Mote in God's Eye helps make sense!

[mike wightman]

I really like Outies. The Gripping Hand/The Moat around Murcheson's Eye not so much (the latter is how it was released here in the UK).

 

[maksimsmelchak]

Two, actually...

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

I've not read outies.

I read "Outies" and it wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't a great one either.

I hope that setting is later further developed.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[Highorbit_drifter]

I really like Outies. The Gripping Hand/The Moat around Murcheson's Eye not so much (the latter is how it was released here in the UK).

Not to derail the thread, but;

So they do that to US books in England? When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was release here, instead of "Philosopher's Stone", I thought maybe its because publishers thought Americans where too dumb. We'd think it was about philosophy instead of wizards.

But if we religious American's can take a reference to a bible verse (Matthew 7:3) then why can't the enlightened British? That seems like a clunky title to me, and while it is a literal allusion to a vital plot element, seem inelegant.

So is it a copyright thing? Which seems odd in itself...

 

[mike wightman]

Here in the UK the Falkenberg stories were published as a book called Future History...

for some reason publishers change titles for either side of the Atlantic.

And in answer to your question:

Scholastic Corporation bought the U.S. rights at the Bologna Book Fair in April 1997 for US$105,000, an unusually high sum for a children's book.They thought that a child would not want to read a book with the word "philosopher" in the title and, after some discussion, the American edition was published in September 1998 under the title Rowling suggested, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Rowling claimed that she regretted this change and would have fought it if she had been in a stronger position at the time.

Wikipedia

 

[Highorbit_drifter]

Here in the UK the Falkenberg stories were published as a book called Future History...

for some reason publishers change titles for either side of the Atlantic.

And in answer to your question:
Wikipedia

So American's are stupider. Or is more stupid.

To get back on target - Mote in God's Eye is great, and can model the 3I very well. But it has no ending. The Gripping Hand does not live up to Mote, but isn't a mess. I never heard of Outies until this thread, but given the reviews of other recent Niven and associate books, I'll probably pass unless I can find it for a buck and have nothing else to do.

 

[Condottiere]

I like to think the Vargr are the Moties in Traveller.

Also, Pournelle seems to have done some minor revisions in later editions of Falkenberg's Legion.

 

[Timerover51]

Useful source books for me.

1. "Solar Queen" series by Andre Norton

2. H. Beam Piper: Space Viking, Cosmic Computer/Junkyard Planet, the "Fuzzy" series, Uller Uprising, Four Day Planet, Lone Star Planet/A Planet for Texans, and some of his Paratime Series.

3. Andre Norton: Storm Over Warlock and Ordeal in Otherwhere, Catseye, the Time Trader series (especially Galactic Derelict), Beast Master and Lord of Thunder, Star Hunter. Her Witch World series also has some useful ideas about cross-universe travel.

4. A Bertram Chandler's John Grimes series.

And I cannot forget James Schmitz's Witches of Karres and the "vatch".

Poul Anderson's Industrial Revolution is very good on Belter culture as well.

 

[Condottiere]

Witches of Karres gives a sort of a Traveller vibe, with a nice humourous undertone.

 

[mike wightman]

As well as Pournelle and Niven major influences for Traveller for me include:The Dumarest series, The Family d'Alembert series, The Stainless, Steel Rat series, Deathworld series, Dune et al, Starship Troopers, Forever War.
Modern Stuff - Peter F Hamilton, Iain M Banks.

 

[TMac9000]

Not to derail the thread, but;

So they do that to US books in England? When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was release here, instead of "Philosopher's Stone", I thought maybe its because publishers thought Americans where too dumb. We'd think it was about philosophy instead of wizards.

But if we religious American's can take a reference to a bible verse (Matthew 7:3) then why can't the enlightened British? That seems like a clunky title to me, and while it is a literal allusion to a vital plot element, seem inelegant.

So is it a copyright thing? Which seems odd in itself...

The first book was published as "The Mote in God's Eye" in the UK.

Niven WANTED to title the second book "The Moat Around Murcheson's Eye", but the US publisher balked at the punny title. The UK publisher liked it, though.

 

[Claretcraig]

A series that typifies sequels....first boke (Mote) fantastic, one of the best reads EVER. Second (Moat/Gripping) good, but let down by less interesting characters, still a good read. Third (Outies) all a bit "Meh", but had to read to keep the storyline going.

But I do agree with the original poster, very similar to Traveller 3I.

 

[Murph]

Outies was written by Pournelle's daughter Jennifer. I met here once in Germany when she was a captain in Military Intellegence, and I was a lowly Infantry LT.

A series that typifies sequels....first boke (Mote) fantastic, one of the best reads EVER. Second (Moat/Gripping) good, but let down by less interesting characters, still a good read. Third (Outies) all a bit "Meh", but had to read to keep the storyline going.

But I do agree with the original poster, very similar to Traveller 3I.

 

[Barrel]

THERE IS A SEQUEL?!

*sprints away to immediately buy a copy*

And a sequel to the sequel, "Outies" (2010) by Pournelle's daughter Jennifer Pournelle.