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 attempt

It was great for an author to come back and provide another glimpse into his work. The information gleamed from the many fans was included to a large degree and it was very interesting to read. The story itself didn't seem to hold together though and at times it felt like the technical information was drowning out the plot. I wish it had blended a little better.

Reader wasn't that bad

Admittedly, he's very different from the first book's reader who, by the end of the book gives you the image that Louis Wu is a 180 year old crotchety guy who's hilariously active. In this book you meet him in a much different state and so I gave the reader a chance and by the end of the book had accepted him for how he performed the characters. I feel like everyone else just took that transition harder than I did. All in all he's a good reader and it's not a painful experience to listen to the book. I recommend it if you like the series

Decent and entertaining, but not 5 stars.

The first book (Ringworld) was good. But by the author's own admission, it was not meant to be a series. It shows in this book. Idea's aren't really fleshed out and there are weak points. Overall it was entertaining, but not as good as I wanted.

nope.

listened to ringworld, it was ok, thought I'd try the series. ringworld was weird but interesting, engineers was weird and boring. lost interest unfortunately.

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.