Niven, Larry: Rainbow Mars

[Dave]

I read this last year. Anyone want to talk about it? I know a lot of people who think they know Larry Niven, didn't like it because it wasn't what they were expecting.

Rainbow Mars (1999)

Written by Larry Niven.

This is part of his Svetz series, which you can read in 'The Flight of the Horse' (1974). Apparantly, these stories are included in the US edition.

The yer is +1108 Atomic Era, and Hanville Svetz is on his way back to +390. With him is a snake, about to become the latest edition to the Secretary-General's private Zoo.

On his return, however, Svetz learns that his employer has died. His journey has been a waste of time. But this is the least of his concerns. With the new regime comes a new role for Svetz, and time he is going to be sent much further back in time. And not to Earth. The new Secretary-General has greater ambitions: he wants to learn the secret of Mars.

What Svetz finds is a world rich in alien life - and alien politics. It is also a world unaware of its remarkable and terrifying future.

This is not his Hard SF, it is pure fantasy. If you know your science fiction, you will catch the references to Edgar Rice Burroughs, H G Wells, Ray Bradbury and such, and be greatly amused by this. Don't take it too seriously, it wasn't meant to be. I like Niven's fantasy novels just as much as his technological stuff, anyway.

[greyhorse]

I just joined the forum today and by coincidence I happened to finish reading Rainbow Mars yesterday.

I'd have to agree with you, Larry Niven can do "hard" SF, but his skill at entertaining the reader is his charm. I loved reading about Warlock in N-space/Playgrounds of the Mind, and am planning to borrow (library) any Niven books talking about that particular playground.

I must admit that I missed most of the references you referred to but are there any books in particular that a you'd recommend to a Niven fan?

I'm always looking for interesting SF to read and I LOVE Nive. William Gibson and Neal Stephenson are also 2 of my favourite authors. That didn't help too much did it? Sorry.

-Jeff

[Dave]

I have read a lot of Niven, but I'm not sure about recommendations.

I would instantly say 'Destiny's Road' but you've read that already. I don't like all of his collaborations, but I did enjoy 'Saturn's Race'.

I think he is best at short stories, but most of that work was written in the 60's and 70's and is very dated now. That's just science fiction, not his fault. I think that 'N-Space' probably has the best of those short stories, though I haven't read that particular compilation as I already have most of them in older ones.

I enjoy the 'Man-Kzin Wars' stories based in his 'Known Space' universe only a few actually written by Niven.

I actually don't like 'Ringworld' as much as some other work, but if you do there is a fourth book in the series out soon -- 'Ringworld's Children.'

Over the last year, I've been reading Iain M Banks, just finished his 'Culture' novels.

[greyhorse]

This is soo cool! I've actually found someone who likes Niven in general, but didn't like Ringworld too much. I read all 3 books of course, but wasn't blown away or anything.

I keep getting strange looks when I tell this to the people in charge of the SF section of book stores.

I'll try Saturn's Race next because I saw it the last time I went to the library near-by. Thanks.

-Jeff

[Dave]

Originally posted by greyhorse
I keep getting strange looks when I tell this to the people in charge of the SF section of book stores.
-Jeff

Why don't I find that strange?

I have trouble finding any SF at all. The main book shops have a Sci-Fi and Fantasy section -- Star Trek, Buffy, Anne Rice and Tolkien -- and that's it!

I have to go to somewhere like 'Forbidden Planet', and even then to the large shop for anything else. I want to read some Robert Heinlein -- but I can't find it anywhere.

There is a series though -- SF Masterworks -- which some bookshops carry.

[greyhorse]

Canada doesn't put out much SF, but maybe because of our close proximity to the 'States, there's still a fair amount of SF in bookstores here.

I actually can't comment on Canada in general because I've only lived in the Greater Toronto Area and the Greater Vancouver Area. The selection in those cities is pretty good, with Vancouver in the lead, especially if you go to the bigger stores downtown. I was pleasantly surprised about a month ago, when I saw a bunch of re-issues of older stuff, including Niven and Heinlein. I think some publishers are doing re-issues to capitalize on the popularity of SF/Fantasy on the Big Screen right now.

People here actually also read; I'm still surprised when I see the # of people who are reading when I'm riding public transportation. On and off for the last 10 years I've lived in Japan, and over there practically no-one reads books (other than during the first month of autumn anyway, when it's the "in" thing to do). The Japanese do read, but it's mostly all comics.

One of the best selections of SF I've seen in normal book stores is oddly enough in the Tokyo area. There are actually quite a few stores that carry books written in English. The SF/Fantasy section in the newest Kinokuniya in Shinjuku is pretty impressive and The Tower Records Shibuya SF section is also one of the bigger ones I've seen. Although the prices are almost prohibitively high, I've never run out of books to buy.

[greyhorse]

Woh, that seemed too much like bragging. Not what I wanted to do.

All I can say is, I feel for you. As a fellow fan, I think it's terrible that you can't go and see the books you want to buy. With on-line shopping available there's no worry about selection and it's often cheaper, but there's something about being able to see and touch a product before buying it that's assuring isn't there?

[Dave]

I have bought a number of books on-line, and I agree that you can get practically anything you want.

I rarely see anyone reading in public here (BTW that's the UK), though I did see someone yesterday. Reading is mainly a Summer Vacation activity for most people here.

The public libraries here are good too.

This thread has gone seriously off topic now. Maybe you should begin a new one -- why don't people read?

[Lensman]

Rainbow Mars was a fun read, so long as you understand it's fantasy, or at best science fantasy-- a far cry from Niven's usual "hard" SF! I must say I was irked by the depiction of Wells' Martians' as "octopus-like". No no no-- they have two bunches of thin, whip-like tentacles, one at each corner of their mouth, but overall they're huge heads without bodies-- a far cry from an octopus!