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Neutron Star (short Story Collection)
''Neutron Star'' is a collection of science fiction short stories by American writer Larry Niven, published in April 1968. The individual stories were published in '' If'' and ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' in 1966–1967, under Frederik Pohl as editor. Contents The book contains the following eight stories: *"Neutron Star" *"A Relic of the Empire" *"At the Core" *"The Soft Weapon" *"Flatlander" *"The Ethics of Madness" *"The Handicapped" *"Grendel" All stories are set in Niven's Known Space universe. Reception Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ... praised the collection, saying that it was evidence that "quality rises above fashion". References External links * * Fiction set around neutron stars Short story collections by Larry Niven 1968 short ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' (1974) and ''Lucifer's Hammer'' (1977). The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named him the 2015 recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics. It also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes the series ''The Magic Goes Away'', rational fantasy dealing with magic as a non-renewable resource. Biography Niven was born in Los Angeles. He is a great-grandson of Edward L. Doheny, an oil tycoon who drilled the first successful well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field in 1892, and also was subsequently implicated in the Teapot Dome scandal. Niven briefly attended the Califor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
If (magazine)
''If'' was an American science fiction magazine launched in March 1952 by Quinn Publications, owned by James L. Quinn. The magazine was moderately successful, though for most of its run it was not considered to be in the first tier of American science fiction magazines. It achieved its greatest success under editor Frederik Pohl, winning the Hugo Award for best professional magazine three years running from 1966 to 1968. ''If'' published many award-winning stories over its 22 years, including Robert A. Heinlein's novel ''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' and Harlan Ellison's short story "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream". The most prominent writer to make his first sale to ''If'' was Larry Niven, whose story "The Coldest Place" appeared in the December 1964 issue. ''If'' was merged into ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' after the December 1974 issue, its 175th issue overall. Publication history Although science fiction had been published in the United States before the 1920s, it di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galaxy Science Fiction
''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L. Gold, who rapidly made ''Galaxy'' the leading science fiction magazine of its time, focusing on stories about social issues rather than technology. Gold published many notable stories during his tenure, including Ray Bradbury's "The Fireman", later expanded as ''Fahrenheit 451''; Robert A. Heinlein's ''The Puppet Masters''; and Alfred Bester's ''The Demolished Man''. In 1952, the magazine was acquired by Robert Guinn, its printer. By the late 1950s, Frederik Pohl was helping Gold with most aspects of the magazine's production. When Gold's health worsened, Pohl took over as editor, starting officially at the end of 1961, though he had been doing the majority of the production work for some time. Under Pohl ''Gala ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satellite: Luna", to the 2011 novel ''All the Lives He Led''. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited '' Galaxy'' and its sister magazine '' If''; the latter won three successive annual Hugo Awards as the year's best professional magazine. His 1977 novel '' Gateway'' won four "year's best novel" awards: the Hugo voted by convention participants, the Locus voted by magazine subscribers, the Nebula voted by American science-fiction writers, and the juried academic John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He won the Campbell Memorial Award again for the 1984 collection of novellas ''The Years of the City'', one of two repeat winners during the first 40 years. For his 1979 novel ''Jem'', Pohl won a U.S. National Book Award in the one-year category Science ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neutron Star (short Story)
"Neutron Star" is an English language science fiction short story by American writer Larry Niven. It was originally published in the October 1966 issue (Issue 107, Vol 16, No 10) of ''Worlds of If''. It was later reprinted in the collection of the same name and ''Crashlander''.New York: Ballantine, 1994, pp. 8-28, The story is set in Niven's fictional ''Known Space'' universe. It is notable for including a neutron star before their (then hypothetical) existence was widely known. "Neutron Star" is the first to feature Beowulf Shaeffer, the ex-pilot and reluctant hero of many of Niven's ''Known Space'' stories. It also marked the first appearance of the nearly indestructible General Products starship hull, as well as its creators, the Pierson's Puppeteers. The star itself, BVS-1, is featured in the novel ''Protector'' (1973), where it is named "Phssthpok's Star". A prelude to the story is also included in the novel ''Juggler of Worlds''. Plot summary Beowulf Shaeffer, a native o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
At The Core (Larry Niven Story)
"At the Core" is an English language science fiction short story by American writer Larry Niven, published in 1966. It is the second in the series of '' Known Space'' stories featuring crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer. The short story was originally published in '' Worlds of If'', November 1966, and reprinted in ''Neutron Star'' (1968) and '' Crashlander'' (1994). The novel '' Fleet of Worlds'' is set in the aftermath of the story, from the Puppeteer point of view. The story is retold, from the point of view of Sigmund Ausfaller, in '' Juggler of Worlds''. The events are also referred to in '' Ringworld''. Plot summary Four years after the events in the other short story " Neutron Star", spaceship pilot Beowulf Shaeffer is on Jinx, a planet orbiting Sirius B, when he is again contacted by the Puppeteers, this time by the Regional President of General Products on Jinx, who offers him a chance to guide a cramped (but very fast) experimental ship to the center of the galaxy as a p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Soft Weapon
"The Soft Weapon" is a science fiction short story by the American writer Larry Niven, set in his ''Known Space'' universe. It was first published in the February 1967 issue of '' If''.- - - The story introduces the character of Nessus, a Puppeteer who later became one of the main characters of the novel ''Ringworld''. The story is retold, from the point of view of Nessus, in ''Juggler of Worlds''. "The Soft Weapon" was first published in ''If'' in 1967 and has since been included in the short story collections ''Neutron Star'' (1968) and ''Playgrounds of the Mind'' (1991). Plot Nessus is returning from a diplomatic mission to the Outsiders, having purchased what is apparently a Thrint stasis box, on a passenger ship run by a human couple, Jason and Anne Marie Papandreou. They stop at Beta Lyrae to sight-see where they unexpectedly discover, by deep-radar, another stasis box. However, the box had been placed there as a trap by Kzinti pirates. The rogue Kzinti are using a dum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flatlander (short Story)
"Flatlander" is an English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ... science fiction short story by American writer Larry Niven, published in 1967. It is the third in the series of ''Known Space'' stories featuring crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer. The short story was originally published in ''If (magazine), Worlds of If'', March 1967, and reprinted in ''Neutron Star'', and ''Crashlander''.''Crashlander'', Larry Niven, New York: Ballantine, 1994, pp. 57–101 () Plot summary Traveling to Earth after his trip to the core of the Milky Way Galaxy, Beowulf "Bey" Shaeffer befriends Gregory Pelton, a fabulously wealthy and gregarious Flatlander (Niven), flatlander (Earth-born human) who calls himself Elephant. Irritated at always being labeled a flatlander despite h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Handicapped
"The Handicapped" is a science fiction short story by Larry Niven, originally published in the December 1967 issue of ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' as "Handicap". Set in the ''Known Space'' universe, the story introduces the Grogs, the sessile but sentient inhabitants of the planet Down. Plot Mr Garvey arrives at the planet Down, having heard about the natives called Grogs. Garvey Limited, a company owned by his father, makes artificial limbs and other tools for the "Handicapped" species; sentient beings that evolved minds but with nothing that would serve as hands, like dolphins. A local reluctantly agrees to show him a living Grog in the desert, but the Grog turns out to be a disappointment. It is sessile enough, being a furry cone living anchored to a rock, but it seems utterly void of sentience. The latter observation is later confirmed by a local exobiologist. The next morning, Garvey has a revelation. Somehow he knows the Grogs are sentient, without knowing why he knows. He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grendel (short Story)
"Grendel" is an English language science fiction short story written in 1968 by Larry Niven. It is the fourth in the series of Known Space stories featuring crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer. The short story was originally published in ''Neutron Star'' (1968), and reprinted in '' Crashlander'' (1994). It has no connection to the creatures called Grendels in Niven's '' Heorot'' series. Synopsis Beowulf "Bey" Shaeffer is on a flight between Down and Gummidgy when the ship's captain, Margo Tellefsen, announces that she is dropping of out hyperdrive so passengers can witness a starseed setting sail. Just after this happens, all passengers are knocked out by a gas introduced in the ship's life system; while no cargo is missing, a Kdatlyno touch sculptor named Lloobee has vanished. Soon enough, the kidnappers make contact with the local government and demand ten million "stars" (the interstellar form of currency) for Lloobee's safe return. Because Kdatlyno cannot spend extended time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Known Space
Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) catalogs all works set in the fictional universe that includes Known Space under the series name Tales of Known Space, which was the title of a 1975 collection of Niven's short stories. The first-published work in the series, which was Niven's first published piece was "The Coldest Place", in the December 1964 issue of '' If'' magazine, edited by Frederik Pohl. This was the first-published work in the 1975 collection. The stories span approximately one thousand years of future history, from the first human explorations of the Solar System to the colonization of dozens of nearby systems. Late in the series, Known Space is an irregularly shaped "bubble" about 60 light-years across. The epithet "Known Space" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
