Ringworld
by Larry Niven · first published 1970
32% recommend62% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Hard-SF adventure built around a giant ring-shaped megastructure and well-imagined alien intelligences; fans value its mind-expanding scale and say it works as an entry point to the Known Space books.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The ' (1970–2004), by science fiction author Larry Niven, is a part of his Known Space set of stories. Its backdrop is the Ringworld, a giant artifact 600 million miles in circumference around a sun. The series is composed of four standalone science fiction novels, the original award-winning book and its three subsequent sequels: 1970: Ringworld 1980: The Ringworld Engineers 1996: The Ringworld Throne 2004: Ringworld's Children The core series was developed with three side series of prequels set in the same Ringworld universe, and written in collaboration: 1988–2009: Man-Kzin Wars (by va
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…(evolution) - Le cerveau intime - Marc Jeannerod (in french only) Science-fiction: - The Road - Cormack Mc Carthy - City - Clifford D. Simack - Time is the simplest thing - Clifford D. Simack - Ringworld - Larry Niven
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books? I'm bored” ↗…Lightpaths (Howard V. Hendrix) - A Canticle For Leibowitz (Walter M. Miller, Jr.) - Moonwar, Venus (Ben Bova) - the Stainless Steel Rat series (Harry Harrison) - Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) - Ringworld (Larry Niven) - Cthon (Piers Anthony) -- Trippiness level approaching Philip Jose Farmer ;-) - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (Douglas Adams) - The Black Company (Glen Cook) - there's…
on “Ask YC: favorite books” ↗…professor, he handles technology issues (and especially computer-related stuff) very realistically. And if you're looking back into the classics, consider Larry Niven's "Known Space" books, particularly Ringworld.
on “Ask HN: What should I read next?” ↗…Logico-Philosophicus (Ludwig Wittgenstein) Being and Time (Martin Heidegger) Of Grammatology (Jacques Derrida) Writing and Difference (Jacques Derrida) Martian Timeslip (Philip K. Dick) Ringworld (Larry Niven) The Forever War (Joe Haldeman) The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka) Finally, the Greek tragedies and Goethe's poetry are basically perfect.
on “Ask HN: What were your "life-changing" books?” ↗…(Also, it's really remarkably long. Like, current length of the ASOIAF series long.) Goodreads: [2] Following a slightly more conventional definition of lighthearted, I think I'd recommend Larry Niven's Ringworld. When it comes to "moderately plausible megastructures", the ringworld concept is by far my favorite. Much less complicated than a Dyson Swarm, after all! Story is ok, and the sequels expanded things…
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗- Ringworld - Larry Niven - Robot and Foundation series - Asimov - 1984 - George Orwell
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗Ringworld by Larry Niven. Technically you should start with Neutron Star by the same author, but if you're not familiar with the Known Space universe, I don't think it's a big deal to start with Ringworld. One…
on “Ask HN: Science Fiction Starter List” ↗…(Mowatt) The Machine Stops (Forster) Heart of Darkness (Conrad) Starship Troopers (Heinlein) The Jungle Book (Kipling) Lost in the Barrens (Mowatt) The Republic (Plato) Rendezvous with Rama (Clarke) Ringworld (Niven) The Stainless Steel Rat (Harrison) The Hobbit (Tolkien) Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Stevenson) The Odyssey (Homer) The Man who Would be King (Kipling) The Pearl (Steinbeck) Thus…
on “Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager?” ↗Three Hearts And Three Lions - Poul Anderson Ringworld - Larry Niven
on “Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager?” ↗The Harry Potter series remains the most enjoyable books I've ever read. The Pillars of the Earth comes close though. Terrific sci-fi reads were Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Hyperion, Ringworld, and to a lesser extent A Deepness in the Sky. Also Excession, whose human characters are poorly developed and written but whose world-building and AI characters are amazing. Terrific fantasy reads were…
on “Ask HN: What are some must read books?” ↗…is one of the best books that I've ever read, and read it many times), and after more years, finally found locally the other 2 books, and read the whole series 2 or 3 times. Dune (the first 5 books), Ringworld, The end of Eternity, The name of the wind, Small Gods, Ender's Game, Foundation trilogy, Flowers for Algernon are others that I remember now to have read at least twice, probably more. There are books…
on “Ask HN: What book have you re-read 3x or more?” ↗This. For Ringworld, Niven invented several coherent non-human intelligences that set titanic forces in motion, and explored what the results would be like to live in. For a writer to merely "examine ourselves" seems almost…
on “Has sci-fi run out of steam?” ↗…comparing it to the movie, and in the end I like the movie better. they each focus on different subjects, but I like the movie's subject better, and it felt more professional/solid. would recommend. * Ringworld -- pretty good. the 'Teela problem' is fascinating to me and got me thinking a lot outside of reading, which to me is a sign of a good book. the 'spacey stuff' in the book was not that great. even…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗After reading Ringworld as a kid, Halo was a bit of a let down. For all those who grew up with Halo, I wonder if Ringworld stands up. I'd add the new Young Miles omnibus by Lois McMaster Bujold. Remnant Population by Elizabeth…
on “Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read” ↗…to skip is a huge win in life/time – most good old Star Trek and TV shows of the 80s and 90s let you skip episodes without you losing track of (most of) the story. I digress. I’ve read Snow Crash and Ringworld – for the most part they were genuinely fantastic, let’s hope they don’t over-polish (most new productions don’t have “soul” IMHO) and over-stretch the TV adaptations (mini series ought to be enough in…
on “Amazon developing three new sci-fi series: Lazarus, Snow Crash and Ringworld” ↗