Protector by Larry Niven
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My Rating: 
4 out of 5 stars
First Published: January 1973
Read from: July 10 to 17, 2013
Protector – A Classic Niven Known-Space Sci-Fi Adventure [Niven ReRead]
Re-reading Ringworld earlier this month as part of Sword & Laser book club selection got me in the mood for a re-read of Ringworld Engineers. Part way into that I dug out Niven’s Protector and decided I should re-read that before getting much further in RW Eng. Overall I like this book ALMOST as much as Ringworld, some parts more so, some less. I would rate it a 4.5 if I could, but putting this just under Niven’s Ringworld, Mote in Gods Eye & Dream Park novels which are my favorites.
I enjoy a number of aspects about Protector. A little spoilerish so read on at your own risk…
| Spoiler: Protector- Top 7 List |
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Top 7 List (I was too lazy to come up with 10)
- Written before any actual Mars lander missions, Niven imagines deep oceans of dust on Mars (as many initially expected on the moon), because unlike the moon there would be no vacuum cementing in Mar’s atmosphere. And Mar’s natives who burn when exposed to water. Well what we have seen so far shows this is not the case, but Niven’s Mars still is pretty cool.
- The Pak species & life cycle sounds both alien & familiar, realistic & fantastic, and very, VERY cool.
- HUGE overall story arc of this novel is awesome.
- Kobold: neat!
- Belters: This flatlander wishes he could transfer his citizenship
- Running multi-ship space battle at relativistic speeds taking years in ship time, and decades(?!) back at home.
- Firing rifle bullets at a Neutron Star… Let me repeat this, firing BULLETS at a NEUTRON frick’n STAR!!!
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Protector by Larry Niven