The Ringworld Throne: The Ringworld Series, Book 3

if you recall, in Ringworld, they had tapes and spools for information storage. In Ringworld Engineers, they had giant micro-fiches that had to be cut into pieces to pass through the transporters. And now....well, obviously Niven didn't foresee the digital revolution (puts him on par with every other 60s/70s/80s sci-fi writer). It is often said that sci-fi reflects the age in which it was written, and not the future, and that is true of the Ringworld saga to date, as technology changes in the world around us. Suddenly the Hindmost has spray-on electronics...well. I won't spoil the rest of the dubious surprises for you! When a saga is written over decades, as here, you can expect certain conventions to change with real-world progress.Story is split between the traditional "Louis Wu" viewpoint, and also told third-person from Ringworld natives' viewpoints, which is a new development. Means a slimline idea can be padded out somewhat...ahem. But of course this is Larry Niven who writes like a charm (that changes over time too) so you have all his delightful prose to enjoy while picking holes in the future of yesteryear. Personally I don't think this is one of his best novels, the first half of the book really does seem like padding, and things only really get going in the second half. But hey, this is Larry Niven we're talking about, presumably worshipped as a god-figure by a lost tribe in the Amazon, so we'll allow a little leeway for individual choice! Make a space for this on your bookshelf now...or wait and wait and wait for the kindle edition to appear.

Niven's obsession with interspecies sex spoils the story. Too much relationship stuff and insufficient science. Hope next one gets better.

Liked it all, a good read.

Such a good story. I so enjoyed reading it that as soon as I finished it I sat down read it again.

The previous book (Ringworld Engineers) demonstrated exactly how a competent sequel should be done. It was not only a great book by itself but it also bolstered the original and made you optimistic and hopeful for the future of this fantastic setting. What does Niven have in store for us with this book?By 50 pages in, the same point where Ringworld and Engineers had well gripped me, I was on the verge on tossing the book and having just finished it that would have been a wise decision. You begin to wonder exactly what has happened to Niven to be able to write in such a manner as to make Ringworld a boring place. Actually, that's half the problem of the book - Ringworld itself barely gets a mention, my heart would leap whenever 'the arch' or a spillpipe or a shadow square was mentioned, because I assumed that meant the story would finally get going. No such luck.The entire first half of the book seems to be an exercise in introducing as many flat, lifeless characters as possible and making them all have 'rishanthra' with each other, believe me you will come to dread the sight of that word. Somewhere in there is a potentially interesting plot involving a vampire nest and various species of different tech levels having to ally themselves to fight it, but it's lost beneath awful writing and dull, tedious progression.There's one standout scene involving the taking over of an old floating factory to conquer the vampires, and honestly, it's great. It takes you right back to the wonder and adventure of the first books. Here's the Ringworld we know and love.Having had your little share of excitement, let's introduce the second half of the book, which is theoretically more interesting as it at least involves Louis Wu. For a while it seems there is a decent conclusion coming. Once again, don't get your hopes up, as the writing and plot becomes confusing to the point of complete bewilderment. I don't know who most of the characters are, what they're doing here, or any number of other pertinent questions.It's not just that this is a bad and barely readable book, it's that it seems determined to ignore every last thing which made the previous 2 so great. Having seen many bad reviews as I bought it I had foolishly thought that the setting of Ringworld would make up for any amount of other flaws. As I said, that's bunk, as almost all of this book could be set anywhere and it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference.Ringworld deserved so much better.

A great book, the third in an excellent series of 5 books. Some visionary ideas are woven into the storyline. The story has great characters, and moves at a good pace. A real page turner.

Great book read it in a day and a half. Ringworld series rocks!!

This is the second sequel to ‘Ringworld’, following on from ‘The Ringworld Engineers’. Louis Wu, Chmeee and the Hindmost are still stranded on the Ringworld. Louis spends his time travelling and teaching, Chmeee has settled and founded a dynasty, and the Hindmost remains in his buried ship. But the Ringworld is in peril again ...I found this volume considerably less entertaining than the previous books. The first half focuses almost entirely on a group of Ringworld natives trying to wipe out a nest of vampiric hominids. It’s rather tiresome reading about the constant “rishathra” – if they’re not doing it, they’re talking about it – and the final confrontation is somewhat anti-climactic. The second half brings us back to Louis and the Hindmost (Chmeee disappears after the prologue, though his son does make an appearance), who are struggling to deal with various Protectors fighting for supremacy. This part is more interesting, but still drags somewhat, with much of the action merely being viewed through a video screen by the main characters.I also found it annoying that the natives often reference Earth animals that they would never have heard of, and use Louis’s terms for some of the hominids, such as vampires and ghouls. The Ringworlders wouldn’t know these words – they’re terms from Earth mythology that Louis applied to species with similar lifestyles to those creatures. Worst of all is one of the natives describing something as “Brobdingnagian” – they’ve read ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ on the Ringworld, have they? Come on …