Mote in God's Eye helps make sense!

[cym0k]

I have had a bit of trouble "grokking" the whole traveller empire, navy, and certain conceits of the game world/universe since discovering the game. Possibly an age thing, possibly because I have come to it with a range of different experiences and influences.

I am currently on the home stretch of Mote in God's Eye (Larry Niven). BY GODS TEETH! It helps! It makes so much sense. I may not be reading about The Third Imperium of Man, but I am reading about some imperium and it really brings the stuff to life. So many pennies are dropping I might as well have broken a piggy bank.

I am currently pushing it on a potential Traveller GM I know. I think it's right up his street.

Reading is good, what's next on the list? Should I try The Expanse? Or take a break from sci-fi and do something else (rhetorical, please excuse me!).

 

[kilemall]

Curious, what is your background, approximate age, sci fi reading history, etc?

 

[flykiller]

what's next on the list?

recovery mission 875-496

 

[77topaz]

recovery mission 875-496

How humble of you.

 

[flykiller]

How humble of you.

yeah.

when I finish it I'll start a critique thread. y'all can cut me down to size then.

 

[Spartan159]

yeah.

when I finish it I'll start a critique thread. y'all can cut me down to size then.

Awww, we gotta wait? :devil:

I want an emoticon for grin duck and run! :rofl:

 

[Travellerspud]

I always thought of H.B. Piper's "Fuzzy" books as Traveller-esque (and then there is "Space Viking")

 

[77topaz]

I always thought of H.B. Piper's "Fuzzy" books as Traveller-esque (and then there is "Space Viking")

Yes, especially the Sword Worlds are Space Viking-esque. According to the Zhodani Base, the Sword Worlds were in fact "partly borrowed" from that book.

 

[ShapeShifter]

CT influences:

1) Tubb's Dumarest books.
2) The Mote in God's Eye.
3) Space Viking.
4) ??

In that order.

T.M.i.G.E. rocked my world. Awesome, thrilling SciFi at its very best!

 

[aramis]

I have had a bit of trouble "grokking" the whole traveller empire, navy, and certain conceits of the game world/universe since discovering the game. Possibly an age thing, possibly because I have come to it with a range of different experiences and influences.

I am currently on the home stretch of Mote in God's Eye (Larry Niven). BY GODS TEETH! It helps! It makes so much sense. I may not be reading about The Third Imperium of Man, but I am reading about some imperium and it really brings the stuff to life. So many pennies are dropping I might as well have broken a piggy bank.

I am currently pushing it on a potential Traveller GM I know. I think it's right up his street.

Reading is good, what's next on the list? Should I try The Expanse? Or take a break from sci-fi and do something else (rhetorical, please excuse me!).

On the Gripping Hand is the obvious next read.

The anthology entitled The Prince covers the other end of the same setting, and is one of the most obvious influences on Book 4: Mercenary...

 

[Condottiere]

I pretty much hate it when Stirling takes over the writing duties.

My take on the setting is that the Solomani Confederation plays out like the CoDominium.

 

[ShapeShifter]

On the Gripping Hand is the obvious next read.

THERE IS A SEQUEL?!

*sprints away to immediately buy a copy*

 

[aramis]

THERE IS A SEQUEL?!

*sprints away to immediately buy a copy*

Two, actually...

Niven's daughter converted it to a trilogy, with Outies.

I've not read outies.

 

[RandyB]

Two, actually...

Niven's daughter converted it to a trilogy, with Outies.

I've not read outies.

Nor have I; I didn't even know it existed.

Warning: The Gripping Hand is not as good as Mote. Then again, Mote is a tough act to follow.

 

[MichaelSTee]

Niven's daughter converted it to a trilogy, with Outies.

Pournelle's daughter wrote Outies. It's only an okay read, not nearly as good as the first two. I'd say to put it at the end of your want list. Your tastes may vary, however.

 

[TMac9000]

There's an essay in one of Niven's collection books -- either N-Space or Playgrounds of the Mind, I forget which -- where they discuss how they put their setting together. Jump Drives aren't Alderson Drives, but their limitations mean about the same thing.

Although do note one thing: their intent was to mimic a navy of the age of steam, not the age of sail. Traveller is closer to age of sail in some ways, what with frontier refueling and all.

 

[Vargas]

Warning: The Gripping Hand is not as good as Mote. Then again, Mote is a tough act to follow.

Seconded.

 

[Condottiere]

As I recall, it's because the characters weren't that interesting.

 

[cym0k]

Curious, what is your background, approximate age, sci fi reading history, etc?

About early 40s, coming from typical Star Wars, Blake's Seven (though too young to remember it thoroughly), Buck Rogers, Alien(s) etc etc and then into cyberpunk (other stuff like Jon Courtenay Grimwood was enjoyable) and lots of horror books amongst other things. Wait a few years and then start reading Alastair Reynolds (wow), and finally look at things like Arthur C Clarke(nice), Niven(cool) and a few others. You know, fill the blanks in my reading history.

I have a long way to go on this journey!

 

[pshrynk]

THERE IS A SEQUEL?!

*sprints away to immediately buy a copy*

Spoiler alert! If you like total surprise reading a new book look at this later.

Spoiler:

The Gripping Hand is okay, imo, but I felt that it backed down a bit too much on the Empire. Outlines was hard to get into because I think she was trying to get into the thoughts of the moties and that was probably quite difficult to do.