Alright, another huge anthology by Larry Niven, so there is bound to be some "old friends" from other collections and anthologies. This will be another review-in-progress, so expect short reviews as I read the shortstories and excerpts (yeah, this anthology has short bits from a few of his novels).This anthology gives the reader more than just shortstories, it also gives us stories about Larry Niven, as well as stories about how he got to write the... stories. I personally love this sort of thing, if I like the writer, that is. And... I like the writings of Larry Niven well enough.From World of Ptavvs (5 pages) is a very short excerpt of his very first novel. In the end-troduction, he writes how someone really didn't like this novel, and for some reason, I kinda agree (based solely on this excerpt of course). There is an interesting idea there, but most of the text is a heavy description of a phenomenon on a distant planet. (1.5 stars)Bordered in Black (20 pages) is what I'd call a sci-fi horror story, yet, it wasn't as horrific as I would have liked. There is, however, a nice little revelation by the end! (That I had seen coming, but still nice) I am not sure, though, that I would ever send a spaceship into unknown space with only two crewmembers... seems too risky. It had potential for more horror, which would have made it a 4 star story. (3 stars)Convergent Series (6 pages) is fantasy, not science fiction. It is the story of a young man bend on understanding magic. One day he tests out an old "spell" in a basement and (accidentally, because he didn't really think it would work) summons a demon. Now, Niven won't give you all the answers right away, so stick with the story to the end and you'll understand... clever. Recommended. (3.5 stars)All the Myriad Ways (11 pages) might be "just another parallel univers" story, as Niven calls it, but I really like it. It involves a series of strange myrders and suicides, as well as the Crosstime technology, that allows one to pass into a parallel univers where something is changed (there are essentially trillions of these). This idea could easily have been expanded into a short novel. Recommended. (3.5 stars)From A Gift From Earth (9 pages) is another excerpt from a novel. I am not really sure about this one, it seems to be a story about how to use the earth for building houses. The story introduces an interesting concept called "architectural coral", but other than that, this excerpt is a mess and doesn't really sell the novel to me. (1.5 stars)For a Foggy Night (8 pages) is the story of a man getting caught by the fog, and I mean that quite literally, because in this story, the fog represents alternate realities. Another shortstory that could have easily been expanded into a novel, also, this one reminded me of the mythago wood of Robert Holdstock... which is a good thing. (3.5 stars)The Meddler (22 pages) is one of those stories that confused me from the beginning, and quite frankly... dropped me completely halfway. I did not finish it. (1 star)Passerby (14 pages) is the story about a rammer (which, I assume, is some sort of alien) who encounters a rather strange creature in space. Like the Meddler, this one started out confusing, but luckily, picked me up (almost literally) by the end. The ending is well worth the read, as it becomes a very different kind of science fiction shortstory. (2.5 stars)Down in Flames (13 pages) is not a shortstory at all, but an outline for a plot. I dont know the setting that well, and therefore found myself skipping most of this. If you like metafiction, you might enjoy this, as you get a small look behind the curtain of the writing process. (1 star)
I love me some short stories - in general because if you get a stinker you arent tied up in it that long - in specific I am rounding out the missing Niven shorts. I was able to skip over the novel chunks in this one, and thankfully because this book is over 650 pages. Not that its too long, just very thick, and awkward to keep ahold of near the front and back - not so bad in the middle.The shorts are excellent and instead of a quick paragraph at the front of the book, there is an intro by the author to each story, many several pages long, giving insight to what he was thinking when he was writing it. Of course they werent all gems, the last one especially got a little tedious hearing the same ideas over and over. It was non-fiction and telling about how the SF writers got together to pester Reagan about the space program. It was interesting, but repetitive.Overall all though, you cant go wrong with Niven, and this is no exception.
What do You think about N-Space (1997)?
This is one of my favorite short story collections. Generally, I like my book on a more ...epic level. When I do find a good collection of short stories that go well together and are all generally well done in and of themselves, I get excited. This is one of those cases. Another one I read when I was a teenager, influenced by my older brother, I think he loaned it to me. I've since read it again, and it's enjoyable at different ages.Contains the famous "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" essay, which is a legendary meme at this point.
—Marleda Jones
This book has a special place in my heart. Nearly a decade ago, someone pasted the entirety of The Hole Man in a comment on Slashdot, and I printed it out, read it on the bus, and loved everything about it. Looking for more, I originally picked up a copy of N-Space in some used book store in Seattle - probably Ophelia's - and was instantly fascinated. This was the book that really got me back into sci-fi, gave me a taste of what was possible, and fully introduced me to the inimitable Larry Niven and his Known Space. I've since read several more tales in Known Space and have several more on my shelf, and have launched out into many other worlds as well.I've lost count of how many copies of this book I've bought - I snag a copy whenever I see one for cheap, because I love giving it to people to read, because this collection is a great place to jump in - the stories range from bite-size to excerpts from full novels. I'm sure I'll buy many more in the future.
—Joel Bradshaw
Phew! Besides being painfully long, N-Space was quite wonderful. I don't normally go for hard science fiction. It's too dry and thick and pretentious, in my experience. But Larry Niven is a genius. He knows how to slip the science right under my nose in the guise of likable, interesting characters and fascinating landscapes. I enjoyed nearly every story in here, although some felt a little repetitious (I mean, he is writing in the same universe almost every time. Known Space is an impressive feat all by itself); for that, not the quality of each individual story (which was incredibly high), it gets four stars.
—August Niehaus
