Customer Reviews

Man-Kzin Wars XII

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

 

 

Man-Kzin Wars XII (2009) is the twelfth military SF collection in this series. The Man-Kzin Wars started with an encounter between an unarmed Terran vessel and a Kzin warship. The humans won that conflict and have continued to do so. Niven has created other stories involving Kzinti, but the bulk of the writings about these feline aliens have been written by other authors within this series.

The eleven previous volumes -- and the several spin-off novels -- have produced a large body of stories on almost every aspect of the Kzinti history, culture and biology. This series has not been a static work, relating more backstory on the Kzinti and their wars as well as changes in their society. This volume continues that tradition.

- Echoes of Distant Guns by Matthew Joseph Harrington is actually three different tales. One is about Kzinti and the Grog, another concerns an ARM weaponmaster, and the last tells of the Smart.

- Foreign Legion by Hal Colebatch & Matthew Joseph Harrington is about the Jotoki and a transplanted Roman Legion.

- The Trooper and the Triangle by Hal Colebatch relates the strange tale of a misfit Kzinti warrior.

- String by Hal Colebatch & Matthew Joseph Harrington conveys the further adventures of Richard and Gay Guthlac and Charrgh-Captain with a Slaver stasis box.

- Peace and Freedom by Matthew Joseph Harrington describes the actions of the Pak Peace Corben and the kzintosh Shleer against a Thrint and four Tnuctipun.

- Independent by Paul Chafe concerns a single ship pilot accused of murdering his passenger. Unfortunately, the contract required to him take brain blank, so he remembered nothing about the voyage.

These tales are based on others within the series. Anyone who has not read any of these volumes should start with The Man-Kzin Wars. That volume includes Niven's original Kzinti story (The Warriors, 1966).

Highly recommended for Niven fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of giant alien carnivores, cunning humans, and various surprises.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Not much of the Kzin/Man wars in this book, but rather more stories with "domesticated" Kzin working with or showing admiration for humans.

The first story, "Echoes of Distant Guns" by Harrington gives a brief story about the Pierin (The Smart) and a two other small pieces. Nothing terribly exciting, unfortunately, just short story concepts that never got off the ground.

The longest story, written by Harrington and Colebatch is about Earth Roman Legionnaires captured by Jotoki two thousand years ago and used to battle the Kzinti. That concept is stretch, but the story still just barely works. The "wacky" ARM agent was a needless distraction.

"String" provides more "tamed" Kzin with some laughs. The story provided some tension early on (the imagery of moving through a Kzin ship was nice), but after introducing several Kzin that breezily exchanged conversation with the humans, the story lost its edge and quickly descended into a comedy.

"Peace and Freedom"... I had to read the story twice to make sure I caught all the transitions. Unlike Niven's past works, where he would repeat history to bring the reader up to speed (and occasionally adding something new), this story jumped right in and left me struggling to keep track, make sense and remember. Several characters from past works were introduced or mentioned and I had to think about their history more than Niven would have allowed. And again, here we are reading a story in the far future where the characters wallow in late 20th century media and nostalgia. Still, it was a good story with some minor action.

"Independent" was a good story, providing a similar feel to Niven's writing style and mood from the original series written in the 60s/70s.

To sum up, there is less action in the series these days and more focus on the "domesticated" Kzin interacting with humans. I suppose the Known Space series has always had that human centric feel, combined with a bit of pro-human swagger, but it's too obvious in these stories. Perhaps the series has run out of gas and should be laid to rest?

As readers of Man Kzin Wars are aware, a variety of writers contribute to Niven's Known Space settings. Of them I have found Hal Colebatch's style in Man Kzin storylines particularly satisfying due largely perhaps to the visual clarity of the scenes described. String is no exception. I find I get the most out of his intense, graphic style by seeing the story as a movie - as I read. Though there has always been a touch of humour to be found in Colebatch's writing - no matter how dire the circumstance - at moments in String it was a case of LOL (laughing out loud). It is hard to say (since String is a collaboration between Colebatch and Mathew Harrington) who of the two writers were responsible for the humour. Perhaps it wasn't as funny as I found it: perhaps it was simply a relief from the tension that had been built (no spoilers here) in a brilliant plot populated by players that could send friend or foe to the afterlife for the least motive or (perceived) transgression of some arcane cultural protocol. As always, I wanted more. For those with affection for the Kzin Telepaths, this story has a very unusual ending - and of course, a new beginning.

I've been reading the Man-Kzin Wars series for a long time. The series was created by Larry Niven, but different authors have joined in. In Man-Kzin Wars XII (Baen, 2009), the stories are by Matthew Joseph Harrington, Hal Colebatch, and Paul Chafe. There are six stories... My favorite by far is Aquila Advenio by Colebatch & Harrington; a Kzin and a human have teamed up and are lots of fun! (In case you didn't know, the Kzins started attacking, enslaving, and eating humans a long time ago. Now things are different--depending on where you are...) String is also good; it focuses on a Kzin telepath--usually an unhappy Kzin...

Note: This seems to be the story titled Foreign Legion by other reviewers. I presume there was a change in one printing...

I have been an admirer and fan of Larry Niven since the days of "Ringworld" and "Neutron Star"; His plot lines were of good quality, but it was the character development (Puppeteers, Kzin, Louis, Beowulf, etc.) that always distinguished the novels and short stories. Sadly, his legacy is being diluted.

While I certainly respect the opinions of other reviewers, I must strongly disagree with the critiques. I find the writing in "Echoes...." and other installments to be somewhat amateurish and disjointed. Plot lines are, at times, incomprehensible. Indeed, there are some entertaining sections, but they are few and far between. "String" does provide a worthwhile diversion with slapstick humor. However, that is the exception.

My sense is (and I am certain this is not an original observation) that the use and/or enabling of various authors has altered a classic genre. Everyone seems intent upon placing their own interpretation upon the Hero/Kzin culture. Sadly, this has caused a diminution in both quality and internal consistency. Even Puppeteers, in other works, have become Neo-Nazi's.

This is but one reader's opinion. My suggestion is for the legion of Niven fans to make up their own, collective, minds. However, I would wait for the used book prices to drop; this volume is not worth the retail price.

Have not finished the whole book yet, but the first long story is worth the price of the book by itself. I did not think a totally new idea in the Man-Kzin universe was in the cards, but this tale of human and kazinti coworkers is good. Very well written, and a nice story of using the different viewpoints towards a common goal.

The book holds together a set of short stories spanning some 500 years of Man-Kzin interactions [mostly hostile]. The first set of stories has intriguing snippets, and they are only snippets, of the early encounters. One alien race, that I think has not been mentioned before in this series, is introduced, as a human ally. They perhaps can influence kzin to sabotage kzin ships. Nothing much really happens in this wise. Maybe a placeholder for later tales?

Of the other stories, the most interesting is a variant on the classic theme of alien abduction of human soldiers, to fight for the aliens. As in Pournelle's Janissaries. Or, and closer to the point here, Roman legionnaires in Drake's Ranks of Bronze. The current story by Colebatch et al is a well put together twist.

Longtime readers of the series be aware that there is nothing here of a major event or war. The first books mapped out a set of wars. This book is more along the lines of filler. The action scenes are somewhat disappointing, both in terms of space-based or terrestial combat. Maybe S M Stirling can be induced to revisit this series!

Outstanding continuations of stories in the Known Space series Man-Kzin Wars. Niven is a genius writer in his own right, but even more a genius to allow these genius writers to contribute to one of his creations. Good Stuff!