The Gripping Hand

Recently finished 'The Gripping Hand' written by the team of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It is the sequel to 'The Mote in God's Eye', 19 years in the making.  I'm not sure how writing as a team works, but, I do know that a a team they would make my Top Ten list of Authors, just lacking enough volume to crack the Top 5. 

I have read 5 of their books: 'The Mote in God's Eye', 'The Gripping Hand', 'Fallen Angels', 'Foot Fall' and 'Lucifer's Hammer'...and the truth is, they would make my Top 10 just based off the strength of two of them: The Mote.. and 'Lucifer's Hammer'.  'Foot Fall' is an interesting read, and had some great parts, especially their references to Bob Anson(as in Robert Anson Heinlein) as part of an advisory team to the President.  Prior to reading 'Foot Fall' I had never heard of Project Orion, and I had assumed during the reading that is was something Niven and Pournelle made up, and found it one of the more unbelievable portions of the book.  Imagine my chagrin when I actually did MY research.

While the story line of 'Fallen Angles' was neat, it's one of the few books I have read where the message is actually more important to me than the story-line.  The book serves as tribute to fan-boys, and there is a lot of Global Warming bashing, and bashing of funding cuts to science programs, and ignorance in general.  A fun read, but not by any means one that represents the pinnacle of science fiction novels. 

We'll save that pinnacle stuff for 'Lucifer's Hammer', and 'The Mote in God's Eye'.  'Lucifer's Hammer' is the book that the movie 'Deep Impact' wishes it could be.  Just a completely fascinating book from beginning to end.  I can't say it shaped any of my ideals/ideas about TEOTWAWKI, as I was already heading down the dark path of being a closet prepper when I read it, but, it did confirm some things in my mind...one of them being, you won't be able to make it alone.  It wouldn't hurt to have a U.S. Senator with some acreage in a valley in your hip pocket either. 

'The Mote in God's Eye' is, quite plainly put, one of the finest examples of 'hard' science fiction that I have read.  I would put it up against anything written by Heinlein or Asimov.  I think it is a very plausible look into how a human society would deal with first contact with another species, and, the imagination involved in coming up with The Moties boggles my mind.  I give 'The Mote in God's Eye' and 'Lucifer's Hammer' my highest recommendation, and Three Snaps Up. 

'The Gripping Hand' is not as good as 'The Mote in God's Eye', but, I didn't expect it to be.  If I had read TMIGE when it was first released, and had to wait 19 years for the sequel, I might even go as far as to say I would have been disappointed.  Finding it at the used book store, and buying it on a lark, just because I had REALLY enjoyed the first book...not as disappointing.  It was a better than average read on it's own merit, but I would not recommend it to someone who had not read the first book.   Too many things are alluded to without fully being described.  This is a true sequel and not Book 2 in a series that can be read without background.