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Ringworld

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Ringworld

By: Larry Niven
Narrated by: Tom Parker
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About this listen

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel, Ringworld remains a favorite among science fiction readers and listeners.

The artifact is a vast circular ribbon of matter, some 180 million miles across, with a sun at its center. Pierson’s puppeteers—strange, three-legged, two-headed aliens—discovered this “Ringworld” in a hitherto unexplored part of the galaxy. Curious about the immense structure, but frightened by the prospect of meeting the builders, they set about assembling a team to explore it:

Louis Wu, human—old and bored with having lived too fully for too many years, seeking an adventure, and all too capable of handling it.

Nessus, puppeteer—a trembling coward from a species with an inbuilt survival pattern of nonviolence. This particular puppeteer, however, is insane.

Speaker-to-Animals, kzin—large, orange-furred, and carnivorous. The kzin are one of the most savage life-forms known.

The party’s expedition, however, goes disastrously wrong when their ship crash-lands and its motley crew faces a daunting trek across thousands of miles of Ringworld territory.

©1970 Larry Niven (P)1996 Blackstone Audiobooks Classics Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Fiction Mind-bending Interstellar

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Editor reviews

I had a chance to listen to this story on a long road trip. Larry Niven populates his universe with a plethora of strange and exotic creatures that are well developed. The basic story is well written and is about a world that is a ring around a star (with over 1,000,000 times the land area of Earth). This novel is one that you cannot stop listening to. The hours on the road just flew by as I became engrossed in the cool story. You will want to listen to more of Niven's novels that take place in the Ringworld universe. (Matt S.)
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Hate the accent of the narrator. The story is my absolute favourite. I really enjoyed listening to this.

I have enjoyed this so much I have planned books for the next 12 months.

Ringworld

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This is an excellent portrayal of a masterpiece done to the standards you would normally expect only from the BBC.

Quality to Depth

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Slow to start, and takes some weird tangents that don't help things, but overall enjoyable. Narration is top notch

Slow in places, but good overall story

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This was a great story with a fascinating premise. But women don't come out well, being dippy and/ or sex objects. Perhaps a product of its time.

Good story, shame about the sexual politics

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Ringworld is the latest book I have finished and the parallels that can be drawn with Clarkes' 'Rendezvous with Rama' are apparent.
I was disappointed with Niven's lack of literary skill. Although he can draw up lengthy technical descriptions, the full potential of the Ringworld was never realised, as Niven let himself touch on too many concepts without exploring them to their full extent.
Clarkes contribuition to the genre was much more skilled in story progression and general descriptive articulation. Rama was elegantly revealed, with just enough flavor added to keep each visit fresh. I felt that Clarke has a much more complete grip on the reader's imagination, which he used to fill in each puzzle piece just as one was at the brink of suspense.
I haven't been left with the motivation to continue the Ringworld series, and have no interest in how the story unfolds.

Niven vs Clarke. Clarke wins this round

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Ringworld sits comfortably at the top of its genre, a defining work in the same league as Lord of the Rings, which defined the whole genre of Fantasy. Niven could look Jules Verne in the eye without blushing. If you call yourself an SF fan and know nothing of Known Space you are no such thing!

Tom Parker is an excellent narrator. Initially I was dubious, but quickly reassured. He gives life to each character and sets an easy, natural pace that carries you through the text without ever once breaking the spell.

Get this book. Be inspired.

possibly the finest science fiction novel ever

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Well, I made it all the way through but it was a long journey. Whilst competently read the narrator's voice didn't sit well with me. I can imagine what an amazing story this may have been in the 70s but now it is way too long, navel gazing and technical. Bring on The Stainless Steel Rat instead!

Somewhat dated

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Feels like if Star Trek had a baby with red dwarf in a good way

Great if you like hard sci fi world building

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The author's attitude to women and sexual politics is extremely hard to take in 2017. Interesting premise and enjoyable story otherwise. The narrator is initially grating, but I got used to him. I don't think I'd seek out more of the narrator's work, but am interested in the rest of the Ringworld series.

A product of the 50s, written in 1970.

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I first read Ringworld many years ago, so thought it would be good to revisit it, but this time in sound.
The ideas behind the story are vast and sweeping. The narration is good and the characters are nicely defined.
However I must admit that I was expecting more. Of what I am not sure. It felt a bit like a tv show where the characters have overcome the worst of the dangers, but are not out of the woods, when a voice says ‘and they all lived happily ever after, the end’ you feel slightly cheated. That’s how the last section of the story felt to me. It’s a pity because it tainted the rest of the book.
I really wanted to really like this book - I like the ideas and scope and characters - but it just doesn’t do it for me.
However, I am now going to look for RW2, just to see if it’s me!

Nearly as good as I remember

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