The Gripping Hand: Amazon.ca: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

This sequel to the authors' 1974 classic The Mote in God's Eye takes place some 25 years after the events of that book. The alien "Moties" remain quarantined in their own system, but the formation of a new star nearby suggests an opportunity for the Moties to escape into the galaxy, where their explosive population growth and the efficiency of their specialized subspecies--Engineers, Mediators, Warriors, etc.--may challenge the survival of the Empire of Man. Imperial scientists, however, may have found a way for the Moties to control their population and thus reduce their threat enough to allow them to become the Empire's allies. Led by Horace Bury and Kevin Renner (veterans of the first Mote expedition), a hastily assembled Imperial force struggles to contain the Moties long enough to negotiate a peaceful settlement. Though the first third of the book drags, once the action moves to the Mote system, readers will be hooked. Some of the intriguing subtexts, such as the prevailing xenophobia, are disturbing, while others, including warnings about overpopulation, enlighten. But Niven and Pournelle ( Footfall ) don't explore these ideas deeply enough to make their story any more than a perfectly adequate, largely irrelevant sequel.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

In the sequel to The Mote in God's Eye, twenty-five years after the quarantine of the alien Moties within their own solar system, the walls separating them from the rest of the universe are beginning to crumble. 150,000 first printing. $150,000 ad/promo.

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A several head spun across black sky. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

40 Reviews

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4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

Average Customer Review

3.0 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Larry Niven ... another way to spell unique, July 10 2004

By

Michael (Orleans, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gripping Hand (Audio Cassette)

Following up on "The Mote in Gods Eye" was a difficult job, which is why it took so long. Staying true to the original, this sequal does not dissapoint.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Average scifi, Jun 23 2004

By

Fx3 (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gripping Hand (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to agree with other reviewers. This book is not that great. I truly enjoyed "The Mote in God's Eye", a masterpiece, and was eager to go back to its universe. Unfortunately, "The Gripping Hand" is a tedious exercise of authorship. The book is divided into two parts. The first one prepares the actual action in which the moties are involved (no spoiler, this is very predictable). It is just an unbearable tale of space politics and average character development with very little action. The second half is more interesting, and it does make use of some slick ideas, but the story is too fragmented to be exciting. In summary, Larry and Jerry wasted a couple of good ideas, and a lot of the credit they gained from "The Mote".

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4.0 out of 5 stars The Moties are Back!, April 21 2004

By

J. Vilches (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Gripping Hand (Mass Market Paperback)

In this sequel to The Mote in God's Eye, humans and the alien "Moties" once again come into contact with dramatic results. The Empire of Man has a blockade to keep the Moties bottled up in their own system because the Moties are explosively expansive and would quickly overrun the Empire. Horace Bury, an Imperial Trader, and Kevin Renner, his pilot, travel through the Empire helping Naval Intelligence quell rebellion. But Bury and Renner, veterans from the first contact with the Moties, have another goal: to make sure that the Moties stay penned up in their system. When they find possible evidence that the Moties may escape, they pull all the strings they can find in order to visit the blockade. Events unfold quickly and they end up once more in the Mote system, trying to prevent a disaster. They have help of Chris and Glenda Ruth Blain, the two children of the first expedition's captain. The Blaine's have unique insight into the situation because they grew up around the only Moties allowed into the Empire.

The tension is thick at times, and the space battles are well plotted. However, there are large stretches consisting of political intrigue and Motie history lessons that slow down the plot considerably. I think the sections are interspersed well enough to hold the reader's interest. Some of the plot twists were hard to follow, especially once the Moties are involved. However, considering the chaos involved during battles and throwing in completely alien thought patters, it's probably fair to have some confusion in the plot. The characters are engaging, but I found it a little annoying that some of them just drop out of the story at the end without resolutions.

The Gripping Hand is definitely easier to read if you have the background found in The Mote in God's Eye. However, like most sequels, it doesn't live up to the promise of the first book. It's entertaining, but not destined to be a classic.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly mediocre, but has its good parts.
First off, I read this off and on during one semester - no other fiction for 3 months. I found that ultimatly, it didn't keep my interest much of the time and I gravitated toward... Read more

Published on July 10 2003 by Edit your Pen Name

2.0 out of 5 stars a very disappointing sequel
The Mote in God's Eye was one of the best sci-fi stories of the last 30-odd years. In order to stand up to it, Niven and Pournelle had to produce something really good. Read more

Published on Nov 2 2002 by johnk29