The Gripping Hand

By: Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Robert Heinlein called it "possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read". The San Francisco Chronicle declared that "as science fiction, The Mote in God's Eye is one of the most important novels ever published". Now Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, award-winning authors of such best sellers as Footfall and The Legacy of Heorot, return us to the Mote, and to the universe of Kevin Renner and Horace Bury, of Rod Blaine and Sally Fowler.

There, 25 years have passed since humanity quarantined the mysterious aliens known as Moties within the confines of their own solar system. They have spent a quarter century analyzing and agonizing over the deadly threat posed by the only aliens mankind has ever encountered - a race divided into distinct biological forms, each serving a different function: Master, Mediator, Engineer, Warrior. Each supremely adapted to its task, yet doomed by millions of years of evolution to an inescapable fate. For the Moties must breed - or die. And now the fragile wall separating them and the galaxy beyond is beginning to crumble.

©1993 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

How can the same reader mispronounce this word?!

"Fyunch(click)" The "click" part is pronounced with a sound made by pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and then suddenly moving it downward.

The same guy read book 1 and pronounced it correctly but in book 2 he literally says the word "click" instead of making the sound. Yeah, it's a big deal along with his very low range of having any distinction between characters' voices.

Yeah, it's a big deal.

A very good sequel, but does not to the original.

A quick "read" and well done follow-up to the ground breaking "Mote in God's Eye".
25 years after it was written it stands the test of time well, even though its universe does show its age.

Very enjoyable listen,

If you liked Mote in God's Eye and wanted more storyline then this is the book for you. It starts off a bit slow but the ending is well worth it.

Uninspired

I generally enjoy Niven/Pournelle books (Niven more so) ... but this one was rather uninspired. Nothing new was introduced, the characters weren't so interesting, there was no internal conflicts ... just recycled stuff to get the page count up so they could get paid.

Not as good as The Mote In God’s Eye

The first book was a classic. This was good but it had a lot to live up to. It’s worth a listen but I wouldn’t rush out to get it.