2006-03-08
Destiny's Road
Author: Larry Niven
Sci-fi convention catchphrases for $400 -- the answer is: "it's the law!"
Well, that's one Jeopardy answer you'll be able to respond to correctly after reading Niven's 1996 solo novel Destiny's Road. Other answers you'll never forget will include, "it's where the Cavorite went", "the essential nutrient found in speckles", and "a sneaky way to rule a planet".
This is the third straight great novel I've read. I'm going to get spoiled at this rate. Niven does a lot of collaboration, but it's the books without other names on the cover that make me name him my favorite overall author. I just revisited my concept of favorite overall novel, and I haven't read a solo Niven in years, so I thought I'd check on that assumption as well. Destiny's Road only solidifies my opinion.
This is the story of a young boy who wondered, where does that road lead? Then it becomes also the story of a young man who wondered, who's in charge here, anyway? In the third act it jumps into the story of a middle-aged man who thought, can I change the world? The pace never overheats and hardly ever drags. Niven is not accustomed to showing you where he's ultimately going immediately, but as he steadily reveals facts about the world he created you always know where the story is going at the moment. It's not about unpredictable plot twists that leave you wondering what will happen next -- there's always enough information to see what's about to happen. It's not a thrill ride, but it's a truly solid story.
The Jemmy character is well described. I could wish for some more substantial supporting characters, but I guess Niven did the best he could given that Jemmy's journey doesn't leave anyone else in the picture for the entire book.
The only negative thing to say is that the story isn't "exciting". I never got that feeling of being unable to put the book down because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The peril factor isn't there. On the other hand I certainly never dreaded having to work through the next chapter, and the only time I questioned why we were spending so much time in one spot was about five pages before Jemmy agreed with me and got moving again. Niven is a little more cereberal read than what I've been up to lately, and I find that I miss it. Sci-fi isn't entirely about space-age technology, aliens, and computers. Grab Destiny's Road if you want a classic-style story from a master.
Sci-fi convention catchphrases for $400 -- the answer is: "it's the law!"
Well, that's one Jeopardy answer you'll be able to respond to correctly after reading Niven's 1996 solo novel Destiny's Road. Other answers you'll never forget will include, "it's where the Cavorite went", "the essential nutrient found in speckles", and "a sneaky way to rule a planet".
This is the third straight great novel I've read. I'm going to get spoiled at this rate. Niven does a lot of collaboration, but it's the books without other names on the cover that make me name him my favorite overall author. I just revisited my concept of favorite overall novel, and I haven't read a solo Niven in years, so I thought I'd check on that assumption as well. Destiny's Road only solidifies my opinion.
This is the story of a young boy who wondered, where does that road lead? Then it becomes also the story of a young man who wondered, who's in charge here, anyway? In the third act it jumps into the story of a middle-aged man who thought, can I change the world? The pace never overheats and hardly ever drags. Niven is not accustomed to showing you where he's ultimately going immediately, but as he steadily reveals facts about the world he created you always know where the story is going at the moment. It's not about unpredictable plot twists that leave you wondering what will happen next -- there's always enough information to see what's about to happen. It's not a thrill ride, but it's a truly solid story.
The Jemmy character is well described. I could wish for some more substantial supporting characters, but I guess Niven did the best he could given that Jemmy's journey doesn't leave anyone else in the picture for the entire book.
The only negative thing to say is that the story isn't "exciting". I never got that feeling of being unable to put the book down because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The peril factor isn't there. On the other hand I certainly never dreaded having to work through the next chapter, and the only time I questioned why we were spending so much time in one spot was about five pages before Jemmy agreed with me and got moving again. Niven is a little more cereberal read than what I've been up to lately, and I find that I miss it. Sci-fi isn't entirely about space-age technology, aliens, and computers. Grab Destiny's Road if you want a classic-style story from a master.
