Short stories that epitomize classic science fiction.

This takes place in Niven’s known space universe that contains Ringworld, but you don’t need any prior knowledge to enjoy these stories.

While the stories are separate, several contain the adventures of Beowulf Shaeffer. A lanky opportunistic star pilot that gets suckered into several adventures. He’s quite a lazy rogue but he’s very clever and his rascality pairs perfectly with Niven’s somewhat sophomoric sense of humor. He’s a great grinning companion for the reader and seems to actually grow heroic (at least a little) by the final story.

These stories paint a fascinating world and have plenty of great science fiction plot twists. A few of the stories got so science-y that I had to mentally review my high school physics knowledge. The stories that don’t contain any twists or mystery fall a little flat but the rest make up for it. For an anthology, the stories flow very well and the setting is very consistent.

If you like strange new worlds and seeking out new life, this is a great pick. Niven seems to really shine when he’s snappy and doesn’t have to fill a whole novel.