The Mote in God's Eye, by Niven and Pournelle

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Omphalos
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The Mote in God's Eye, by Niven and Pournelle

Post by Omphalos »

Image

In the history of SF there have been innumerable team-ups by authors. Dickson and Anderson. Zelazny and Dick. Moore and Kuttner. But in my opinion there has never been a greater team than Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. These two on their own pretty much renewed the entire genre by going through many of the major themes and producing a blockbuster (and very Heinleinian) novel for each. 1976 brought us Inferno, an odd religion book which was a modern interpretation of Dante's Inferno. In 1977 they produced a masterpiece calamity novel called Lucifer's Hammer, about a comet striking the Earth. In 1982, an archology/BDO (big dumb object) story called Oath of Fealty. 1985, an alien invasion novel called Footfall. 1987 brought us an amazing interstellar colonization book called The Legacy of Heorot. But it all started in 1974 with a superb first contact story called The Mote in God's Eye. This is one of those rare times where a new team of authors gets things dead-on, right from the get-go. Five out of five stars. Please click here or on the cover above to be taken to the review.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Post by Robspierre »

I fuckin' love the Crazy Eddie myth

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Post by Omphalos »

I still have to read those Pournelle books.

You know, when I read this one this time I had a LOT more sympathy for the Moties than I did the last time. That race was incredible.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Post by SandChigger »

BIG Motie fan here!

(Fuzzy and multi-limbed...what's not to like? :D )

[waves three legs!]
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Post by Omphalos »

Multi limbed and fuzzy? Are you hitting on me?
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Post by inhuien »

I've been meaning to read this book for like forever, thanks for the reminder :)
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Post by A Thing of Eternity »

It's a gooder.
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Post by SandChigger »

Omphalos wrote:Multi limbed and fuzzy? Are you hitting on me?
:shock:

Only if you're secretly a Motie and into xenosex. :D
"Chancho...sometimes when you are a man...you wear stretchy pants...in your room...alone."

"Politics is never simple, like the sand chigger of Arrakis, one is rarely truly free of its bite."

Arrakeen is an unawakened ghola.
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Post by orald »

It's very nice, but I thought the writing was a bit reminicest of some kind of 50's-60's military show, with all the navy guys talking like Robin-to-Batman.
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Post by Omphalos »

It was a military piece, after all. That aspect of it was the authors shooting for realism.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Post by orald »

Yea, but, c'mon, do they really talk like Ned Flanders in the navy? where are all the rude and vulgar people? Sailors are infamous for it, being stuck in those ships all that time between ports.
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Post by A Thing of Eternity »

orald wrote:Yea, but, c'mon, do they really talk like Ned Flanders in the navy? where are all the rude and vulgar people? Sailors are infamous for it, being stuck in those ships all that time between ports.
It pretty much focussed on the officers, who should be a bit more well mannered. I get where you're coming from though.
I deleted some of your posts because they were derailing the topic and not focusing on the issues asked, and instead going after the authors or their material. That's why. ~ BM
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