The Ringworld Engineers

The Ringworld Series, Book 2

By: Larry Niven

Narrated by: Richard Powers

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

It’s been 20 years since the quixotic and worldsweary Louis Wu discovered the Ringworld. Now he and SpeakertoAnimals are going back, captives of the Hindmost, a deposed puppeteer leader.

With Louis’ help, the Hindmost intends to regain his status by bringing back such extraordinary treasures from the Ringworld that his fellow puppeteers will have to be impressed. But when they arrive, Louis discovers that the Ringworld is no longer stable - and will destroy itself within months. To survive, he must locate the control center of the legendary engineers who built the planet.

His quest becomes a wild and gripping venture blended with the mysteries and spectacular technologies that only Larry Niven can conjure.

©1980 Larry Niven (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The Ringworld Engineers has all the imaginativeness, convincing detail, and narrative vivacity that have come to be associated with the works of Larry Niven. Furthermore, it answers a lot of questions that have been tantalizing his readers for a long time. Most highly recommended!” (Poul Anderson)

Larry is one of my favorite authors.

listening adds a new perspective from the narrator. Bravo. Larry's alien characterization is believable and interesting. plot is solid.

I loved it.

it was much better than cats I want to read it again and again and again.

a classic forever

Niven at his best. nothing has its scope, nothing it's grandeur, you just have to listen to it

More!

I originally read this about 7 years ago and much like the first book aside from the characters all I could really remember was the scale of the Ringworld, the grand adventure and some minor details so it was time for a re-read. This second book in the Ringworld series definitely has more adventure to it than the first one, and a lot more science as well that the first one was missing. We get some new characters and world building both in the current state of the Ringworld and the history of it. I enjoy the book greatly and highly recommend both the series and this book however there is a scene in the book where in just a few sentences one character describes a 17 year journey across the Ringworld and a few of the things they went through and that made me realize while the scale of the idea is still extraordinary and there is more adventure in this it still isn't much adventure in the grand scheme of the Ringworld itself. This is largely due to the fact that most of the book much like the first one is spent flying and describing some of the things they pass by. There is a drastic increase in interaction with the Ringworld itself but it still feels very hands off for the scale. This doesn't deter my enjoyment of the book in anyway it's just my way of saying I want more.

Great read

Another outstanding story from Larry Niven. I can't wait to hear the next title.

Good technical story, very depressing end

Larry Niven is a a Masterful writer, and here he has proven he can write depressing and dispotic sci-fi as easily as he can write adventurous and optimistic ones. Unlike the original ring world which was hopeful wondering and had a feel good ending, this one is a hard emotion roller coaster with a sad sickening ending. it deals with the hardships of addiction, loss, abuse and sex and niven's characterization is still so on par that knowing the fate of these characters hits so much harder when the main heros are faced with a terrible decision. i know it is a good technical story written with talent and skill, but I bought it hoping for the optimism and adventure of the first book and it left me wanting.

Porn in Space!

Any additional comments?

I am a huge Niven fan, and grew up reading his short stories and known space books. It was one of the great highlights of my young life and had a major impact on leading me into the scientific careers I have worked in over the years. However, something went sideways when he started writing sequels to Ringworld.

Somehow, Larry Niven developed an obsession with sex, nudity, and ritualistic cross-species sex. I am not at all a prude. I enjoy sexual material as much as the next guy, but not as a primary plot device in hard science fiction.

These plot-killers grew slowly over the first two sequels and began to obscure the true story. In Engineers, the story somehow survived between bouts of sex. But in Throne, the story pretty much disappeared beneath a sea of absurd and unnecessary lecherous writing.

I have tried several times to slog through these sequels, but always end up giving up somewhere within Thrones. It breaks my heart to say this about one of my literary heroes, but I would not recommend reading the Ringworld saga beyond the first, and truly amazing, book: "Ringworld".

I WOULD, however highly recommend any of the early Known Space novels. I would also say that Larry Niven is one of the all time great short story authors, so be sure to pick up all of his early short story collections, such as Neutron Star, Convergent Series, A Hole In Space, and several others.

Incredible imagination of Niven!!

A science fiction lover's dream. Original thinking, mind boggling science, Incredible character, a great performance.

aliens or ring world

louie and speaker again on ring world but more exploring its wonderful exciting thrilling sad happy if you liked the 1st this is great too

Better than the first one

This might not be the most popular opinion, but this is such a fun and exciting story that it actually makes the first book (which I did enjoy) look mediocre in comparison. The first book will lead you to believe that the ringworld is an empty and desolate place, but here it is revealed that is everything but. It is a vast and marvelous world full of strange wonders and fascinating inhabitants. A word of warning, however, if you found the risque nature of the first title off-putting...well...let's just say sex actually plays an strange but interesting role in the culture of the Ringworld's inhabitants...and there is a decent amount of it. So if that's not really your thing, it might not be for you. Personally I didn't mind it at all though. I think it's done tastefully.