• Ringworld

  • By: Larry Niven
  • Narrated by: Tom Parker
  • Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (8,573 ratings)

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Ringworld  By  cover art

Ringworld

By: Larry Niven
Narrated by: Tom Parker
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Publisher's summary

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel, Ringworld remains a favorite among science fiction readers and listeners.

The artifact is a vast circular ribbon of matter, some 180 million miles across, with a sun at its center. Pierson’s puppeteers—strange, three-legged, two-headed aliens—discovered this “Ringworld” in a hitherto unexplored part of the galaxy. Curious about the immense structure, but frightened by the prospect of meeting the builders, they set about assembling a team to explore it:

Louis Wu, human—old and bored with having lived too fully for too many years, seeking an adventure, and all too capable of handling it.

Nessus, puppeteer—a trembling coward from a species with an inbuilt survival pattern of nonviolence. This particular puppeteer, however, is insane.

Speaker-to-Animals, kzin—large, orange-furred, and carnivorous. The kzin are one of the most savage life-forms known.

The party’s expedition, however, goes disastrously wrong when their ship crash-lands and its motley crew faces a daunting trek across thousands of miles of Ringworld territory.

©1970 Larry Niven (P)1996 Blackstone Audiobooks

What listeners say about Ringworld

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,810
  • 4 Stars
    2,766
  • 3 Stars
    1,434
  • 2 Stars
    398
  • 1 Stars
    165
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,470
  • 4 Stars
    2,097
  • 3 Stars
    810
  • 2 Stars
    177
  • 1 Stars
    69
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,062
  • 4 Stars
    2,018
  • 3 Stars
    1,071
  • 2 Stars
    343
  • 1 Stars
    153

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

good old-school sci-fi

excellent speculative sci-fi. while listening to it you'll realize you've seen the ideas in the book borrowed and expounded on in countless newer pieces of media. it's a testament to how captivating the ideas were in 1970 when Larry Niven wrote ringworld. the performance is good but very old at this point. the only reason I gave four stars for the performance instead of 5 is I was hoping they would have we recorded it for the audible release.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good old sci-fi!

Some of the ideas are a little outdated (not surprising for fifty year old sci-fi) but a fun adventure story with memorable characters!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A science fiction classic, well performed!

A wonderful story and read very well! It kept me hooked and the time flew by.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Superlative Science Fiction Story

Thoroughly enjoyable adventure story with known and yet to be discovered aliens. I highly recommend this book to the new and experienced science fiction reader.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Performance, Great Story

Loved it! first audible book I have listened to in a single sitting. I do recommend it. can't beat Larry Niven.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic book!!

Glad I finally heard this story! Fantastic descriptions and analytic insight into the physics behind it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

tila's adventure

tila's adventure should be the title of the book. I want moar!
whatever happens to her? some of the story elements were confusing because of characters speculations. Louie is so cool I want another with him as the protagonist

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Listen to big ideas...

A story so big that one galaxy is not near large enough. Loved the engineering concepts. Great voice talent also

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect Science Fiction

I have read this book a half a dozen times since the 70's. The audiobook gave me a whole new level of enjoyment. It was very well read by the reader, whose name escapes me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Truely a great Audio!

Where does Ringworld rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

On the top with Orson Scott Cards

What did you like best about this story?

The creativity with the characters was well done!

Which scene was your favorite?

The groups encounters with the alien lifeforms on the Ringworld!

Any additional comments?

I actually liked

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