The Sword and Laser discussion

I forgot how much fun this book was. Once you get used to the writing style and dated worldview, it's all just an unabashed exuberance, playing with technology, and making up aliens on a big canvas.
The plot is really simple --- the discovery and exploration of a BDO (big dumb object), and the group of explorers that fall into it and eventually escape. But the science fictional constructs, the air of adventure, the realization that the author has us in the palm of his hand and can spring something totally unexpected at the turn of the page --- these are just priceless.

This!

This is one of my first Sf books. I read a lot of sword but never got into laser, I guess. I read one book (Julian May, the one where a girl falls for a robot who has feelings) and some books that skirt the edges, but nothing like this. I though SF would be boring, maybe I got it mixed up with science textbooks :) or maybe I had more a military genre in mind, it just never appealed to me.

But this... It's amazing! It's like fantasy on steroids. It's an adventure but also a bit Rothfuss-y in the way the descriptions just bring everything to life. Ok, they're totally different authors so please don't shoot me for saying that, but it really feels like when I read NOTW. It just sucks me in and I don't actually care about the plot, I just want to hang around with the characters, see what they do, explore this big beautiful world with them. I could read three chapters about what they did for breakfast and still enjoy it :)

Fun and wonder and exploring and aliens with elephant faces and big mean kitty cats and WOW! Niven totally hooked me in the first few pages with slidewalks and transfer booths and other strange concepts, the beautiful descriptions that just didn't try too hard. He's got an incredible way with words.

I did have to google a pic of the ringworld though :) I'm bad at seeing pictures mentally so a few things have kind of passed over my head, but I'm so into this book (and totally open to suggestions of similar!)

Amy wrote: "But this... It's amazing! It's like fantasy on steroids...."
I got hooked for the same reason, and ended up reading the whole Niven booklist, more or less. I hope you continue to have fun reading SF (lasers). Some more contemporary writers include Peter F. Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds. Here's a rare gem, Emerald Eyes, or try Neuromancer. Finally, you might want to review this list:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/37...
I'm sure others will have great suggestions.

I've just been reading back and forth on selected chapters, and continue to be amazed by the sheer exuberance of the writing and conceptualization. This is SF on steroids.

Having just finished reading a lot of sober, gritty, pessimistic sci-fi and fantasy books, I have to say that I really enjoyed both this month's picks for the reasons others have mentioned in this posts. The Man-Kzin wars were one of the first SF books my dad ever gave me because I was the kid who liked both Klingons and Tigers, so Ringworld had a lot of nostalgia for me. It was fun to hang out with the Kzin again, ride a flying cycle, and explore Niven's space. I had issues with the more dated aspects as well, but I found it didn't interrupt my ability to sit back and enjoy the adventure.

I have really enjoyed this book. This book and a short story from Scott William Carter call "The Liberators" were a couple of inspirations for the Halo universe made by Bungie. I can easily see where the ideas came from and what was and wasn't used.

Mark wrote: "This book and a short story from Scott William Carter call "The Liberators" were a couple of inspirations for the Halo universe made by Bungie. "
I don't play Halo but have got to find that short story!

Mark wrote: "I have really enjoyed this book. This book and a short story from Scott William Carter call "The Liberators" were a couple of inspirations for the Halo universe made by Bungie. I can easily see w..."

Yes I loved seeing the precursors for Halo since I have enjoyed those games and books so much!

Valerie wrote: "Having just finished reading a lot of sober, gritty, pessimistic sci-fi and fantasy books, I have to say that I really enjoyed both this month's picks for the reasons others have mentioned in this ..."
You and me both. Am reading
The Ringworld Engineers now since I need another happy fix.