The Ringworld Engineers

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This is an adequate sequel to [b:Ringworld 7987601 Ringworld Larry Niven https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1270514178l/7987601.SY75.jpg 924711], quite readable, it continues the story plausibly and clears up a number of points and loose ends.However, it's also a bit of a mess, rambling its way through assorted unnecessary digressions, so the plot feels lumpy and inelegant. The ending is hurried and unhappy: the main protagonists survive, but completely fail in their initial objective, and achieve their second objective only at considerable cost.The book has its moments, but whenever I reread it I have a tendency to skim here and there.In Chapter 2, a character is unexpectedly rejuvenated, and wonders how he can prove his identity, given his new younger body. An odd thing to wonder, given that this is clearly not a new problem in the far future in which the story is set. Also, Niven apparently failed to anticipate in 1980 that genetic analysis would be able to identify even long-dead people within his own lifetime. Cloning could confuse such analysis, but I think Niven never mentions cloning.

Boring. It comes across with all the worst character tropes, has a poorly driven plot, side-quests to meet the locals that come across as banal and seemingly provide no character motivation (Louis kills them all anyway! With hardly a second thought!) and−worst of all−has this weird affection for inter-species sex that provides absolutely no benefit in the book. For god's sake Niven, if you're gonna put sex into a book, don't be shy about it. It's your own damn book!