Customer Reviews

Man-Kzin Wars II

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the second installment of the Man-Kzin Wars, one of the most interesting Kzinti characters is introduced: Chuut Riit. I love it when they get into the personalities of these aliens, cause it's just plain absurd, and you want to read more. Like, at one point, you're introduced, albeit briefly to a Kzinti computer nerd. A KZINTI computer nerd!!! This is just cool. I'm sorry, but in dealing with Man-Kzin Wars books it all comes down to that. Can't say more than that. Cool.

'Briar Patch' is a sequel to 'Cathouse' from the previous book. Lockleal goes to the Earth compound next door to the Kzin Compound on the planet, Zoo and releases a group of Neanderthal humans from stasis. He lives among them, studies them and comes up with amazing and heretofore unknown insights about Neanderthals that although the story is fictional, seem true. The story provides fascinating theories about Neanderthals and their relationship to the Cro-Magnons...

This was a good followup to this series, an enjoyable afternoon which each of the novellas. Some of the storylines do continue through multiple books, making it worthwhile to read them all in order. We get a bit more fleshing out of Known Space and the kzin in general, and although different authors contribute, the whole thing is generally cohesive. Nothing in here will be a permanent classic (like Ringworld), but they aren't supposed to be. Other sci-fi writers are just taking a light foray into Niven's universe. Bring the series to the beach.

This is the second book in a series in which Larry Niven invites other
authors to write stories set in his world, stories dealing with the
interactions between humanity and the Kzinti, a warrior race evolved
from carnivorous hunting cats rather than omnivorous monkeys. This
book is a perfectly enjoyable sequel to the first collection, and like
the first collection, it is a good but not a great read.

This one is 1.5 stars....

If you have another choice, use it. This book is not really that good. It can be read, but it's really not a lot of fun. I'm kicking myself for even buying it. Especially after I read the first one and didn't like it at all....

Larry Niven is a very good author. Jerry Pournelle is also very good. I am not sure what happened in this book.

Again, if you have other choices, they are probably better.

The first story, a sequel to Cathouse is very good--with plausible action and an interesting theory of why the Neanderthals became extinct.

The second story is auful with plot holes non-sensical dialogue and is a fourth-rate rip-off of Casablanca--right down to the pitiful woman who is willing to sleep her way so that her husband and she can get to a better life. Absolutely terrible!

Worth it for the first story--don't waste your time with the second.