The Legacy of Heorot

By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling science fiction superstars Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle combine their talents with those of Steven Barnes in an extraordinary adventure of humankind’s first outpost in the farthest reaches of space.

Light years from Earth, colonists land on a planet they name Avalon. It seems like a paradise—until native creatures savagely attack. It will take every bit of intelligence, courage, and military-style discipline to survive.

©1987 Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Outstanding!…The best ever, by the best in the field…. The ultimate combination of imagination and realism.” (Tom Clancy)

"The Legacy of Heorot is well written, action packed, and tension filled…. Makes Aliens look like a Disney nature film.” (Washington Post)

“Page-turning action and suspense, good characterization, and convincing setting…. May be the best thing any of those authors has written.” (Denver Post)

Long time favorite

I loved this book the first time I read it, and the audio book did not disappoint

Damn Great Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, I read this few years ago, and listening to it performed brings an entirely different element to it.

What did you like best about this story?

I love colonization books, and this one is one of the best thought out plots/story I think I have seen.

What about Tom Weiner’s performance did you like?

Awesome!!!!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

something to do with grendels and their speed I am sure

Any additional comments?

nope

Maybe this just doesn't work as an audio book.

Difficult to follow in this format. Not the kind of story I expected.

Exoplanet aliens

I read this book when it was first published. Enjoyed the audio also. Highly recommended

Feminist probably won't like this book.

Now keep in mind that this was written in 1987, but it really felt at times like it was written in the 50's or 60's. It wasn't all tropes, misogamy, and alpha men, but those things make up a good portion of the story. It didn't bother me much as while I was reading it, I imagined it was written in the 50's or 60's and accept that for the time frame. It wasn't until I sat down to write the review that I checked the release date. Despite the shortcomings, the story was actually interesting and I see that the same authors have released new books in the series dating as new as 2020, so I'm very interested how the author's writing changed over the last 30+ years. Will they include strong non-subservient women characters, will they stop voicing a women's thoughts in a very meek light? I guess I'll have to read book 2 which was published in 1995 or maybe book 1.5 that was published after book 2 in 2012. The story was consistent, had a good pace, and well thought out. The character's were all a little stereotype'ish from the super-alpha-male MC to the meak and mild women throughout the story, but it didn't degrade the overall feel of the story by much. The narrator did a good job with the story and I didn't notice any flubs.

Great read!

I read this one years ago, asked audible.com staff to consider recording it, they did. Hearing it was even better than reading it. The characters and theme are developed with great care.

You'd think it was Heinlein..till the end

Good book for the first 2/3rds; totally meh at the end. The characters sounded and felt like they were taken straight from a Lazarus Long story...

Ruined by Two incompatible elements

This Story is ruined by two incomparable elements: 1 A pretentious quote of a pre-20th century western author at the beginning of every chapter: 2. 34 chapters. I lost my lunch around chapter 8. and gave up.

Very good.

I've read this book about 10 times and it gets better every time. The two sequels are pretty good two. These guys are great authors. 👍

A Book Begging to Be Made into a Movie

You won't waste a single second listening to this book, again and again and again.