The Gripping Hand

By: Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Good, but not easy to follow at times

Good but I much preferred the first book. Buy once you've read or listened to the first book you have to finish with this book.

Outstandingly Done

It was a story worthy of the saga between the Empire of men and the Motes. Worth the time to read and as any good story wished it never ends.

Decent but not up the The Mote in God’s Eye

Very slow in the beginning and the middle then it picks up to warp speed at the end. In the last section of the book every page, and seemingly every paragraph, introduced a new character or Motie sub group. The last section was very good as far as action but it was quite confusing.

Excellent

Excellent follow-up to "The More in God's Eye."
Too bad there isn't a part three.

I read this book

Yes i read this ook. No, i am in no way being coerced into writing this review. The fact that it was shoved at me upon completion has no bearing on this at all in any way. It was a book read aloud by a person written by other people.

Very disappointed with this sequel.

I was very disappointed with this sequel it answered no questions from the previous book in only left more questions

Old school sci fi

A level of detail and philosophy that is absent from a lot of modern sci-fi

A worthy sequel to a masterful original story

I’ve seen some complaints that this was not as good as the original. I defy those making that complaint to name three sequels that lived up to the original.
I liked the way the story was crafted and told.
I do have a couple of complaints.
First, (click) isfirst boo a sound. L J Ganser , who narrated both books, made the click sound when reading Mote. Why did he just say “click” during the second book? Very disappointing, L J!
My second complaint deals with the total lack of chapter titles accompanying Gripping Hand.
Seriously Audible. I’ve noticed this trend in other recent Audible releases.
You’re slipping, Audible and it’s a very disappointing trend.
Third and last, I loved the quotes with credit to their authors at the beginning of each chapter with the single exception of, “We’re not retreating, we’re advancing in a different direction!” That was General Douglas MacArthur. Shame on Larry & Jerry.

Intrafalactic politics and space war.

A follow on to The Mote in God's Eye. The Mote was a great book. This book, I presume, was meant to draw readers of the Mote. Uf you are interested in monet power empire and space shoot 'em ups, this book is for you. Better yet, read The Fall of the Roman Empire. Fewer scientific errors. No compelling characters here, just interspecies politics and fantasy ship to ship space battles.

Good-but-not-great sequel, with mediocre narration

Let's assume that you know what you are getting story- and author-wise; if you liked "The Mote in God's Eye", this is more of the same intriguing setting and interesting characters, with a somewhat weaker story. If you haven't read the former, don't start here, there's too much background missing.
However, the narration came close to sinking this for me a couple times. The speaker is very American, a little too fast, bad at distinguishing characters from each other, and an absolute ham in stretches. There's one Blaine family discussion scene that sounds like an amateur theatre troupe doing improv, all over-emoting. If you have thick skin required for this kind of thing, worth a listen.