of Known Space have battled over the largest artifact—and grandest prize—in the the all-but-limitless resources and technology of the Ringworld, but without warning the Ringworld has vanished, leaving behind three rival war fleets. Something must justify the blood and treasure that have been spent. If the fallen civilization of the Ringworld can no longer be despoiled of its secrets, the nearby advanced, but pacifistic species known as "Puppeteers" will be forced to surrender theirs. Yet, the danger to the Puppeteers goes far beyond mere invasion fleets, the survival of their planet is at stake, plus political intrigue, deadly rivalries, risk and danger at every turn.
411 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 18, 2018
81 people are currently reading
3425 people want to read
About the author
Larry Niven
687 books3,279 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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December 21, 2013
Through my reading of this I achieved apotheosis and was able to bid farewell to a cast of characters who have engaged me since the 70’s. This book could be read as a free-standing story given the background provided in the narrative, but real satisfaction with it can only come from a reader already invested in the characters and vision from reading one or more of the four in the Ringwold series and/or of the recent four novels of the prequel Fleet of Worlds series.
Personally, I was bored a bit with Ringworld, as its plot didn’t have much depth beyond discovery of the wonders of the constructed ribbon-like world around a star with the surface area of a million earths. Among the 38 books by Niven I’ve read, my favorites are his those done in collaboration with Jerry Pournelle , notably “The Mote in God’s Eye”, a tale of first contact with aliens with a military overlay, and Lucifer’s Hammer, a story of an apocalyptic comet strike of Earth and its aftermath.
Yet Ringworld had its charm in the collaboration between humans and the neurotic but brilliant Puppeteers. And the physics of this variant of Dyson’s ideas led real physicists to help advance Niven’s technology elaborations to make the Ringworld more plausible. Such forms the thrust of 1979’s “The Ringworld Engineers”. It took the set of the Fleet of Worlds novels, published between 2007 and 2010, to engage my interest again in the Ringworld, and, more accurately, in the true subject of interspecies relations and competition for technology with the fate of each species at stake. So I binged with pleasure on that set this year. And then prepared the way for the grand conclusion in the current book by reading 2004’s “Ringworld’s Children”, which was a delight and proof of the fruitfulness behind Niven’s confession that Ringworld was for him mainly a playground for ideas, a Lego-land for imagination.
The closure and apex of two series that spanned the decades since Ringworld bears a heavy load of expectation. There is a certain truth to the maxim about the value of the journey over the destination. Still, inquiring minds want to know about the fate of the Ringworld, which “disappeared” in “Ringworld’s Children”. And what of the fate of the Puppeteer’s Fleet of Worlds, which becomes the target of all the alien space navies involved in fighting over the technology goldmine of the Ringworld after it has disappeared? Most of all, readers from the two series seek some kind of closure in terms of a “reunion” between the New Terran descendants of the slave colony established by the Puppeteers and the humans from Earth.
The latter includes current forces from UN security force (ARM) and Louis Wu, who was manipulated by the Puppeteer Nessus to join the Ringworld mission and now has spent many decades and books of adventures there in a teamwork with the Puppeteer Hindmost (aka Baedeker). Among the New Terrans in this merger of story streams is former ARM agent Sigmund Ausfaller, who was absconded there by Nessus to harness his paranoid brilliance. Memory wipes of key humans such as Sigmund and Louis by the defensive Puppeteers maintain at all costs the wall of ignorance for both New Terrans about Old Earth and its location and for humans in colonies of Known Space about the Fleet of Worlds and its location. But now it comes to a time for a change, as when Reagan said: “Gorbachav, tear down this wall!”
Amidst all theses prospect for healing transformations is the bad karma of destruction headed for the Puppeteer’s home worlds in flight, just what they feared for all along. This crises heightens the significance of two love stories in the mix. One is the love between Nessus and Bedecker, interrupted by the latter’s long enthrallment to Ringworld defense and repair by a superior race. The other is the revival of love held by Louis for Alice, who was when he first fell for her a New Terran diplomat to the Gw’oth but originally was an asteroid-belt miner from Old Earth and awoken from stasis centuries later.
It’s quite a juggling act for Niven and Lerner to master as well as they do all the narrative threads and characters. There are good guys and bad guys within each species. Okay, even I got a little dizzy sometimes. Part of the problem is that the main characters can live for centuries with technology like the nanotech autodoc, anti-aging drugs, and stasis fields. The ending is dramatic and nicely resolves all the threads. But no glory was to be had in 2012 in the form of a Nebula or Hugo Award (“Ringworld” got a Nebula and a Hugo; “The Ringworld Engineers” a Hugo in 1981).
Ultimately, the pleasure of the whole series comes down to the fun of experiencing the bringing of potential technologies alive in a rich set of scenarios and the play in a vision of human nature facing the threats and opportunities presented by powerful alien civilizations. That humans might work together with alien species to avert apocalypse and can still retain their questing, humorous, and loving ways in such a far flung future of advanced technology is a welcome positive outlook not so common in the dark visions that predominate in sci fi today.
Personally, I was bored a bit with Ringworld, as its plot didn’t have much depth beyond discovery of the wonders of the constructed ribbon-like world around a star with the surface area of a million earths. Among the 38 books by Niven I’ve read, my favorites are his those done in collaboration with Jerry Pournelle , notably “The Mote in God’s Eye”, a tale of first contact with aliens with a military overlay, and Lucifer’s Hammer, a story of an apocalyptic comet strike of Earth and its aftermath.
Yet Ringworld had its charm in the collaboration between humans and the neurotic but brilliant Puppeteers. And the physics of this variant of Dyson’s ideas led real physicists to help advance Niven’s technology elaborations to make the Ringworld more plausible. Such forms the thrust of 1979’s “The Ringworld Engineers”. It took the set of the Fleet of Worlds novels, published between 2007 and 2010, to engage my interest again in the Ringworld, and, more accurately, in the true subject of interspecies relations and competition for technology with the fate of each species at stake. So I binged with pleasure on that set this year. And then prepared the way for the grand conclusion in the current book by reading 2004’s “Ringworld’s Children”, which was a delight and proof of the fruitfulness behind Niven’s confession that Ringworld was for him mainly a playground for ideas, a Lego-land for imagination.
The closure and apex of two series that spanned the decades since Ringworld bears a heavy load of expectation. There is a certain truth to the maxim about the value of the journey over the destination. Still, inquiring minds want to know about the fate of the Ringworld, which “disappeared” in “Ringworld’s Children”. And what of the fate of the Puppeteer’s Fleet of Worlds, which becomes the target of all the alien space navies involved in fighting over the technology goldmine of the Ringworld after it has disappeared? Most of all, readers from the two series seek some kind of closure in terms of a “reunion” between the New Terran descendants of the slave colony established by the Puppeteers and the humans from Earth.
The latter includes current forces from UN security force (ARM) and Louis Wu, who was manipulated by the Puppeteer Nessus to join the Ringworld mission and now has spent many decades and books of adventures there in a teamwork with the Puppeteer Hindmost (aka Baedeker). Among the New Terrans in this merger of story streams is former ARM agent Sigmund Ausfaller, who was absconded there by Nessus to harness his paranoid brilliance. Memory wipes of key humans such as Sigmund and Louis by the defensive Puppeteers maintain at all costs the wall of ignorance for both New Terrans about Old Earth and its location and for humans in colonies of Known Space about the Fleet of Worlds and its location. But now it comes to a time for a change, as when Reagan said: “Gorbachav, tear down this wall!”
Amidst all theses prospect for healing transformations is the bad karma of destruction headed for the Puppeteer’s home worlds in flight, just what they feared for all along. This crises heightens the significance of two love stories in the mix. One is the love between Nessus and Bedecker, interrupted by the latter’s long enthrallment to Ringworld defense and repair by a superior race. The other is the revival of love held by Louis for Alice, who was when he first fell for her a New Terran diplomat to the Gw’oth but originally was an asteroid-belt miner from Old Earth and awoken from stasis centuries later.
It’s quite a juggling act for Niven and Lerner to master as well as they do all the narrative threads and characters. There are good guys and bad guys within each species. Okay, even I got a little dizzy sometimes. Part of the problem is that the main characters can live for centuries with technology like the nanotech autodoc, anti-aging drugs, and stasis fields. The ending is dramatic and nicely resolves all the threads. But no glory was to be had in 2012 in the form of a Nebula or Hugo Award (“Ringworld” got a Nebula and a Hugo; “The Ringworld Engineers” a Hugo in 1981).
Ultimately, the pleasure of the whole series comes down to the fun of experiencing the bringing of potential technologies alive in a rich set of scenarios and the play in a vision of human nature facing the threats and opportunities presented by powerful alien civilizations. That humans might work together with alien species to avert apocalypse and can still retain their questing, humorous, and loving ways in such a far flung future of advanced technology is a welcome positive outlook not so common in the dark visions that predominate in sci fi today.
July 5, 2024
Suddenly every element in the planetary early-warning array clamors in unison. Every watch stander in the planetary defense center jolts to full alertness to stare at their consoles.
To gape at the impossible.
This novel represents, to me, the culmination of a Science Fiction journey that started decades ago. It is, cleverly, the final chapter of two different series that converge at this point, namely the Ringworld series and the Fleet Of Worlds series. It pretty much opens with the Ringworld fringe war still ongoing.
She stood at the center of the bridge, turning slowly, trying to take it in. Her view was from above the plane of the Ringworld, and she could see … everything. She just couldn’t wrap her mind around what she saw.
If you ever intend to read this and get the most out of it, you have your work cut out (that is, if you haven’t already read the preceding books).
Madness took many forms.
Ringworld
Ringworld
The Ringworld Engineers
The Ringworld Throne
Ringworld's Children
Fleet of Worlds
Fleet of Worlds
Juggler of Worlds
Destroyer of Worlds
Betrayer of Worlds
Fate of Worlds
And, because we are being complete here, your really also need to read the following:
Protector
Crashlander (or, at the very least, the short story At The Core which features Beowulf Shaeffer and the Long Shot discovering the explosion at the Galactic Core, an event that pretty much sets up the whole premise of the Fleet of Worlds series).
What did they know that he didn’t? His gut insisted that mayhem, at a deadlier intensity than ever, was about to break out…
I feel that there is a lot of synergy here. The big picture being better than the sum of the parts (for example, I didn’t rate every book 5 stars, but looking back at the whole experience it does feel like a 5-star reading experience). This could be nostalgia speaking.
On whose hands was the blood thickest?
In the end, it turns out being a very complex and intricate affair. I was initially sceptical about using the Puppeteers and their culture as the springboard for the (Fleet) series, but it does make sense given their impact on human future history in Known Space. They have a hoof in just about everything you can think of, and their manipulations will make you dizzy. I don’t like them, they are conniving gobshites, but they are also alien, and the authors make a good show of portraying their political maneuverings against their genetic or cultural coding (their motivations only make sense in this context).
“Go on. What is this subversive term we don’t know, that the New Terrans weren’t meant to know? What do you see coming?”
“Ragnarok. It is the death of the gods and of all things, in the final battle against evil.”
There may be one or two aspects of the denouement that I would have liked to be different, but in the end it is pretty much a win-win scenario. The whole affair is just a smorgasbord of Known Space lore, characters and races. It is impossible to rate this in isolation, but for the whole big shebang of Known Space goodness I am giving it the full score.
To gape at the impossible.
This novel represents, to me, the culmination of a Science Fiction journey that started decades ago. It is, cleverly, the final chapter of two different series that converge at this point, namely the Ringworld series and the Fleet Of Worlds series. It pretty much opens with the Ringworld fringe war still ongoing.
She stood at the center of the bridge, turning slowly, trying to take it in. Her view was from above the plane of the Ringworld, and she could see … everything. She just couldn’t wrap her mind around what she saw.
If you ever intend to read this and get the most out of it, you have your work cut out (that is, if you haven’t already read the preceding books).
Madness took many forms.
Ringworld
Ringworld
The Ringworld Engineers
The Ringworld Throne
Ringworld's Children
Fleet of Worlds
Fleet of Worlds
Juggler of Worlds
Destroyer of Worlds
Betrayer of Worlds
Fate of Worlds
And, because we are being complete here, your really also need to read the following:
Protector
Crashlander (or, at the very least, the short story At The Core which features Beowulf Shaeffer and the Long Shot discovering the explosion at the Galactic Core, an event that pretty much sets up the whole premise of the Fleet of Worlds series).
What did they know that he didn’t? His gut insisted that mayhem, at a deadlier intensity than ever, was about to break out…
I feel that there is a lot of synergy here. The big picture being better than the sum of the parts (for example, I didn’t rate every book 5 stars, but looking back at the whole experience it does feel like a 5-star reading experience). This could be nostalgia speaking.
On whose hands was the blood thickest?
In the end, it turns out being a very complex and intricate affair. I was initially sceptical about using the Puppeteers and their culture as the springboard for the (Fleet) series, but it does make sense given their impact on human future history in Known Space. They have a hoof in just about everything you can think of, and their manipulations will make you dizzy. I don’t like them, they are conniving gobshites, but they are also alien, and the authors make a good show of portraying their political maneuverings against their genetic or cultural coding (their motivations only make sense in this context).
“Go on. What is this subversive term we don’t know, that the New Terrans weren’t meant to know? What do you see coming?”
“Ragnarok. It is the death of the gods and of all things, in the final battle against evil.”
There may be one or two aspects of the denouement that I would have liked to be different, but in the end it is pretty much a win-win scenario. The whole affair is just a smorgasbord of Known Space lore, characters and races. It is impossible to rate this in isolation, but for the whole big shebang of Known Space goodness I am giving it the full score.
September 22, 2021
I'm a little conflicted with this one. The cover proclaims it "The Explosive Finale to the Ringworld -and- the Fleet of Worlds Series," so my expectations were were probably unrealistically grandiose. I thought the authors did a good job in tying the two sequences together, and corrected some possible disparities from earlier books with some clever ret-conning. Most all of the major characters appeared, and we see what happened to them next, though it struck me that this is just another check-in along the journey, not an end to all of their stories. Niven's characteristic big-idea mentality is on good display, though we witness a lot of the developments via second-hand accounts or off-stage summaries. I've been reading his Known Space stories a lot longer than most of y'all have been alive, and Louis Wu was one of the iconic characters of my generation in the genre, just as Smith's Kimball Kinnison or Heinlein's Lazarus Long was for previous ones. I was hoping that after this he'd get to live happily ever after, and he may, but his story wasn't finished yet. I liked the book a lot, but I didn't love it.
August 19, 2013
(2013 was turning into a stale year for SF. That summer, I really needed the solace of good, hard SF to escape, if just fleetingly, some harsh realities, same reality having given me long days and nights to read and listen. So, without really making a decision to do so but compelled by circumstances, I started a re-read of the Ringworld series. The publication history of the series was such that one book came out every ten years, on average. And so each book read provided a reflection of a decade of life, the places and friends, the situations and milestones when each book was read. Fiction, particularly the science fiction of the Ringworld books, it turned out, was nothing more than dressed-up reality. I never left the Ringworld.)
So, the Ringworld has vanished. The space navies of the Kzin, Trinocs and humans, in search of a new target of their aggression head for the Fleet of Worlds (home of the puppeteers). Louis Wu awakes from the autodoc rejuvenated and human again in time to help his puppeteer friends Nessus (welcome back!) and Baedeker try to save their race. The puppeteers blindly ramp up the capabilities of Proteus, the AI that controls their defenses, inadvertently allowing it to re-define its programming. Megalomaniac Achilles converts their planetary drive into a planetary bomb intending to use this as a MAD deterrent. Thus, is set the stage for the series finale.
Niven (now with co-author Edward Lerner) ends the series, not with melancholy or maudlin farewells, but with an optimistic view of the future. Not a surprise. Throughout the series, Niven has celebrated the fun side of making up technologies and aliens on the largest Lego set of all, the Ringworld. By his own description, his books are simply "playgrounds of the mind." And in keeping with his own inclinations for immortality (through boosterspice, the nano-based autodoc, Tree of Life root), his characters and aliens neither expire nor grow old. And so it must be that they all live on well past the final pages.
What a guilty pleasure this series has been! 40+ years of slipping out of mundane reality and entering hyper-space. Imagined technologies reflecting decades of SF trends - from BDO (big dumb objects), to faster-than-light travel, Buzzard ramjets, travelling planets, instantaneous translocation, antimatter armaments, autodocs, to nano devices, artificial intelligence. And aliens aplenty - the two-headed Pierson's puppeteers, the cat-like Kzin, hominids evolved as ghouls and herders, builders and sirens, the choiceless Pak, the human bred for luck. And as well, the changing mores - sexual promiscuity, gender bias, and military adventurism transforming into til-death-do-us-part partner commitments, meaningful female roles and social equality. Ideas of a lifetime.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed this, I am keeping my original rating of 4 stars from the first read (September 2012). Because of the numerous references to other stories in the Known Space universe and the Fleet of Worlds series, this could be a confusing, if not frustrating, read. I am re-reading the related books such as Protector and A Gift from Earth just to remind myself of details long forgotten. Maybe this is Niven's devious intent after all, for us to read the rest of his backlist; is his not the mind that created the puppeteers?
Endings are beginnings. More true in life than with books but here, now at this stage when there are no more pages about the Ringworld to turn, this is what it seems. It is possible to leave the Ringworld behind, start something new. Thank you, Larry Niven, for reminding me of this.
June 1, 2013
I'm going to admit right up front that I have a bit of a soft spot for Larry Niven's Known Space books. When I was 13 years old, I found Protector on a dusty shelf in a library, and thus discovered my love of science fiction. Niven opened universes to me.
Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld (reportedly) wraps up Niven's classic Ringworld series and Niven and Lerner's Fleet of Worlds series, which functioned as a sort of sister series to the Ringworld series. The Fleet of Worlds books never quite achieved what the Ringworld managed. They were a bit too clever for their own good, required too much backstory and lacked the straightforwardness of the Ringworld books. Perhaps that was Lerner's influence, or perhaps both Niven and Lerner were a bit too ambitious in their plotting, but Fleet of Worlds never lived up to the brilliance of the Ringworld series.
With that said, they were required reading for Known Space junkies like myself. The treachery of the Puppeteers, the surprising variety of aliens caught in the Puppeteers' plans and the fantastic exploration of space kept me reading. Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld had all of the brilliance I expected of it and yet suffered from the same ills of the rest of the Fleet of Worlds series. The first half of the book is largely backstory. To call it a slow burner would be generous, but with 40-some years between the first Ringworld book and this (apparent) end to the series, there was a lot of backstory to cover. That said, once the story was sufficiently set up, it progressed quickly. This was a coming together of the many characters who spanned the series. Even those long-dead got a cameo appearance. And when the story ended, I had a tear in my eye.
Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld will not have wide appeal. Those new to the series would be quite lost. But for Known Space fans, it is sure to be required reading. With a wink and a nod to all that came before, Niven and Lerner have wrapped up 40-some-odd years of stories in fan-pleasing style.
3.5 stars
Read this review and more on The Library Lass Book Talk Blog.
Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld (reportedly) wraps up Niven's classic Ringworld series and Niven and Lerner's Fleet of Worlds series, which functioned as a sort of sister series to the Ringworld series. The Fleet of Worlds books never quite achieved what the Ringworld managed. They were a bit too clever for their own good, required too much backstory and lacked the straightforwardness of the Ringworld books. Perhaps that was Lerner's influence, or perhaps both Niven and Lerner were a bit too ambitious in their plotting, but Fleet of Worlds never lived up to the brilliance of the Ringworld series.
With that said, they were required reading for Known Space junkies like myself. The treachery of the Puppeteers, the surprising variety of aliens caught in the Puppeteers' plans and the fantastic exploration of space kept me reading. Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld had all of the brilliance I expected of it and yet suffered from the same ills of the rest of the Fleet of Worlds series. The first half of the book is largely backstory. To call it a slow burner would be generous, but with 40-some years between the first Ringworld book and this (apparent) end to the series, there was a lot of backstory to cover. That said, once the story was sufficiently set up, it progressed quickly. This was a coming together of the many characters who spanned the series. Even those long-dead got a cameo appearance. And when the story ended, I had a tear in my eye.
Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld will not have wide appeal. Those new to the series would be quite lost. But for Known Space fans, it is sure to be required reading. With a wink and a nod to all that came before, Niven and Lerner have wrapped up 40-some-odd years of stories in fan-pleasing style.
3.5 stars
Read this review and more on The Library Lass Book Talk Blog.
February 25, 2014
I'm not sure about that 4-star rating. I may be feeling generous because I got one more dose of Known Space.
It's a story of large reach, as it needs to be to more-or-less wrap up two long threads. It required some shortcuts, but I'm prepared to allow that so the story can be made to work.
I was intrigued by the comment that Niven has three species that lack sentient females. This is offset a tad by having reasonably strong human females and what I suppose you'd call a same-sex Puppeteer couple.
The whole setup seems to lean a bit much on time dilation and life-extension as young-bodied 200-year-olds meet their great-grandchildren. A thorough examination of that might yield some large social problems, but I'll let it go.
The plot also requires a nearly-magical autodoc and a nearly-magical hyperdrive ship, each the only one of its kind. But they did plant the seeds in earlier volumes, so I guess it's OK. There are perhaps some issues with the autodoc: (1) in all those years no one has made anything like it? (2) there are no ethical issues with not releasing the technology to others?
It also requires what could only be called a major breakthrough in hyperspace technology/theory. But I guess there had to be 1000 major breakthroughs to get us to this book's setting, so what's one more?
There's a bit too much, "oh noes! X is dead/has been blasted to atoms!" when the authors have been fairly heavy with the nudge-nudge wink-wink no-he/it-hasn't.
Others disliked the development of Proteus; I thought it was well handled. Note for those who like AIs with an attitude: read some Neal Asher.
Bad sign: as I prepared to write this, it appears that I didn't ever read Betrayer of Worlds. I don't seem to have missed much. I must have picked up the necessary info from the usual Nivenesque stuff like "I haven't seen you since I rescued you from that etc. etc."
For all the don't-look-too-closely parts, Niven and Lerner have probably been more careful with the science than many other authors. If there's some handwaving it's because they're working 800+ years in the future.
All in all, a good read. If there are no more Known Space stories, it's not a bad way to stop. And as others noted, there is room for some new, related series to start from here. And it IS time to move on from Louis Wu and Sigmund Ausfaller and Nessus - and especially that annoying mustache-twirling cardboard stereotype Achilles. Baedeker maybe has a future, and maybe Tanya Wu can become more than an observer.
It's a story of large reach, as it needs to be to more-or-less wrap up two long threads. It required some shortcuts, but I'm prepared to allow that so the story can be made to work.
I was intrigued by the comment that Niven has three species that lack sentient females. This is offset a tad by having reasonably strong human females and what I suppose you'd call a same-sex Puppeteer couple.
The whole setup seems to lean a bit much on time dilation and life-extension as young-bodied 200-year-olds meet their great-grandchildren. A thorough examination of that might yield some large social problems, but I'll let it go.
The plot also requires a nearly-magical autodoc and a nearly-magical hyperdrive ship, each the only one of its kind. But they did plant the seeds in earlier volumes, so I guess it's OK. There are perhaps some issues with the autodoc: (1) in all those years no one has made anything like it? (2) there are no ethical issues with not releasing the technology to others?
It also requires what could only be called a major breakthrough in hyperspace technology/theory. But I guess there had to be 1000 major breakthroughs to get us to this book's setting, so what's one more?
There's a bit too much, "oh noes! X is dead/has been blasted to atoms!" when the authors have been fairly heavy with the nudge-nudge wink-wink no-he/it-hasn't.
Others disliked the development of Proteus; I thought it was well handled. Note for those who like AIs with an attitude: read some Neal Asher.
Bad sign: as I prepared to write this, it appears that I didn't ever read Betrayer of Worlds. I don't seem to have missed much. I must have picked up the necessary info from the usual Nivenesque stuff like "I haven't seen you since I rescued you from that etc. etc."
For all the don't-look-too-closely parts, Niven and Lerner have probably been more careful with the science than many other authors. If there's some handwaving it's because they're working 800+ years in the future.
All in all, a good read. If there are no more Known Space stories, it's not a bad way to stop. And as others noted, there is room for some new, related series to start from here. And it IS time to move on from Louis Wu and Sigmund Ausfaller and Nessus - and especially that annoying mustache-twirling cardboard stereotype Achilles. Baedeker maybe has a future, and maybe Tanya Wu can become more than an observer.
February 16, 2013
This book wraps up both the Worlds series and the Ringworld series, beginning not long after the events of Ringworld's Children, and encompassing New Terra, the Puppeteer worlds, and the fallout of the Fringe War.
All the way back to the first conception of the Protectors, in The Adults, later the novel Protector, the themes of Known Space have been about intelligence. Niven's writings predate the modern science fiction conceits of artificial intelligence, but the Worlds series can be read as a continuation of that theme, exploring the motivations and behavior of beings more intelligent than ourselves. The Protectors, the Puppeteers, the Gw'oth multiples, and various artificial intelligences are all more intelligent than normal humans, and their machinations operate at great scales, affecting the fate of entire species and worlds.
Not all the technical minutia of the series are clarified; no technobabble explanation for hyperdrive science is provided. But providing technobabble would be self-indulgent and ultimately pointless, and I'm glad it was skipped. The resolution of the major plots makes this a worthwhile end to a 40+ year series.
All the way back to the first conception of the Protectors, in The Adults, later the novel Protector, the themes of Known Space have been about intelligence. Niven's writings predate the modern science fiction conceits of artificial intelligence, but the Worlds series can be read as a continuation of that theme, exploring the motivations and behavior of beings more intelligent than ourselves. The Protectors, the Puppeteers, the Gw'oth multiples, and various artificial intelligences are all more intelligent than normal humans, and their machinations operate at great scales, affecting the fate of entire species and worlds.
Not all the technical minutia of the series are clarified; no technobabble explanation for hyperdrive science is provided. But providing technobabble would be self-indulgent and ultimately pointless, and I'm glad it was skipped. The resolution of the major plots makes this a worthwhile end to a 40+ year series.
October 30, 2012
This was *slightly* better than the children of Ringworld - which was illiterate trash. Slightly better.There are no characters in this series and the plot is often progressed (at times) literally by bullet points. This is a novel that you write when you don't want to write a novel, or maybe have no talent to write. Is it really over now. can I go back to Iain M Banks who can do his big dumb objects with real people and AIs that i might want to talk to.
about that moronic bullet point plot progression ("that" ... bla bla, "that" .. bla bla pont 2) - replacing the stupid "Stet" of the last book. I am guessing this was meant to be a creative cut up effect illustrating how an alien or ai might think logically.
um. not.
read 2312 to see how it should be done.
Niven - stop writing now - and stop persuading other hacks to spew out *slightly* more articulate collaborative rubbish. If you'd died 20 years ago we might have taken you seriously.
about that moronic bullet point plot progression ("that" ... bla bla, "that" .. bla bla pont 2) - replacing the stupid "Stet" of the last book. I am guessing this was meant to be a creative cut up effect illustrating how an alien or ai might think logically.
um. not.
read 2312 to see how it should be done.
Niven - stop writing now - and stop persuading other hacks to spew out *slightly* more articulate collaborative rubbish. If you'd died 20 years ago we might have taken you seriously.
July 18, 2013
This is an awesome book.
You don't need to read the whole series, but the flashbacks in this one are insufficient to allow for full appreciation of Niven's complex universe. In the past, I've found Niven to be a slow but interesting read both in terms of the science (he writes currently accurate science into the scifi) and the subtleties of the several plots that are often not realized until you read a passage several times. Lerner is an excellent co-author as he grounds the story so it's readable on as many levels as you wish to pursue.
The book centers mostly on the adventures of Louis Wu and Baedeker (a.k.a Hindmost) as they escape from the now vanished Ringworld. I won't spoil it but they meet old friends, lovers and family while they correct various injustices. The cover indicates it is the final book in the series, but the position and mindsets of several characters leave one wondering about spinoffs.....
You don't need to read the whole series, but the flashbacks in this one are insufficient to allow for full appreciation of Niven's complex universe. In the past, I've found Niven to be a slow but interesting read both in terms of the science (he writes currently accurate science into the scifi) and the subtleties of the several plots that are often not realized until you read a passage several times. Lerner is an excellent co-author as he grounds the story so it's readable on as many levels as you wish to pursue.
The book centers mostly on the adventures of Louis Wu and Baedeker (a.k.a Hindmost) as they escape from the now vanished Ringworld. I won't spoil it but they meet old friends, lovers and family while they correct various injustices. The cover indicates it is the final book in the series, but the position and mindsets of several characters leave one wondering about spinoffs.....
November 21, 2012
Original review by John posted at Layers of Thought.
Another ambitious and excellent galaxy-spanning novel from Niven and Lerner – the conclusion to the award-winning “Ringworld” and “Fleet of Worlds” sagas.
About: Ringworld, the most stunning and mystifying discovery in known space, has suddenly and inexplicably vanished, leaving three competing war fleets battling over supremacy of – nothing! Most troubled by the disappearance are the Puppeteers, whose densely populated fleet of planets is speeding away from the explosion of the galactic core. The meddling Puppeteers fear, with plenty of reason, that the armadas will turn their attention away from the Ringworld and towards the Puppeteers’ retreating planets. Unfortunately, the Puppeteers are beset by political strife caused by their megalomaniacal ex-leader; they are also secretly controlled by an alien race which may care little about the fate of the planets.
Meanwhile New Terra, a human colony which was set up by the Puppeteers but which has now broken away, also takes an interest in the Ringworld’s disappearance. Its current leaders are keen to stay isolated from the troubles, but its legendary (and now disgraced) ex-Defense Minister and protector sees a way to use the strife to help re-connect New Terra with its long-lost home planet, Earth.
A human adventurer and an exiled Puppeteer spent years on Ringworld before its disappearance, and they may hold the key to technological marvels which could help ensure the survival of the Puppeteer race. But the two face a myriad of political, technical and personal hurdles – not least of which is the Puppeteers’ determination that New Terrans must never find out the truth about their own history.
John’s thoughts: This is the fourth of the Ringworld/Fleet of Worlds novels that I have read (I think there are nine in total?) and I have totally enjoyed each one of them. As I said in one of my earlier reviews “Niven and Lerner spin great stories that have complex plots, intrigue, strong characters, a creative foundation of believable technology and really well constructed worlds and races. They clearly give a lot of thought to the alien races that they create, and the attention to detail adds a lot to the stories”. Having now read the latest and last in the series, I still couldn’t put it any better - so I won’t even try!
Fate of Worlds shares many of the alien races and plot foundations of the earlier novels, but gives extra emphasis to the artificial intelligence systems that have been developed. As the AI systems evolve at pace, I couldn’t help being reminded somewhat of Webmind from Robert J. Sawyer’s WWW novels - which certainly is no bad thing.
Do you have to read the previous novels in the series to enjoy this one? Absolutely not. While there is a progression to the novels and many connections, one thing that impressed me was that each of the four that I have read works as standalone piece with a clear beginning and ending. The extra nice thing about this one is that it ties together an awful lot of story threads in a coherent way. That is no mean feat given the complexity of the series.
The book isn’t much over 300 pages in length, but there is an amazing amount of complex plot, intrigue and detail crammed into those pages; and it isn’t tough to read. I found myself quickly drawn into the story and then read on whenever I had the opportunity. Will this really be the last in the series? Well, the book cover and marketing blurb say so, but I can see at least three parts of the story which could provide the foundation for future novels, so who knows.
I’d rate this book four stars. If you are a fan of Niven or Lerner, then this book is a “must read”. You won’t be disappointed. I’d also recommend it to anyone who enjoys hard science fiction.
Another ambitious and excellent galaxy-spanning novel from Niven and Lerner – the conclusion to the award-winning “Ringworld” and “Fleet of Worlds” sagas.
About: Ringworld, the most stunning and mystifying discovery in known space, has suddenly and inexplicably vanished, leaving three competing war fleets battling over supremacy of – nothing! Most troubled by the disappearance are the Puppeteers, whose densely populated fleet of planets is speeding away from the explosion of the galactic core. The meddling Puppeteers fear, with plenty of reason, that the armadas will turn their attention away from the Ringworld and towards the Puppeteers’ retreating planets. Unfortunately, the Puppeteers are beset by political strife caused by their megalomaniacal ex-leader; they are also secretly controlled by an alien race which may care little about the fate of the planets.
Meanwhile New Terra, a human colony which was set up by the Puppeteers but which has now broken away, also takes an interest in the Ringworld’s disappearance. Its current leaders are keen to stay isolated from the troubles, but its legendary (and now disgraced) ex-Defense Minister and protector sees a way to use the strife to help re-connect New Terra with its long-lost home planet, Earth.
A human adventurer and an exiled Puppeteer spent years on Ringworld before its disappearance, and they may hold the key to technological marvels which could help ensure the survival of the Puppeteer race. But the two face a myriad of political, technical and personal hurdles – not least of which is the Puppeteers’ determination that New Terrans must never find out the truth about their own history.
John’s thoughts: This is the fourth of the Ringworld/Fleet of Worlds novels that I have read (I think there are nine in total?) and I have totally enjoyed each one of them. As I said in one of my earlier reviews “Niven and Lerner spin great stories that have complex plots, intrigue, strong characters, a creative foundation of believable technology and really well constructed worlds and races. They clearly give a lot of thought to the alien races that they create, and the attention to detail adds a lot to the stories”. Having now read the latest and last in the series, I still couldn’t put it any better - so I won’t even try!
Fate of Worlds shares many of the alien races and plot foundations of the earlier novels, but gives extra emphasis to the artificial intelligence systems that have been developed. As the AI systems evolve at pace, I couldn’t help being reminded somewhat of Webmind from Robert J. Sawyer’s WWW novels - which certainly is no bad thing.
Do you have to read the previous novels in the series to enjoy this one? Absolutely not. While there is a progression to the novels and many connections, one thing that impressed me was that each of the four that I have read works as standalone piece with a clear beginning and ending. The extra nice thing about this one is that it ties together an awful lot of story threads in a coherent way. That is no mean feat given the complexity of the series.
The book isn’t much over 300 pages in length, but there is an amazing amount of complex plot, intrigue and detail crammed into those pages; and it isn’t tough to read. I found myself quickly drawn into the story and then read on whenever I had the opportunity. Will this really be the last in the series? Well, the book cover and marketing blurb say so, but I can see at least three parts of the story which could provide the foundation for future novels, so who knows.
I’d rate this book four stars. If you are a fan of Niven or Lerner, then this book is a “must read”. You won’t be disappointed. I’d also recommend it to anyone who enjoys hard science fiction.
October 7, 2012
Ambitious is an understatement: the finale to both the Ringworld series and the Fleet of Worlds series, and indeed of the entire Known Space saga begun with 1966's "Neutron Star"! Forty-six years of real life and a few billion years of fictional history in the making -- so I suppose I can forgive Niven and Lerner that Fate of Worlds wasn't perfect.
Let us make use of a double standard here. Rate this work against Niven's other work, or even Niven & Lerner's, and this book earns a solid 4 out of 5. But rate it against almost anything by anybody else, and you'd have to add a star to the scale. These guys are good, real good. Nonetheless: this is a book for longtime fans, for aficionados of Known Space. This is a book about Louis Wu, Sigmund Ausfaller, Nessus; about Puppeteers and Pak and Gw'oth; about stepping-disks and Type II hyperdrive and autodocs. If you don't know what those things are, or don't care, or have had your fill of them, this is not the book for you.
Still with me? Awesome! This (short) novel takes place immediately after Ringworld's Children and jumps right into the Fringe War. Too much of the beginning is taken up recapping what's gone before (though that may be a fault of the story's ambitious scope). When we did get going it was very hard for me to put the rest of the book down. This book is entirely driven by exploring the fate of the characters: and in Niven's universe, even the Worlds are characters unto themselves. We care what happens to Hearth and New Terra and the Ringworld as much as we do about Sigmund and Louis. There's a sense of tantalizing mystery throughout too. What is really going on with hyperspace? What exactly did Tunesmith do to the Ringworld? Will Earth and New Terra discover each other? And what of our ambitious fast-evolving undersea friends, our favorite biological supercomputer Ol't'ro? All these questions will be answered. The best part? The answers given are not the final answers. Niven and Lerner leave loose ends - lots of them, in fact, enough to knit a few more stories. This was a good choice, even if no other stories emerge from Niven or Lerner: leaving loose ends and unsolved mysteries is the hallmark of reality - and I know that to you and me, Known Space is real. I promise, by the end of the work you'll know the fate of the Citizens and New Terra and Sigmund...but most assuredly not their final Fate.
Notable for exploration of issues in artificial intelligence, evolution, effects of technology on society, free will vs. genetic determinism, and the role of individuals in determining the fate of worlds.
Let us make use of a double standard here. Rate this work against Niven's other work, or even Niven & Lerner's, and this book earns a solid 4 out of 5. But rate it against almost anything by anybody else, and you'd have to add a star to the scale. These guys are good, real good. Nonetheless: this is a book for longtime fans, for aficionados of Known Space. This is a book about Louis Wu, Sigmund Ausfaller, Nessus; about Puppeteers and Pak and Gw'oth; about stepping-disks and Type II hyperdrive and autodocs. If you don't know what those things are, or don't care, or have had your fill of them, this is not the book for you.
Still with me? Awesome! This (short) novel takes place immediately after Ringworld's Children and jumps right into the Fringe War. Too much of the beginning is taken up recapping what's gone before (though that may be a fault of the story's ambitious scope). When we did get going it was very hard for me to put the rest of the book down. This book is entirely driven by exploring the fate of the characters: and in Niven's universe, even the Worlds are characters unto themselves. We care what happens to Hearth and New Terra and the Ringworld as much as we do about Sigmund and Louis. There's a sense of tantalizing mystery throughout too. What is really going on with hyperspace? What exactly did Tunesmith do to the Ringworld? Will Earth and New Terra discover each other? And what of our ambitious fast-evolving undersea friends, our favorite biological supercomputer Ol't'ro? All these questions will be answered. The best part? The answers given are not the final answers. Niven and Lerner leave loose ends - lots of them, in fact, enough to knit a few more stories. This was a good choice, even if no other stories emerge from Niven or Lerner: leaving loose ends and unsolved mysteries is the hallmark of reality - and I know that to you and me, Known Space is real. I promise, by the end of the work you'll know the fate of the Citizens and New Terra and Sigmund...but most assuredly not their final Fate.
Notable for exploration of issues in artificial intelligence, evolution, effects of technology on society, free will vs. genetic determinism, and the role of individuals in determining the fate of worlds.
October 5, 2013
Larry Niven writes stories about the "odd" places in the universe: neutron stars, the galactic core, the Ring World, and the Fleet of Worlds. His stories are populated with strange and interesting characters and aliens such as the Pierson's Puppeteers, Trinocs, Grogs, Slavers, Outsiders, Bandersnatch, Pak Protectors, and many more.
What I love about Niven is that although the stories involve big ideas (moving a fleet of planets as comfortable travel, creating a world with the mass of Jupiter as a ring around a star with the surface area of millions of Earths, a scientific expedition to the center of the galaxy only to find that the galactic core had exploded) they are always told from the point of view of an individual. The personal center of Niven's stories may be the main reason why I read his work.
Fate of Worlds is a story that covers the fates of the five remaining planets in the fleet of worlds, the planet liberated from the fleet of worlds named New Terra, with tangential repercussions for Earth, and all stemming from a war started between three fleets over the fate of Ringworld.
I've been wanting to know what happened to Louis Wu and to Nessus the puppeteer. This book explains what has happened to them all, although it is not necessarily the end of the series.
What I found is that although the novel lacks the intimate appeal of novels and stories authored exclusively by Niven, the exploration of what happens in the lives of beloved characters and how their fates are entangled in the machinations of perhaps the most powerful race in the Known Space series (the Puppeteers) is certainly worth reading.
What I love about Niven is that although the stories involve big ideas (moving a fleet of planets as comfortable travel, creating a world with the mass of Jupiter as a ring around a star with the surface area of millions of Earths, a scientific expedition to the center of the galaxy only to find that the galactic core had exploded) they are always told from the point of view of an individual. The personal center of Niven's stories may be the main reason why I read his work.
Fate of Worlds is a story that covers the fates of the five remaining planets in the fleet of worlds, the planet liberated from the fleet of worlds named New Terra, with tangential repercussions for Earth, and all stemming from a war started between three fleets over the fate of Ringworld.
I've been wanting to know what happened to Louis Wu and to Nessus the puppeteer. This book explains what has happened to them all, although it is not necessarily the end of the series.
What I found is that although the novel lacks the intimate appeal of novels and stories authored exclusively by Niven, the exploration of what happens in the lives of beloved characters and how their fates are entangled in the machinations of perhaps the most powerful race in the Known Space series (the Puppeteers) is certainly worth reading.
September 20, 2013
When I began the Ringworlds Series, I had no idea that it was part of a much larger universe and included several other series and stand-alone novels. I love broad diverse backgrounds and loved the series. I am very sad to see it end.
Though this book doesn't entirely leave you feeling satiated, it quells enough of the worries I had when I realized the series was due to end. It ties most of the storylines up well, but a few were left hanging -- enough where I wouldn't be surprised if Larry Niven opens up the storylines for fan fiction or letting his co-author continue without him.
I'm not sure this book would be readable by someone unfamiliar with the previous books. There are a lot of facts that need to be known to the reader - especially the information on the Pak and the tree of life, etc. I found the descriptions in this book a bit lacking, but then again how could you squeeze the many other books into a few paragraphs without leaving out a lot!
The high sci-fi /technology aspects of the writing are my favorite. The info about scrith and twee(?) was good, but I wanted more!
I'm sad to see Niven retiring this Universe -- I hope it doesn't entirely end!
Though this book doesn't entirely leave you feeling satiated, it quells enough of the worries I had when I realized the series was due to end. It ties most of the storylines up well, but a few were left hanging -- enough where I wouldn't be surprised if Larry Niven opens up the storylines for fan fiction or letting his co-author continue without him.
I'm not sure this book would be readable by someone unfamiliar with the previous books. There are a lot of facts that need to be known to the reader - especially the information on the Pak and the tree of life, etc. I found the descriptions in this book a bit lacking, but then again how could you squeeze the many other books into a few paragraphs without leaving out a lot!
The high sci-fi /technology aspects of the writing are my favorite. The info about scrith and twee(?) was good, but I wanted more!
I'm sad to see Niven retiring this Universe -- I hope it doesn't entirely end!
October 19, 2019
What a steaming pile of crap. My review:
http://skiffy.ca/2014/08/08/fate-of-w...
http://skiffy.ca/2014/08/08/fate-of-w...
August 8, 2018
Ein würdiger Abschluss für die Puppenspielerreihe. Durchgehend spannend zu lesen. Allerdings ist der deutsche Titel irreführend, das Schicksal der Ringwelt bleibt unbekannt. Statt dessen geht es um das Schicksal der Weltenflotte. Eine engere Anlehnung an den eng. original Titel wäre passender gewesen. Trotzdem ein sehr gutes Buch.
January 5, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed this series. I feel like this last book had very little to do with the others aside from context. The Ringworld was barely in it if you even consider it in the story at all.
Louis Wu hardly did anything this book which is a pity because he is my favorite character and basically the main character.
The ending was a carbon copy of the last book.
But, misgivings aside, the series was enjoyable.
Louis Wu hardly did anything this book which is a pity because he is my favorite character and basically the main character.
The ending was a carbon copy of the last book.
But, misgivings aside, the series was enjoyable.
February 21, 2018
The sequels just never measured up to the first two books. I cut my reading teeth with Ringworld and The Ringworld Engineers. I loved exploring the unknown, and now that I say that, I understand what was missing. I would liked to have read more adventures on the Ringworld.
August 7, 2013
Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld, by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner.
First off let me state that I am a big Larry Niven fan - I've read all the Ringworld series and all the Fleet of Worlds series, and almost all his Known Space work, and enjoyed them all (obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have kept reading them).
When I started reading the Fleet of Worlds series I was grateful that I had only recently reread the Crashlander collection of Beowulf Shaefer stories (and I recommend anyone planning to read the series read Crashlander first) because the first book of the series (Fleet of Worlds) revisits many of those stories, but from the perspective of Sigmund Ausfaller, who himself becomes the focus for the whole Fleet of Worlds series. The retelling of the earlier stories provides some interesting 'behind the scenes' plot for the original events, and motivations for the earlier character of Sigmund. It was such an interesting device that I would be happy to see Larry Niven do the same for some of his other stories, but only if he has something new to show and tell us.
Anyway, in the first of this series, Sigmund develops from a relatively minor character into an engaging central figure around whom the stories revolve, and whose personality and particular psychology provide focus for the narrative. Events then develop in an almost completely separate timeline to the original Known Space stories, enabling Niven and Lerner to expand on original ideas without too much retconning.
I found the series to be very entertaining and interesting - Larry Niven is all about big ideas and following them to a logical end that usually surprises the reader. He produces some of the best Hard Sci-Fi following on from the greats such as Asimov and Clarke. With this parallel timeline we are left with a smaller group of characters, but fortunately they are an interesting bunch and the events and concepts in the series are as big and beguiling as any in Niven's previous Known Space adventures, so I was fully engaged and happy at this renaissance in Niven's writing.
This final book, however, is not quite as strong as the others. It is still good, just not as good the rest of the series (or Niven's much earlier work). It brings together many iconic characters from the Fleet of Worlds and Ringworld series, and many chickens come home to roost. The individual decades long stories of the characters have to be tied up, and the galaxy spanning histories of some of the main players in Known Space also reach a conclusion. With all this epoch ending stuff, it still felt slightly unsatisfactory, a little anticlimactic - which I suppose was inevitable for a series of stories that began in the late 1960s - perhaps I was too emotionally invested in the people and worlds to find any ending fully satisfying. Still all the loose ends were tied up (if a little quickly in the end) but I do hope Mr Niven finds another nook of his Known Space universe to delve into revealing more 'proper hard sf' stories to pass on to us, his grateful fans.
If you hadn't already worked it out, I wholeheartedly recommend Larry Niven's Known Space stories and those subsections involving the Ringworld and the Fleet of Worlds even more so. If you haven't already read any, below is a link to a suggested reading sequence...
http://www.freewebs.com/knownspace/re...
First off let me state that I am a big Larry Niven fan - I've read all the Ringworld series and all the Fleet of Worlds series, and almost all his Known Space work, and enjoyed them all (obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have kept reading them).
When I started reading the Fleet of Worlds series I was grateful that I had only recently reread the Crashlander collection of Beowulf Shaefer stories (and I recommend anyone planning to read the series read Crashlander first) because the first book of the series (Fleet of Worlds) revisits many of those stories, but from the perspective of Sigmund Ausfaller, who himself becomes the focus for the whole Fleet of Worlds series. The retelling of the earlier stories provides some interesting 'behind the scenes' plot for the original events, and motivations for the earlier character of Sigmund. It was such an interesting device that I would be happy to see Larry Niven do the same for some of his other stories, but only if he has something new to show and tell us.
Anyway, in the first of this series, Sigmund develops from a relatively minor character into an engaging central figure around whom the stories revolve, and whose personality and particular psychology provide focus for the narrative. Events then develop in an almost completely separate timeline to the original Known Space stories, enabling Niven and Lerner to expand on original ideas without too much retconning.
I found the series to be very entertaining and interesting - Larry Niven is all about big ideas and following them to a logical end that usually surprises the reader. He produces some of the best Hard Sci-Fi following on from the greats such as Asimov and Clarke. With this parallel timeline we are left with a smaller group of characters, but fortunately they are an interesting bunch and the events and concepts in the series are as big and beguiling as any in Niven's previous Known Space adventures, so I was fully engaged and happy at this renaissance in Niven's writing.
This final book, however, is not quite as strong as the others. It is still good, just not as good the rest of the series (or Niven's much earlier work). It brings together many iconic characters from the Fleet of Worlds and Ringworld series, and many chickens come home to roost. The individual decades long stories of the characters have to be tied up, and the galaxy spanning histories of some of the main players in Known Space also reach a conclusion. With all this epoch ending stuff, it still felt slightly unsatisfactory, a little anticlimactic - which I suppose was inevitable for a series of stories that began in the late 1960s - perhaps I was too emotionally invested in the people and worlds to find any ending fully satisfying. Still all the loose ends were tied up (if a little quickly in the end) but I do hope Mr Niven finds another nook of his Known Space universe to delve into revealing more 'proper hard sf' stories to pass on to us, his grateful fans.
If you hadn't already worked it out, I wholeheartedly recommend Larry Niven's Known Space stories and those subsections involving the Ringworld and the Fleet of Worlds even more so. If you haven't already read any, below is a link to a suggested reading sequence...
http://www.freewebs.com/knownspace/re...
December 25, 2018
Man, oh man! This book was SO SO SO bittersweet for me!
Why?...
Sweet: Because I loved it and because its freaking Larry Niven's Known Space...
Bitter: Because this is (SO SADLY) the last Known Space novel in the entire Known Space series that I had left to read!!!
d ; __ ;b :( :( :( :( :( :( d; __ ; b
Niven's Known Space is perhaps my absolute favorite Sci-Fi series/universe! The more books I read, the more I fell in love with the universe, the characters, and the amazingly awesome concepts, ideas, species, crazy Earth colonies, and cool technologies! (I think he has come up with the coolest and most innovative and interesting technologies out of any Sci-Fi novels/series I've read)... I'm thankful that he at least gave me (I think) 14 novels of Known Space to enjoy... Maybe one day I'll miss Known Space so much, that I'll actually start reading the Man-Kzin Wars series too.
But anyway... As far as the actual book goes, I think it was fantastic! Perhaps my favorite of the Fleet of Worlds series (If not this, I think my favorite might have been the one right before this one, Betrayer of Worlds.)... But this book was SUCH a great conclusion to not only this series, but the Ringworld series. I love how he brought the teo sereies together with this novel. (Even though the actual Ringworld didn't come into play as far as The Ringworld is long gone for the entirety of this novel.) But that's okay... it still is a fantastic conclusion to both series.
And boy does Niven go out with a BANG! in this book!... I really did not see such a crazy ending coming. I loved it!
Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic! And oh-so-satisfying!!! The only part I hated... was that it ended! Maybe I'll get lucky, and Niven will end up writing one more Known Space novel... but he's 80 years old at the time I'm writing this, at the tail end of 2018, so I'm not counting on it. :(
Anyway, I fucking LOVED this book... and I'd HIGHLY recommend this to anyonel... except that to read this book, you have to already be WELL-INVESTED into reading the Known Space series... It doesn't necessarily have to be the last book in the series to read (although I think its best if it is, since you will be familiar with all the back-story and undertand all the references to past novels and short stories if you do)... but at the very least you will have had to have read the entirety of the Ringworld series as well as the Fleet of Worlds series... and at that point, I don't think you'll need my recommendation to want to read this book... you will already be well-invested, and therefore well-in-love with Known Space... so I'll be preaching to the choir at that point! :D So if that's you, ENJOY!... I sure as hell did!
Why?...
Sweet: Because I loved it and because its freaking Larry Niven's Known Space...
Bitter: Because this is (SO SADLY) the last Known Space novel in the entire Known Space series that I had left to read!!!
d ; __ ;b :( :( :( :( :( :( d; __ ; b
Niven's Known Space is perhaps my absolute favorite Sci-Fi series/universe! The more books I read, the more I fell in love with the universe, the characters, and the amazingly awesome concepts, ideas, species, crazy Earth colonies, and cool technologies! (I think he has come up with the coolest and most innovative and interesting technologies out of any Sci-Fi novels/series I've read)... I'm thankful that he at least gave me (I think) 14 novels of Known Space to enjoy... Maybe one day I'll miss Known Space so much, that I'll actually start reading the Man-Kzin Wars series too.
But anyway... As far as the actual book goes, I think it was fantastic! Perhaps my favorite of the Fleet of Worlds series (If not this, I think my favorite might have been the one right before this one, Betrayer of Worlds.)... But this book was SUCH a great conclusion to not only this series, but the Ringworld series. I love how he brought the teo sereies together with this novel. (Even though the actual Ringworld didn't come into play as far as The Ringworld is long gone for the entirety of this novel.) But that's okay... it still is a fantastic conclusion to both series.
And boy does Niven go out with a BANG! in this book!... I really did not see such a crazy ending coming. I loved it!
Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic! And oh-so-satisfying!!! The only part I hated... was that it ended! Maybe I'll get lucky, and Niven will end up writing one more Known Space novel... but he's 80 years old at the time I'm writing this, at the tail end of 2018, so I'm not counting on it. :(
Anyway, I fucking LOVED this book... and I'd HIGHLY recommend this to anyonel... except that to read this book, you have to already be WELL-INVESTED into reading the Known Space series... It doesn't necessarily have to be the last book in the series to read (although I think its best if it is, since you will be familiar with all the back-story and undertand all the references to past novels and short stories if you do)... but at the very least you will have had to have read the entirety of the Ringworld series as well as the Fleet of Worlds series... and at that point, I don't think you'll need my recommendation to want to read this book... you will already be well-invested, and therefore well-in-love with Known Space... so I'll be preaching to the choir at that point! :D So if that's you, ENJOY!... I sure as hell did!
May 26, 2017
Eyes on the prize, but the prize is gone
The greatest trove of ancient lore, the Ringworld, is gone. The huge fleets of all the major races must struggle to justify their existence and the lives lost. A prize exists, just a bit further in space. The Puppeteer fleet of worlds. Everyone knows the Puppeteers are cowards, plundering their planets will be easy.
But the fleet of worlds is more than just the Puppeteers and they have a centuries of experience at manipulation. To some in their government, defense of the fleet it is an opportunity to grab power. Larry Niven covers new territory: a scifi political thriller. Terrans, Kzin, Puppeteers, and others will clash in a tale that will keep you guessing until the end. Who will prevail in The Fate of Worlds
The greatest trove of ancient lore, the Ringworld, is gone. The huge fleets of all the major races must struggle to justify their existence and the lives lost. A prize exists, just a bit further in space. The Puppeteer fleet of worlds. Everyone knows the Puppeteers are cowards, plundering their planets will be easy.
But the fleet of worlds is more than just the Puppeteers and they have a centuries of experience at manipulation. To some in their government, defense of the fleet it is an opportunity to grab power. Larry Niven covers new territory: a scifi political thriller. Terrans, Kzin, Puppeteers, and others will clash in a tale that will keep you guessing until the end. Who will prevail in The Fate of Worlds
December 11, 2012
Having read the original Ringworld and Ringworld Engineers many years ago I looked forward to revisiting this alternate universe. Sadly it was disappointing. Whereas the original books introduced new ideas there is none of that here. It is a space opera with little that is new to recommend it. It seems to wander about as if looking for a story to tell and never really finding it.
November 5, 2012
Although it was definitely amusing to pick up the adventures of characters I'd read a long time ago (I read Ringworld in high school, but never really thought about going back for more), I couldn't maintain a lot of interest in the characters, and only a little more in the story.
August 9, 2019
Very dissapointed.
January 16, 2020
Pity that this is the last book in the series. Great fun ‘hard’ science fiction.
October 21, 2020
While I've enjoyed the entire series, especially the plot twists, dynamics and technical intricacies, I have to say my favourite part was the love story.
I'm not talking about Louis' flings, it was clear to me from the very first book that he won't end up with anyone in the long run (sure, we might be left to think that after Fate of Worlds, but considering how the other books twisted the story around, I wouldn't think this would last too long, either), but the one between Nessus and Nike. The crazy citizen who started the entire series to win his beloved's heart.
Except in the very last book, his beloved is changed to another character without any kind of explanation. They're depicted as tender and caring towards one another (at times they're unbearably cheesy), some sort of power couple that we need to sympathise with, root for and see as heroic. No, sir.
I've read some theories about which character is Hindmost during which time, but that doesn't change the story much for me, it's hardly relevant much of the time. The two kids Nessus had were with Nike, period. It was merely a few books ago that they were choosing their female mate, I went back to check the names. The names of the two citizens choosing their mate are Nessus and Nike. If they had further kids with other citizens, it would still be crazy for them to not mention them at all and to simply ignore them (only mentioning and worrying about their newer kids), it's unlike their herd nature.
To sprinkle salt onto the wound, Nike does make a small appearance later on in the last book, having been demoted to a barely there background character. From the impeccable unattainable worlds-worthy love interest that started the entire series, in Fate of Worlds he isn't even contributing to the plot at all, instead he just sits back to witness and mildly enable the "beautiful" love story between his (former/ forgotten?) partner and someone else who never expressed any affection towards Nessus, let alone having a couple of kids together...
I can't believe that some works were reissued to make up for some technical plotholes that the readers had pointed out, but then the entire majestic series was ended with such a low blow, no explanation nor logic to it, never to be clarified in any way. I feel so betrayed. I only gave it one extra star for the rest of the story and book series. Up until midway through this book, I always thought I would reread the series someday, but this way of ending it left a very bitter taste upon me. A shame and a pity.
I'm not talking about Louis' flings, it was clear to me from the very first book that he won't end up with anyone in the long run (sure, we might be left to think that after Fate of Worlds, but considering how the other books twisted the story around, I wouldn't think this would last too long, either), but the one between Nessus and Nike. The crazy citizen who started the entire series to win his beloved's heart.
Except in the very last book, his beloved is changed to another character without any kind of explanation. They're depicted as tender and caring towards one another (at times they're unbearably cheesy), some sort of power couple that we need to sympathise with, root for and see as heroic. No, sir.
I've read some theories about which character is Hindmost during which time, but that doesn't change the story much for me, it's hardly relevant much of the time. The two kids Nessus had were with Nike, period. It was merely a few books ago that they were choosing their female mate, I went back to check the names. The names of the two citizens choosing their mate are Nessus and Nike. If they had further kids with other citizens, it would still be crazy for them to not mention them at all and to simply ignore them (only mentioning and worrying about their newer kids), it's unlike their herd nature.
To sprinkle salt onto the wound, Nike does make a small appearance later on in the last book, having been demoted to a barely there background character. From the impeccable unattainable worlds-worthy love interest that started the entire series, in Fate of Worlds he isn't even contributing to the plot at all, instead he just sits back to witness and mildly enable the "beautiful" love story between his (former/ forgotten?) partner and someone else who never expressed any affection towards Nessus, let alone having a couple of kids together...
I can't believe that some works were reissued to make up for some technical plotholes that the readers had pointed out, but then the entire majestic series was ended with such a low blow, no explanation nor logic to it, never to be clarified in any way. I feel so betrayed. I only gave it one extra star for the rest of the story and book series. Up until midway through this book, I always thought I would reread the series someday, but this way of ending it left a very bitter taste upon me. A shame and a pity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2025
Perhaps yet another entry into a series that didn't really need one. The series doesn't really feel serial, but separate weird stories separated by tens or hundreds of years and lightyears. Ok, I mean there is Louis who refuses to perish, but he's like a sideshow Bob in this one. Mainly it's a blob of scared neurotic Puppeteers, barbaric kitty-Kzintis, and various other lifeforms only known to the hardcore fans.
May 21, 2022
An excellent end to a truly epic adventure. I can only say that it left me wanting a tad more although the ending was entirely satisfactory with most loose ends connected, but my curiosity about Ol’tro especially still remains, as it does about what exactly happened to Achilles. Regarding the later it’s probably my memorys fault, and as for the former, well after all who can truly realistically describe superintelligence? As it's many years since I read Ringworld I do wish I had decided to re-read it just before reading this final installment. Overall though a wonderful adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2024
A fitting end to the Ringworld and perhaps Known Space novels. After Achilles put various alien races into conflict with each other, he is in charge of the Puppeteer worlds. But an alien really controls everything. After the Ringworld disappear, the aliens races set their sights on the Puppeteer home world. It's going to take everything the puppeteers and humans can put together to solve this.
It's a very good, thought provoking book. A lot of characters from previous novels come back to play and help solve the problems. Also lots of questions about how everything works.
It's a very good, thought provoking book. A lot of characters from previous novels come back to play and help solve the problems. Also lots of questions about how everything works.
July 6, 2017
Make sure you read the previous 4 Books of The Fleet of Worlds Series, or you wont know what the heck is going on.
Not at all a sequel to Ringworld's Children, which is a great book... you wont find any dialog involving Tunesmith, Proserpina, or Wembleth... it is a sequel to Betrayer of Worlds -- the 4th book of The Fleet Series... and in that, it wraps up everything nicely, at the end, with a complete bow.
Not at all a sequel to Ringworld's Children, which is a great book... you wont find any dialog involving Tunesmith, Proserpina, or Wembleth... it is a sequel to Betrayer of Worlds -- the 4th book of The Fleet Series... and in that, it wraps up everything nicely, at the end, with a complete bow.
May 9, 2018
Best in the series.
The writing flowed better in this book vs. the other 4 books.
Still very unique and inventive storylines.
Characters very good and good flow.
I really enjoyed this book and the reading just moved along. I looked down and found I was half way through it.
Many, many avenues for continuation of characters but felt this book ended well with a few twists and turns.
enjoyed very much.
The writing flowed better in this book vs. the other 4 books.
Still very unique and inventive storylines.
Characters very good and good flow.
I really enjoyed this book and the reading just moved along. I looked down and found I was half way through it.
Many, many avenues for continuation of characters but felt this book ended well with a few twists and turns.
enjoyed very much.
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