Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12533 in Books
• Published on: 1981-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

Review
A rich, sweeping novel about first contact between humanity and another sentient species. From a star called the Mote, an alien ship ventures into the Empires of Man, but its pilot is accidentally killed before the races can meet. The Empire responds with a mission to the Mote - one ship carrying civilian scientists, the other bristling with weapons; the Empire teeters between thirst for knowledge and fear of the unknown. The civilization of the Mote inhabitants presents endless riddles, despite the Moties' apparent candor. Slowly the pieces fall together; Moties have several physically differentiated castes; Moties have different sexes at different phases of life; Moties, trapped in their system by lack of faster than light travel, have undergone endless cycles of social collapse followed by renaissance. But it is almost too late before humanity learns the true danger posed by these beings so alien in mind and, more important as it turns out, body. If the human characterizations were as original as the Moties, this would be a great science fiction novel. As it is, it's very good indeed. A potential prize winner. (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews

Absolutely fascinating...
..this was the book that dragged me into Niven and Pournelle, who now fill a large proportion of my bookshelves. The introductory storyline (Saurons et al) can be traced back to (or maybe forward to) their other works, such as Falkenberg's Legion or Go Tell The Spartans. That period of the book, and it's brief sojourn into how humanity rebuilds after galatic catastrophe, is interesting in itself.

Then the Moties turn up, and things get even more complicated. I can't really convey the sense of "being there" you get with this book, or discuss it's intriguing socio-political aspects without giving away too much of the plot, but...the characterisations are excellent (Renner and the midshipmen in particular) and if you can look at the issues raised by the book, you'll probably enjoy it.

An excellent stand-alone novel, complemented nicely by it's sequel (Known variously as The Gripping Hand or The Mote Around Murchesons Eye).

Brilliant hard sci-fi with intelligent characters, great technologies (Langston fields!) and a plot that just pulls you in and won't let go..a must read all around.

A truly stunning piece of literature
Anyone wanting an introduction to science fiction or a hard core reader of the subject, this is probably one of the most intriguing and well thought out novels I have ever read. I can only compare it to Asimov's Foundation series for the ability to hold the reader. Niven and Pournelle are modern day literary giants.

Hyped up a little bit - but a necessary page-turner...
I'd been trying to get hold of this book for some time and, eventually, ended up getting a second-hand copy. I've read it over the last week and have just put the book down after reading the last 150-or so pages.

As far as characterisations go, there seems, to me, to be a pretty thin veneer on most people in the book - there are quite a lot so it would be too much to ask to develop them all... however, I don't even feel as though Blaine was made clear to me. Sally, on the other hand, did my nut in - as well as the Chief Scientist - they just annoyed me frankly - with their pre-formed ideas being used repeatedly in the book to offset the views of common-sense... so, the book has some realism there - you'll never have large groups of people who are all sensible - so truth in that.

With regards to action... it is spread out, with just about the right levels of suspense and intrigue and guesswork required on your part as you progress through the book. When the action does come you are dragged along with it and are able to visualise it well and care for the outcome.

I still can't really decide whether the Moties are just trying to get out of their "Cycles" and see expansion as a necessity, or whether they are hell-bent on conquest of the only other civilisation they have come across. There are parts of the book - where some of the main Motie characters are talking - when they appear extremely calculating and callous. The Moties, as aliens, are believable and actually quite worrying... faced with the moral dilemmas that are in the book I'd go for the easy option of quick, out-and-out, extermination of the blighters.

At times the book can be a little slow - with, seemingly, not much happening - however, these lulls might be storytelling means of building the reader up onto the crest of a up-coming wave of intrigue or action - of which there are plenty.

The final solution in the book was a bit of a surprise to me - I didn't see the story going that way - and obviously I've now started researching for the follow-on book - but I see that it has generally negative reviews on Amazon... I wonder if I really will bother trawling through it?

So, all-in-all, four stars for this... I had waited for such a long time to read it I might be guilty of allowing myself to be a tad disappointed.