Ringworld Engineers, The

Author:

Niven, Larry

Publication date:

1979-07

Publication type:

Novel

Published:

serial, Galileo, July, September, November 1979 and January 1980

Opus No.:

118

Setting:

Known Space: Ringworld

I.U.C.:

K.S. 36 (2878-81)

ISBN:

0-7088-8074-6

Characters:

Louis Wu; Hindmost; Chmeee; Teela Brown

Awards:

Hugo nominee

Summary:

Twenty-three years after the events of Ringworld, Louis Wu and Speaker-to-Animals are kidnapped by another Puppeteer, The Hindmost, fallen leader to the Puppeteer people.

The Trio return to the Ringworld, which has moved from its stable position and is within a year of grazing the sun. Louis must find his way to the Repair Center of the Ringworld to correct the orbit of the Ringworld and save billions of sentient creatures.

The climax, with a bit of ancient Known Space history and the surprise return of Teela Brown is pretty awesome. If you read Ringworld and enjoyed that then there is little doubt you will be as entranced with Ringworld Engineers.

Notes:

First evidence of the Pak on the Ringworld. First sequel to Ringworld

Reprints:

Novel, inbound signatures, limited edition, from Phantasia Press, August 1986;
novel, cloth, Holt, Rinehart & Winston;
goatskin, issue of 26, Phantasia [Niven has "Q"];
paper, ballantine;
cloth, Holt, Rinehart & Winston (SFBC);
paper, Orbit (British), May 1992, cover by Fred Gambino;
Japanese, cloth, 1981, Hayakawa Publishing, Inc.;
cloth, as Les Ingenieurs De L'Anneau-Monde, 1982, Nouvelles Editions Opta;
paper, as Die Ringwelt- Ingenieure, 1982, Bastei Lubbe;
serial in Rigel SF Magazine, July - October 1984;
Audio book: Books on Tape, 1997, read by Connor O’Brien