Ringworld

One of my goals in 2016 is to read more. This kinda counts. See other books I've read or listened to here.

This reading of Ringworld By Larry Nevin was a free audio book with one of my internet subscriptions. It is read by Grover Gardner.

IMG_0372.JPG

Ringworld is one of my husbands all time favorite books and was also recommended by my father, as well as almost every sci fi lover I know. I have read this book before, but when I saw the free reading, I was happy to revisit this book. 

It's Louie Woo's 200th birthday and he's pretty bored. He could go on another deep space sabbatical, find some interesting aliens, meet some exotic women, but he's already done that many times. Much to his surprise, an exotic alien finds him instead. Nessus, a cautious Pierson's Puppeteer, offers Louie a dangerous, mysterious, adventure he can't refuse; Just what Louie was looking for.

First off, this reading was amazing. It made me like Ringworld even better than I already did. Gardner's clear, precise reading make Nevin's scientific (sometimes slightly dated) writing easy to understand. I can't wait to find more books that he has read. I knew that I liked this book, but on second reading, I found it even more interesting. It has all the great hopes, dilemmas, and predictions that many great sci-fi novels have. This book has many themes of tolerance, and fear, and hopes for meeting alien life. It has a very interesting take of xenophobia/xenophilia. Ringworld also plays with the traditional 1970s sci-fi sex and sexuality themes, without being too crude. This is a classic sci-fi book and if you're a fan of this genre, you must read it! I would also suggest this book for people who like exploration novels, books about voyages, and anyone interested in interpersonal relationships between a variety of peoples. 

What are your favorite sci-fi novels?