Short Reviews: Larry Niven

"All the Myriad Ways" [permanent link]. A fascinating story set in a future where people can travel across parallel universes as predicted in the 'many worlds' interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, where every decision causes the universe to 'split' into new universes, each one following each possible decision. But all is not well; people are committing suicide and the detective investigating them suspects they may have something to do with all the various universes.
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"ARM" [permanent link]. A fascinating story about Gil "The Arm" Hamilton who works for the ARM, an agency tasked with policing new technology to make sure they are not used illegally. But in this murder investigation, he may be face to face with a devastating illegal weapon that may just kill him if he does not move fast enough.
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"At the Core" [permanent link]. Another Beowulf Shaefer story set in Niven's Known Space universe. This time, the alien Puppeteers hire Shaefer to pilot a very experimental, very fast ship to the core of the Galaxy as a way to advertise the abilities of the ship. But what he finds there may change the lives of the inhabitants of Known Space.
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"Becalmed in Hell" [permanent link]. A pilot and his disembodied partner (a human brain connected to the ship) suddenly find themselves in trouble while exploring Venus. What is the cause of the problem? Could it be with the ship itself or with the person controlling the ship? Try to figure it out before the end of this interesting story.
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"The Borderland of Sol" [permanent link]. A story set in Niven's Known Space universe and involving Beowulf Shaefer. Here, Shaefer wants to return to Earth but all transportation to Earth has been suspended because ships have been vanishing. Working himself into a ride on a government ship sent to investigate the disappearances, Beowulf now finds himself caught in a 'massive' situation.
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"Choosing Life" [permanent link]. This story (co-authoured by Brenda Cooper and Larry Niven) looks at a person who is deciding whether she wants to be 'scanned' and transferred into a digital self after death. She wonders whether the experience will be 'real' or not and what will she miss if she does do it.
Found in Jan 2002 Analog Science Fiction & Fact
"Chrysalis" [permanent link]. A story set inside the "Draco Tavern" series. An alien suddenly asks the tavern's owner for a job. Puzzled but looking for help, he agrees. It is only later that he learns that the alien was trying to avoid its siblings for a sexual reason but the resolution would have a suprising twist to the tale.
Found in Sep 2002 Analog Science Fiction & Fact
"Free Floaters" [permanent link]. A fascinating story about two humans sent to establish contact with an alien species that lives in the stormy atmosphere of a gas giant planet. Can they communicate with the aliens and discover what it is the aliens want? Will the results put all involved at risk of death?
Found in Aug 2002 Asimov's Science Fiction
"Flatlander" [permanent link]. An amazing Beowulf Shaeffer tale that is part detective story. Beowulf befriends a 'flatlander' (a term reserved for people from Earth) who invites him on a journey to see a very strange world. On arrival, Shaeffer's instincts tell him something is wrong with the planet but he can't tell why. Can you, based on the clues given in the story?
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"The Fourth Profession" [permanent link]. A fascinating tale about a bartender who, while serving a Monk (an alien species in Niven's Known Space universe), is given some 'learning' pills that give him an instant education. Problem is, he doesn't know what he has learned and the human Government is anxious to find out what he knows for the fate of mankind may depend on the knowledge he got from the Monks.
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"Grendel" [permanent link]. This story is set in Niven's Known Space universe and involves Beowulf Shaeffer. While travelling on a space liner, it gets attacked and one of its alien passengers is kidnapped. Planet-side, Beowolf and a friend do some investigating and figure out who the probable kidnappers are and set out to find and rescue the alien before there a possible interstellar conflict develops. Nicely written with a good conclusion but you need to know quite a bit of detail of Niven's Known Space universe to truly enjoy the story.
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"The Hole Man" [permanent link]. An interesting story about an artifact found by the first expedition to Mars. How was it discovered? By the effect the artifact had on gravity meters. Further investigation reveals that it may have been used as a signalling device (gravity signals) but what happens if the device is mis-used?
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"Inconstant Moon" [permanent link]. An amazing story that starts off innocently enough with one person noticing that the moon is much brighter than it used to be. But when you figure it out, you find that reason for it will pose major challenges for the characters in the story.
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"The Jigsaw Man" [permanent link]. A fascinating look at the future where the demand for organs have far outstripped supply. The result: condemnned criminals automatically become organ donors. In this story, one man is deparately trying to escape from that fate for a crime you least expect.
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"The Lion in his Attic" [permanent link]. In this fun tale of magic, two travellers arrive at a flooded castle (flodded when the magical 'manna' began to give out). But the travellers may not be what they seem; they have come to steal a magical item from the castle. Can the castle's current occupant stop them? The answer may lie in the magical ability of the owner as hinted to by his name.
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"Neutron Star" [permanent link]. A marvelous story that introduced Beowulf Shafer. To pay off debts, he agrees to be the pilot of a spaceship that will fly around a neutron star. Problem is, the previous occupants of the ship died while trying it. So Shafer has to find out what killed them and, more importantly, survive to tell the tale.
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"Not Long Before the End" [permanent link]. In a world where Warlocks and Warriors fight each other (the usual brains versus brawn story), this particular Warlock finds more than just the Warrior to be afraid of in this interesting tale about magic and what is the source of it.
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"Procrustes" [permanent link]. A story about Beowulf Shaefer that starts unexpectedly; Shaefer is shot and is aware that he has been killed but wakes up in a medical machine. Follow him as he pieces together what has happened to him and how to find his friends and avoid meeting his murderer again.
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"What Good is a Glass Dagger?" [permanent link]. The title says it all: what is the purpose of having a glass dagger? As the Warlock and the thief who tried to steal from the warlock find out, a lot of good; or so it seems in this tale.
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"Wrong Way Street" [permanent link]. An interesting tale about a man who is part of an expedition to the moon. There, they find an old abandoned alien base and a spaceship which began to yield interesting but puzzling treasures. The man believes he has figured out what the ship can do but the journey in the ship will prove to have consequences for the Earth.
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