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The Goliath Stone Hardcover – June 25, 2013

by Larry Niven (Author), Matthew Joseph Harrington (Author)

4.0 390 ratings

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The Goliath Stone is a visionary new tale from Larry Niven and Matthew Joseph Harrington.

Doctor Toby Glyer has effected miracle cures with the use of nanotechnology. But Glyer's controversial nanites are more than just the latest technological advance, they are a new form of life―and they have more uses than just medical. Glyer's nanites also have the potential to make everyone on Earth rich from the wealth of asteroids.
Twenty-five years ago, the Briareus mission took nanomachinery out to divert an Earth-crossing asteroid and bring it back to be mined, only to drop out of contact as soon as it reached its target. The project was shut down and the technology was forcibly suppressed.
Now, a much, much larger asteroid is on a collision course with Earth―and the Briareus nanites may be responsible. While the government scrambles to find a solution, Glyer knows that their only hope of avoiding Armageddon lies in the nanites themselves. On the run, Glyer must track down his old partner, William Connors, and find a way to make contact with their wayward children.
As every parent learns, when you produce a new thinking being, the plans it makes are not necessarily your plans. But with a two-hundred-gigaton asteroid that rivals the rock that felled the dinosaurs hurtling toward Earth, Glyer and Connors don't have time to argue. Will Glyer's nanites be Earth's salvation or destruction?

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tor Books
Publication date

June 25, 2013
Dimensions

6.4 x 1.09 x 9.46 inches
ISBN-10

9780765333230
ISBN-13

978-0765333230
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

What happens when humans tamper with the natural course of evolution without anticipating the effect of their actions? Answer: absolutely nothing good. Niven and Harrington’s novel follows Dr. Toby Glyer, a brilliant scientist and the man responsible for creating nanonites. Early in his career, Glyer’s nanonites were shot onto an asteroid for the purpose of study and then promptly forgotten about. Twenty-five years later, the same asteroid is now on a collision course with earth, and driving the asteroid are evolved, now-sentient nanonites. If this impending doom at the hands of nanonites was not enough, Dr. Glyer suspects that humans, to amazing side effects, are unknowingly ingesting these evolved nanonites. Incredibly, across the nation, cancer is down, infant mortality is down, terrorism is down, and acts of violence are down. But a darker side is brewing; suicide of a very particular section of the population is skyrocketing. With witty dialogue and laugh-inducing prose, this is an incredibly fun read, sure to entertain sf fans. --Alison Downs

Review

“Who knew nanotechnology could be this much fun? The Goliath Stone is a fast read, filled with fascinating characters and mind-bending concepts. I should have worn a crash helmet.” ―Larry Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Exit Plan

“The Goliath Stone takes a giant step beyond Lucifer's Hammer into a future so brilliantly rendered that it feels shockingly real. This stunning book is Niven at the absolute top of his game, a sure-fire award-winner and fan pleaser. First-class reading pleasure.” ―Whitley Strieber, New York Times bestselling author of The Grays

“Niven is a galaxy-class storyteller.” ―Time Magaine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0765333236
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; 1st edition (June 25, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780765333230
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765333230
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.14 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.09 x 9.46 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,702,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9,609 in Hard Science Fiction (Books)
- #156,646 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 390 ratings

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About the authors

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Larry Niven
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LARRY NIVEN is the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Ringworld series, along with many other science fiction masterpieces. He lives in Chatsworth, California. JERRY POURNELLE is an essayist, journalist, and science fiction author. He has advanced degrees in psychology, statistics, engineering, and political science. Together Niven and Pournelle are the authors of many New York Times bestsellers including Inferno, The Mote in God's Eye, Footfall, and Lucifer's Hammer.
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Matthew Joseph Harrington
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Matthew Joseph Harrington, son of historian Joseph Daniel Harrington, was born in 1960 at the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. He taught himself to read at the age of two. He was enrolled in public schools in Bowie, Maryland, and received an education by skipping class to hang out in the public library. At 10 he pushed a two-ton truck uphill unassisted.
First story ever sold was to Larry Niven for Man-Kzin Wars series— which, given that the authors up to then were such lights as Poul Anderson, Hal Colebatch, Dean Ing, Donald Kingsbury, and Dr. Jerry Pournelle, was an experience not unlike showing up for a draft physical and being inducted into the Justice League. His third published story, Soul Survivor, in Baen's Universe, has been recommended for the Nebula. He is coauthor, with Larry Niven, of The Goliath Stone.
He has rewired his house, which had no ground, and rebuilt its sewer drain, which had burst in the crawlspace in which he had to work. Prayers are always welcome.
He has fed a feral kitten from the palm of his hand. He has repeatedly been bitten on the palm by a kitten.
On two occasions he has been propositioned by women who turned out to be porn stars. He turned them both down.
He is currently living with fantasy artist Valerie Anne Shoemaker and 9 cats.
He does not drink beer.
Stay fannish, my friends.
harvey-rrit.livejournal.com
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4 out of 5

390 global ratings

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Joanne B. Dow

If you understand science and have a rich sense of humor, BUY THIS BOOK.

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2017

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There are several things which can be said about "The Goliath Stone."

First, if you have a deficient sense of humor or no appreciation of science, don't buy it.

Second, the higher your IQ the more you are likely to enjoy the story.

Third, the higher your FQ, Fannish Quotient, the more you will get out of this story, especially if your FQ involves intimate knowledge of Los Angeles fandom.

Fourth, the higher your HQ, Humor Quotient, the more you will like this story. Do expect puns and a few dogs with a long case of the shaggies.

Fifth, very little suspension of disbelief is required if you have some honest knowledge of nanotechnology and the makerbots concept.

Sixth, it is NOT a Niven story with the scenic scope of Ring World or the Shipstar stories. The scope is smaller. (Pun intended.) The story runs away with you rather than the setting almost overwhelming the story. (Not that the latter is always a bad thing. With a Niven story that's emphatically the case.)

Be willing to be entertained. Be willing to laugh and chuckle, often. Be willing to pause briefly to think about what you just read. All this will help you get through the story feeling like you got more than your money's worth out of it. And it has, one might say, a cast of trillions. So if you have a rich sense of humor and some appreciation of the scientific setting, go for it. You'll probably come away satisfied. For some this might be a lunch. For others it's a five course gourmet dinner. I kind of got lost at the third course level. I've gafiated too long now.

Of course it's five stars. It's actually maybe closer to 4.75. But, whose quibbling about that?

{^_-}

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Interesting but not Niven's best

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2014

Verified Purchase

I've been reading Niven's work since the 1970s when he first began to make a name for himself. I have always been a devoted fan and recommend his works whenever I have the opportunity. I try to reread his works from time to time to keep myself reminded of what drew me to him when I was a young man. I also reread favorite authors for two other reasons. First, to reevaluate how an author matured over time, an insightful and enjoyable task. Second, to reevaluate how I have changed as a reader as I became better educated and matured both personally and professionally (my background is in physics and aerospace). Overall, I would have to say that I much prefer his solo works to those with co-authors, though I can easily understand that collaborations bring new ideas and a different vigor.

Having said that, I feel this was a good read (Niven and co-authors always are) but not one of his best. This work was characterized by two features I found somewhat annoying. In recent years, some of his works seem to be most accessible by folks who live at SF and fantasy conventions: slang, memes, conversational devices are redolent of hanging out in the somewhat closed crowd of that fandom. (I used to live at local SF cons, too.) On the positive side this lends to the language and conventions peculiar to people in a particular community of thought, which gives the novel an atmosphere unique to that crowd. But it limits accessibility a bit, which I normally find puts me off (I live in Washington, DC, so I learn to get over things like that). None of this kept me from my usual enjoyment of new ideas or old ones put in a different light. And Niven's works are nearly always rich with that.

The other feature that disappointed me (perhaps I demand too much of my favorite authors) is that the novel seemed less deeply or richly developed than what I think of as his better works. Among his better recent works are the Fleet of Worlds novels, carrying forward a set of rich ideas he began more than thirty years ago. (No, I'm not one of the Known Space addicts who can't understand any other construct, but I certainly understand its fascination.) I felt the "bad guys" (most of Earth's governments or their substitutes) were a little too stereotyped. Their fears and ignorances (that word should always be plural) were not as well developed as I know Niven is capable of characterizing. The protagonists, similarly, were too much like one another, though Yellowhorse is perhaps unique in Niven's work. Yellowhorse, I think, really deserved much more development though I realize it's supremely difficult to properly describe the mind of someone that complex. (Was Yellowhorse really a plot shortcut to substitute for lots of other characters so the plot could be kept moving? Again, Niven makes me think!).

Again, overall a good but not excellent read. Given the abrupt ending, perhaps we could hope for a rewrite one day but I really don't think that is Larry Niven's style. Instead I'm prepared to hope for a sequel that fills in a few spots and satisfies the teasers suggested in the closing chapters. This could easily be the beginning of a new kind of Known Space.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely yes.

2 people found this helpful

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D Keith Howington

A high-tech romp with big ideas, served with sly humor

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2013

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An enjoyable, high-tech romp, written with an abundance of big ideas and served in the humorous vein of Fallen Angels . Mssrs. Niven and Harrington have created a world in which nanotechnology is just starting to have an impact, but what an impact it is! And their world-building is not limited to the planet Earth.

Beyond the story, which had much room to expand past the confines of the portion told here, one cannot help but think about the world that Harrington and Niven have described as the changes are fully realized. It is a thought both inspiring and disturbing. Some aspects are perhaps too ambitious to contemplate with today's science, but others are directly presaged by current work. And to the extent that our future goes that way, much of our world, and even we ourselves, will be unrecognizable.

The tone of the book is relatively light, despite the potential impact, literally, of the events described. In-jokes and sly humor are featured in abundance, particularly early on as the backstories and relationships are being developed. Some aspects of the plot seem unlikely indeed, but this piece is intentionally exploring many boundaries.

This is not a deep-drafting vessel for exploring philosophical issues, though many are touched on. It's more of a light pleasure craft, skimming over an amazing series of events and providing pleasant recreation in the process. Fans of a number of other SF greats (particularly but not only Heinlein) will be rewarded, but that background knowledge is not crucial to enjoyment. And in fact, many pieces of classical literature and human culture get woven into the tapestry, offering threads entertaining to pursue in their own right.

I recommend The Goliath Stone highly.

2 people found this helpful

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Big Bill

Nanotech is coming for you...

Reviewed in Canada on January 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

Good S-F frequently poses a set of circumstances and asks What If? What if Nanotechnology were loose in the
solar system? Who would use it and how? Much speculation has been about artificial intelligences , computers , developing
consciousness. Would a group of nano robots , or 'bots , acting in conjunction with each other develop a group
mind? This book explores these questions. It is packed with S-F references and gives a nod to S-F pioneers
like Robert Anson Heinlein in the plot of the story. The characters are larger than life and the action is brisk. The book
and characters could easily have been elaborated on and the book should probably be at least twice as long ; editors
and accountants may have been involved in abbreviating the manuscript. I'd love to see the longer version. Indeed
during the book one of the characters derides the editors that fifty to seventy-five years ago had the nerve to cut work
by R.A.H. Many S-F fans think that such actions were akin to flushing the Mona Lisa. Editors used to be
frustrated authors that can't write , but need an income. If perfection arrived on their desk they would still have
to change it just to justify their job/existence. Perhaps there are other books to follow this one up.
Another worthy read co-written by Larry Niven and Mathew Joseph Harrington.

2 people found this helpful

Gabi

sehr empfehlenswert

Reviewed in Germany on April 13, 2015

Verified Purchase

Wer SciFi liebt, sollte dieses Buch sowie alle anderen der beiden Autoren unbedingt lesen.
Geniale Ideen, die auch sprachlich gelungen umgesetzt werden.

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D. J. Plews

A great rollicking yarn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

This tale zips along at a really nice pace with some good characters and one super-arrogant love-him-hate-him star.
The story centers around nano-technology. Not sure that the science is exactly right, but at least there is no FTL or time travel. But, how do you program a nanobot or a huge collection of then to do really complex stuff like decoding/re-writing the human genome? Never mind, it's a really good story with a surprising and happy twist at the end.

One person found this helpful

rosesinbud

Nano meets asteroid

Reviewed in Japan on August 9, 2013

Verified Purchase

From reading previous books by the same author, I knew that Larry Niven has a sense of humor. However, in his latest book, he takes the scary scenario x 2 or 3, and keeps you wondering how it's all gonna turn out, while at the same time amusing you with the various personalities and humor of the characters in the story. Not as complex as the Ringworld Series, but The Goliath Stone is a good read even for those who do not really care for sci fi/fantasy.

PaulG

Quite Good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

I love stories about nano technology. There was too much emphasis on the 'banter' between the earth bound characters and not enough about the development of the asteroid nanites. I didn't care much about the authors' political views either.

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