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Short Stories #2
Playgrounds of the Mind
Presents a collection of stories from the second half of Niven's writing career, many previously unpublished in book form, plus a wealth of gossip and anecdotes
486 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
8 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Larry Niven
687 books3,310 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 20, 2018
I had read a good bit of what was here in other collections.
This is one of the last Niven books left that I have not read, and I am a bit bummed by that.
Fun author, long career, interesting ideas.
This collection is largely more of the same, with some funny personal stories and assorted anecdotes thrown in at the end.
Did not really care for the excepts from books I had already read, but some people may find them an interesting introduction to some of authors previous works.
As readers, we tend to feel like we get to know our favorite authors, even if we never meet them.
The stories at the end of this go a long way to adding to that feeling - well done.
This is one of the last Niven books left that I have not read, and I am a bit bummed by that.
Fun author, long career, interesting ideas.
This collection is largely more of the same, with some funny personal stories and assorted anecdotes thrown in at the end.
Did not really care for the excepts from books I had already read, but some people may find them an interesting introduction to some of authors previous works.
As readers, we tend to feel like we get to know our favorite authors, even if we never meet them.
The stories at the end of this go a long way to adding to that feeling - well done.
December 11, 2008
WARNING: Playgrounds of the Mind contains about 99% recycled material.
Sometimes, when a writer gets older, they start recycling their work. Heck, some of them even do it when they're young. They put out book after book of short story collections in which a large numbers of the stories are duplicates from previous editions, and only a few of the stories are new.
It's sleazy, of course; basically an obnoxious way to rip off the reader. Unfortunately, in his declining years Larry Niven started doing this in a big way.
Playgrounds of the Mind includes short stories from a number of excellent Niven collections. If you don't have those books, they're well worth reading - but I'd recommend picking up those earlier books, not this one.
It also includes a lot of excerpts from various Niven novels. Personally, I find this extremely annoying for two reasons: one, I already own all those novels. Niven made me pay for the same material twice, and that indicates a real contempt for his readers. I'd excuse it as simple senility and greed, but Playgrounds of the Mind was published in 1992 - and Niven has written a good novel or two (and several mediocre ones) since then. Although admittedly those books were all written with collaborators; for all I know, Niven may effectively be a vegetable by now, and the novel that I took as a sign that he "still had it" might actually just be a successful counterfeiting of his classic style by his co-author.
The second reason that I am irritated by Playgrounds of the Mind is that novel excerpts rarely work as stand-alone stories. Yes, many of them are from Niven's better work. But effectively, they're just a set of teasers - if you like them, you'll need to buy the original novels to get completion. Again, this is simply reader abuse.
There is a very small amount of new material in Playgrounds of the Mind. Niven also included introductions for most of the material, usually at least a couple of paragraphs; for hard-core Niven fans, that's interesting. So this book wasn't completely a waste of my money. And given its massive size, it's a moderately useful "traveling" book, one that I can take on a vacation to read. But that's in part because I won't mind too much if it's damaged or lost.
If you're new to Niven, you'll probably enjoy this book. But I'd suggest trying one of his original short story collections instead, such as Tales of Known Space. If you can't find it in a bookstore, your library is sure to have it. If you like it, you'll be pleased to know that Niven is a rarity, an outstanding short-story writer who also wrote great novels. Just try to stick to his earlier work...say pre-1990.
Sometimes, when a writer gets older, they start recycling their work. Heck, some of them even do it when they're young. They put out book after book of short story collections in which a large numbers of the stories are duplicates from previous editions, and only a few of the stories are new.
It's sleazy, of course; basically an obnoxious way to rip off the reader. Unfortunately, in his declining years Larry Niven started doing this in a big way.
Playgrounds of the Mind includes short stories from a number of excellent Niven collections. If you don't have those books, they're well worth reading - but I'd recommend picking up those earlier books, not this one.
It also includes a lot of excerpts from various Niven novels. Personally, I find this extremely annoying for two reasons: one, I already own all those novels. Niven made me pay for the same material twice, and that indicates a real contempt for his readers. I'd excuse it as simple senility and greed, but Playgrounds of the Mind was published in 1992 - and Niven has written a good novel or two (and several mediocre ones) since then. Although admittedly those books were all written with collaborators; for all I know, Niven may effectively be a vegetable by now, and the novel that I took as a sign that he "still had it" might actually just be a successful counterfeiting of his classic style by his co-author.
The second reason that I am irritated by Playgrounds of the Mind is that novel excerpts rarely work as stand-alone stories. Yes, many of them are from Niven's better work. But effectively, they're just a set of teasers - if you like them, you'll need to buy the original novels to get completion. Again, this is simply reader abuse.
There is a very small amount of new material in Playgrounds of the Mind. Niven also included introductions for most of the material, usually at least a couple of paragraphs; for hard-core Niven fans, that's interesting. So this book wasn't completely a waste of my money. And given its massive size, it's a moderately useful "traveling" book, one that I can take on a vacation to read. But that's in part because I won't mind too much if it's damaged or lost.
If you're new to Niven, you'll probably enjoy this book. But I'd suggest trying one of his original short story collections instead, such as Tales of Known Space. If you can't find it in a bookstore, your library is sure to have it. If you like it, you'll be pleased to know that Niven is a rarity, an outstanding short-story writer who also wrote great novels. Just try to stick to his earlier work...say pre-1990.
April 6, 2009
Just as good as "N Space". I love Niven's books, but I think he shines best in the short-story format.
November 15, 2019
A fine overview of the man's work. If you're a Niven fan, you may have read a lot of this stuff already, but then if you're a Niven fan, you might be interested in the commentary surrounding the pieces as well.
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February 11, 2020Becalmed in Hell 2/5
September 20, 2007
This is Larry Niven’s second volume of various essays, short-stories, and various anecdotes from his 40 years in science-fiction circles. The first was N-SPACE.
Some of the material in Playgrounds of the Mind is very interesting, such as his essay "Bigger than Worlds", in which he sketches out a number of interesting ideas for large-scale habitats, including his now famous Ringworld. His recipe for Irish coffee is sure to delight fans of the drink.
Nonetheless, the bulk of the selections in Playgrounds of the Mind do not make the book worth getting. Niven's non-Known Space material is infamously badly written. Many of the anecdotes about science-fiction conventions are dull, and will not entertain anyone who thinks the idea of a science-fiction gathering is somewhat silly. Furthermore, a great deal of the book consists of material available elsewhere. Chances are that, if you like Niven enough to buy this, you've already got all the Known Space books. And not only is the Known Space material available elsewhere, but what's in Playgrounds of the Mind is only the duds of the KS series, such as "The Soft Weapon" and "The Borderland of Sol".
I'd recommend Playgrounds of the Mind only to those who have already read the majority of Niven's works and honestly enjoy his non-Known Space works.
Some of the material in Playgrounds of the Mind is very interesting, such as his essay "Bigger than Worlds", in which he sketches out a number of interesting ideas for large-scale habitats, including his now famous Ringworld. His recipe for Irish coffee is sure to delight fans of the drink.
Nonetheless, the bulk of the selections in Playgrounds of the Mind do not make the book worth getting. Niven's non-Known Space material is infamously badly written. Many of the anecdotes about science-fiction conventions are dull, and will not entertain anyone who thinks the idea of a science-fiction gathering is somewhat silly. Furthermore, a great deal of the book consists of material available elsewhere. Chances are that, if you like Niven enough to buy this, you've already got all the Known Space books. And not only is the Known Space material available elsewhere, but what's in Playgrounds of the Mind is only the duds of the KS series, such as "The Soft Weapon" and "The Borderland of Sol".
I'd recommend Playgrounds of the Mind only to those who have already read the majority of Niven's works and honestly enjoy his non-Known Space works.
March 28, 2020
Niven is one of the best known and most successful hand-science sf authors of the 1970s and ‘80s, especially in his several collaborations with Jerry Pournelle. This is the second selected collection (sequel to N-Space) of his short works, essays, and excerpts from novels, and it’s a useful introduction to the whole body of his work, from the “Known Space” series and the Draco Tavern tales to the semi-funny time travel stories featuring the reluctant Svetz and the mysteries of Gil “the ARM” Hamilton. I’ve read all of these before, though some not for many years, and most are enjoyable. I could have done without the novel excerpts, though; if you haven’t already read the whole book, you’ll have no idea what’s going on.
June 21, 2014
As usual, science fiction stories are the easily digestible and thought provoking fare, though I have to say I much prefer Asimov's and Clarke's short stories overall. This volume is definitely meant for those who are more familiar with Niven's writing and career. It's harder to appreciate for a newcomer like myself; too many anecdotes and references. I haven't even read Ringworld, but after this, I'm definitely looking out for a copy. The known space universe isn't much to my taste though, I have an innate stigma against science fiction with too many alien races for some reason. Perhaps that will change if I give more of Niven's books a read.
September 4, 2011
If you’ve never read Larry Niven, these two collections are a great place to start. They are both a mix of essays, short fiction, and excerpts from novels. If you’ve already read practically all of Niven’s work, there is not a lot of new material, but the convention essays still make the books worth the read.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1089
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1089
February 9, 2013
A book of short stories, excerpts, with a handful of random stuff thrown in just for fun. Much of the material was excellent, but like many collections, some of it was "meh". A number of the random items and some of the commentary read like special messages for people in the know -- all well and good, but confusing to outsiders. Overall, it was a lot of fun.
March 24, 2013
I would have been happy with a collection of short stories, instead it turned out to be excerpts from his novels, way too much commectary about the stories he didn't write (who wants to hear about bad story ideas!), and just a few short stories (mostly about magic instaed of sci-fi. Dissapointment!
January 4, 2017
I enjoyed this book mostly for the essays and short stories in it. Niven excels at thinking big, really big. However, excerpts from his novels left me confused in some cases and wanting more in others. I think the collection is really for fans of Larry Niven not really for new readers.
January 24, 2009
I gave this 5 stars because while it's not a complete story arc, it is a great sampler for intro into Larry Niven, and it really turned me on to his stuff.
November 22, 2011
Good short story book, If you read a lot of Niven you will recognize parts of many of his stories
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews