The Draco Tavern

[Dave]

Anyone like these stories?

Larry Niven wrote these short stories over a very long period of time (starting in 1977) and I've read them over an almost equally long period. I now have 'The Draco Tavern', which is a compilation of all of them, with a few new ones, and the twenty-six tales make a good read.

If you have never heard of them:

When a tremendous spacecraft took orbit around the Earth's moon and began sending smaller landers down towards the North pole, the newly arrived visitors quickly set up a spaceport at Mount Forel in Siberia. Their presence attracted many, and a few people grew conspicuously rich from the secrets they learned from talking to the aliens. One of these men, Rick Schumann, established a tavern catering to all the various species of visiting aliens, a place he named the Draco Tavern.

Tavern stories or "bar tales", in SFF are a very old idea, much older than Mos Eisley in 'Star Wars', or Terry Pratchett, or even Spider Robinson, but I think these are some of the best around.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Dave

Tavern stories or "bar tales", in SFF are a very old idea, much older than Mos Eisley in 'Star Wars', or Terry Pratchett, or even Spider Robinson, but I think these are some of the best around.

Plus you learn how to make Irish Coffee

Arthur C. Clarke did some as well, as I remember: Tales from the White Hart. But I love the Niven ones, especially the chirpsithra.

[Lensman]

There are some good stories here. Personally I find the short-short story form to be rather frustrating; there just isn't space to really develop a major idea and consider its implications. There are quite a few Big Ideas in these stories, any one of which could spark a fine discussion. Unfortunately, they don't seem to do so.

Unsurprisingly, my favorite of the collection is the longest-- "Table Manners" aka "Folk Tale".