- Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Tor Science Fiction; First Edition edition (Nov 28 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0765347717
- ISBN-13: 978-0765347718
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.8 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #414,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
The cantina scene in Star Wars, as Niven (Ringworld) points out in his introduction, partakes of "a hoary old tradition," as do the 27 Draco Tavern stories in this solid SF collection. Most of the tales, set in the 2030s, are short-shorts, often reading like brilliant, half-whimsical notebook jottings. The inverted city carved out of the ice by ocean-dwelling creatures on Europa in "Playground Earth" could be the basis for a novel. Niven tosses it off in a sentence. Many of the best moments are similar hints: an overheard conversation about how an alien species casually denied humans immortality because the perception of death flavors human poetry ("Limits"). The most startling perspective of all comes from "The Green Marauder," in which a two-billion-year-old creature explains how the Earth was "ruined" by "pollution" long ago. These stories are best taken a few at a time, to savor their inventiveness without noticing the undeveloped characters or that, even for bar stories, there's sometimes too much chatter and not enough action. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Throughout an award-winning 40-year career, Niven has taken time out for brief layovers at his favorite interspecies watering hole, the Draco Tavern. Run by inimitable multimillionaire Rick Schumann in the middle of Siberia, where the enigmatic extraterrestrial Chirpsithra made first contact with humans, the saloon serves as trading post and chat room for aliens from every corner of the galaxy. Here Niven corrals all the Draco Tavern tales into one volume that consequently showcases his ability to use sf to explore mind-boggling, universal questions. In one story, the Chirpsithra reveal knowledge of a species that learned what waits beyond death--but were the resulting mass suicides provoked by discovering heaven, or nothingness? In others, Niven inspects such ultimate conundrums as immortality, extraterrestrial intelligence, and computers that outstrip their creators' cleverness. Most of the 27 stories are short shorts that, taken altogether, radiate Niven's wit and technological inventiveness. A must for Nivenites and just plain good reading for everyone else. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Better future,
By
Ce commentaire est de: The Draco Tavern (Mass Market Paperback)
A nice return, having read the earlier Larry Niven (c. Ringworld) this 2006 compilation brings back his view of the future and storytelling. A very different view from the usual Star Trek/Star Wars/man vs alien/dystopian type SF, in Niven's future (2 years hence!) curious and business-minded aliens visit earth and establish a bar/meeting place in Siberia. Rick, the human barkeep narrates a number of independent short stories involving various alien visitors to Earth spanning 40 years. All are curious about the planet, most looking to make a return on investment, and either helpful or playful. More optimistic than a Bug War!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
very weak,
By
Ce commentaire est de: The Draco Tavern (Mass Market Paperback)
I love Ringworld as much as anybody, so I really hate to say this. But I think Larry Niven is well past his use-by date, and while he continues to write, he is largely living off the proceeds of Ringworld from decades before. The Draco Tavern, a book of short stories about an earth-bound 'tavern' where different species from different parts of the universe come together, I found to be weak from one end to the other. While there were lots of innovative creatures featured, the storylines failed to deliver much of anything. The dialogue, such as it was, was uninteresting and bland. And the famous Niven insight into physical realities and limitations and possibilities was sorely lacking in the stories. Niven's writing in this book reminded me of a punch drunk boxer who refuses to lie down, but really can't make it in the ring (no pun intended) anymore.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (46 customer reviews) 51 of 52 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Niven Writing to His Strengths,
By James D. DeWitt "Alaska Fan" - Published on Amazon.com
Achat Amazon vérifié(Quest-ce que cest?)
Ce commentaire est de: The Draco Tavern (Hardcover)
I've been critical of Niven in my reviews of his most recent works. While some of his earlier works are among the very best science fiction, his more recent novels have been disappointing. With the publication of his Draco Tavern short stories, there's a return to his earlier form. Partly because he is writing to his strengths.These stories span the period 1977-2006. Some of the older stories seem to have been revised a bit for this collection. But the stories illustrate what Niven has always done best: examine strange ideas. Not his limited skills at characterization, or his plotting. He's best at dreaming up ideas and exploring their implications. And his aliens have always been aliens. Rick Schumann owns the Draco Tavern, and these are his stories. The owner-bartender is the narrative voice, and the adventures mostly, but not exclusively, happen to him. The stories are fairly short - some are very short - and involve the interaction of aliens with humans and with each other. Niven's subjects range from the existence of God to the perils of advanced computing. The last half of the collection focuses on various aspects of terrorism. I have the impression that some of them may have been revised to alter their focus. The refocus is mostly successful. But I wonder why Niven chose to be topical. Reviewers should keep in mind this is a collection of loosely linked short stories. They were written over a period of nearly thirty years. So they offer only limited continuity, and there are some inconsistencies. But they do not seriously detract. The stories are fun, thought-provoking and offer glimpses of Larry Niven's best writing. Recommended. 19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of these might be Niven's literary immortality,
By Peter D. Tillman - Published on Amazon.com
Ce commentaire est de: The Draco Tavern (Hardcover)
_________________________________________________________________These stories date from 1977 to 2006, and feature the very long-lived Chirpsithra, the masters of the galaxy's red-dwarf planets, and the owner-operators of the great interstellar liners that occasionally stop at Earth. The chirps mingle with the locals, and an amazing variety of other star-travelers, at the fabled Draco Tavern near their shuttle landing-ground at Mt. Forel, Siberia. So pull up a really high barstool, so you can look the eleven-foot tall chirps in the eye, and order a tee tee hatch nex ool-compatible cocktail from the Draco's amazingly versatile barkeep.... Boy, are the Draco stories good. Age shall not wither, nor custom stale, the best of these remarkable vignettes: "The Green Marauder," "War Movie," "Limits." They might well become his literary immortality. And some of the newer ones might well join the classics. The collection spans 1977 to 2006, including one or two first published here. There are minor retcons and continuity fixes, which help the flow. Check it out. Happy reading-- Peter D. Tillman 16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
almost perfect,
By Dan Mcgarry - Published on Amazon.com
Achat Amazon vérifié(Quest-ce que cest?)
Ce commentaire est de: The Draco Tavern (Hardcover)
The only reason this collection didn't get five stars is simple:Lack of Continuity If the editors had simply arranged them in order of publication date, which incidentally would have also put them in imaginary chronological order, then the book would be perfect. Unfortunately, since the stories are arranged in random order, you have characters refering to events in the past, which are two or three stories further back in the book. Still, it's Larry Niven. All the tales are great. Buy it. |
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