Customer Reviews

Rainbow Mars

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Larry Niven has written some wonderful books featuring some of the best ideas in science fiction. This book is half-and-half. The wonderful part contains a handful of delightful short stories from his 1976 book "Flight of the Horse," now sadly out of print. The not-so-wonderful is an almost unreadable new novella set in the same universe. Mars is popular these days, and Niven should have been able to do a smash-bang job of working it into the "Horse" universe. Instead, he wrote a lot of dismal dialog and murky exposition with none of the life of the older stories (which I eagerly reread, confirming that they've stood the test of time).

I could give this a mixed review: a compromise between five stars for the old material, and one star for the new. But save your money and look for a used copy of "Flight of the Horse." And shame on Niven's publisher for not just reissuing a great older book and leaving well enough alone.

This is actually a fantasy book disguised as SF. That, of itself, isn't a bad thing. But Niven's writing style is very disjointed and erratic; it has none of the polish that his novels with Jerry Pournelle (and Steve Barnes) have. It's as if Niven is writing with a wink and a nod to his huge fan base--the wink being for "in" jokes and a nod given to the hard-core fan who understands what he's writing about. He writes in such a way as to leave things out, such as transitional phrases or descriptions, assuming (I think) that the reader will fill in the rest. This was an awful book in a great package. Tor seems to be doing this lately: great packages for lousy novels (Card is one, Williamson is another).

I am a Larry Niven fan and liked most of his books. (Integral Trees was mediocre, but I finished.) However, I gave up on this book pretty soon, and I almost never give up on a book before finishing. I returned it to the library after I started the very confusing time/space (?) travel to Mars (?) chapter. Maybe I should have followed some of the other reviewers advise and read the short stories first so I could understand what was going on. The dialoge was trite and unbelievable. Even for science fiction/fantasy, none of the concepts made any sense.

I consider myself even dumber for having wasted 1/2 hour on starting this book.

The story: totally absurd
The telling: Niven at his best
Recommendation: Don't question it, enjoy it!

I have read just about everything Larry has put to paper and I was told to avoid this book. Despite the advice I picked it up and I liked it. Well, almost liked it. The odd placement of the novella BEFORE the short stories was and odd choice since you end up reading the chronology backwards by the time your done. It is one of the few "time travel" books I have ever read and liked. I hate time travel books, period. The jokes are cute but the casual fan of si-fi may not spot them all. Niven's style is as solid as ever. Shallow people with no depth and aliens that act alien. If you like Larry's books, pick this one up but read it BACKWARDS. Start with the short stories and work you way to novella. You won't regret it.

Rainbow Mars is a exciting book about a team of three people who go back in time to save aliens on a dieing Mars. I recommend this book to the more mature reader. Even if there is no swearing in it there is some sexual conduct. I also recommend this book to anyone who likes a good absorbing fantasy book. It also includes short stories by Larry Niven,who is one of the main characters named Svetz. Other than that it's a cool book about your wildest dreams.

I found myself having difficulty classifying this book. From its lingering descriptions of the bizarre things going on, I at first assumed that it was 'hard sci-fi' where the scientific speculation is more important than the plot. But the science is ludicrous! It's filled with the kind of hand-waving one sees in 'soft sci-fi' where the science is there only to further the plot, and need not be more than superficially plausible.

So is the focus on the story? The story is passable but doesn't set your heart racing. The bottom line is that it doesn't take itself seriously either.

What Niven seems to be going for is a conversion of fantasy and old science-fiction ideas to a modern science-fictional genre. It's an entertaining idea, but everything still ends up feeling like fantasy. He's made a few cosmetic changes, is all--what Orson Scott Card described as "science fiction has rivets, fantasy has trees." Rainbow Mars can't seem to do away with the trees.

Rainbow Mars isn't a contender for Best SF of the Year. But it's a good read, with some chuckles and some mind-bending time travel pradoxes.

You'll get most out of it if you're quite familiar with classic SF set on Mars.

This isn't a bad book. The original Svetz stories are buried in the back, which makes the new material disappointingly lean by comparison. Actually, I wish the space had been used to elongate the Mars story, because there are some beautiful things in here that just seem to get hurried along. Niven's "rationalization" of some of Burrough's and Bradbury's material is nifty.

Sadly, I can't give this book a whole-hearted recommendation, though. If it were ONLY one or two classic Martian tales in play here, it would have been better. Instead the story gets bogged down with too many things to take care of and the beautiful ideas seem lost in it. If you're a Niven fan, as many others writing reviews here are, then you'll probably like it... but not love it.

If, like me, you've followed Niven's career with interest, enthused over his early works like Protector and Ringworld, then lost interest in his later collaborations of the 80's and 90's, then this book is for you. When "Destiny's Road" appeared a couple of years ago it was his first non-collaboration in years, and I expected great things - but was disappointed by an unsatisfying plot and an irritatingly choppy writing style. I therefore hesitated over buying Rainbow Mars. I needn't have worried. It's a glorious return to style, standing a mile apart from all the other Mars books on the market just now. Other readers have called the book confusing: not so. The central character has appeared before in Niven's earlier work (eg. The Flight of the Horse) where the concept of the Extension Cage is introduced. Niven frequently refers back to episodes from his previous books, and if the reader is unfamiliar then confusion is inevitable; maybe that's the problem. (Incidentally, in the UK the book didn't include reprints of these old stories).

However, for those of us who have already been thrilled by Niven's take on the concept of time travel, Rainbow Mars represents his finest creation since Ringworld (seriously!).

When it comes to creating alien life forms in vivid, realistic detail, Niven is visionary, and the central alien in this book is no exception. With Asimov dead and Arthur C. Clarke coasting into retirement (did you read 3001? Ugh!), isn't it time Niven inherited the title "Grand Master of Science Fiction"?