By: Larry Niven Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Tor Science Fiction Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 336 Publication Date: November 28, 2006
When a tremendous spacecraft took orbit around the Earth’s moon and began sending smaller landers down toward the North Pole, the newly arrived visitors quickly set up a permanent spaceport in Siberia. Their presence attracted many, and a few people grew conspicuously rich from secrets they learned from talking to the aliens. One of these men, Rick Schumann, established a tavern catering to all of the various species of visiting aliens, a place he named the Draco Tavern. From the mind of #1 New York Times bestselling author Larry Niven come twenty-six tales and vignettes from this interplanetary gathering place, collected for the first time in one volume, including:
“The Subject Is Closed”: A priest visits the tavern and goes one-on-one with a chirpsithra alien on the subject of God and life after death.
“Table Mannners: A Folk Tale”: Rick Schumann is invited to hunt with five folk aliens, but he’s not quite sure what their hunt entails, or if he will be the hunted.
“Losing Mars”: In this previously unpublished tale, a group of aliens who call Mars and its moon home arrive at the tavern only to find that humans have mostly forgotten about their neighboring planet.
This IS Larry Niven at his best. Aliens. Alien cultures. Alien philology. Alien biology. Alien spaceships. Alien children. Aliens getting drunk. Yes, Mr. Niven knows that aliens are just like you and me. But with more legs, two hearts, four eyes and they sometimes move slower. Still, when I open a sci-fi book I want strange aliens, weird technology and good plots. Plots about God and sex and the universe and everything. And I don't want to wait millions of years for an answer! So the universe gave us Larry Niven. And Nivenites were born. These stories are about a tavern. A tavern in Siberia where aliens come to drink, chat and, sometimes, cause trouble. 26 stories. Well, 25 plus a play, which explore what it means to be alien. And, in the end, what it means to be human. Lovely stories. Funny stories. Sad stories. Mr. Niven pulls no punches. Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it. Pass it on to friends.
Sci Fi lite A collection of about 30 short stories (10-12 pages) that involve alien visitors to the Draco Tavern (located in Siberia). Each story is based on one interesting idea, however, the treatment is pretty superficial and the repetitive descriptions of the tavern and the recurring alien species gets a bit tedious as you read more of the stories.
I have NO idea what Niven is trying to accomplish here . . . Niven has been a major sf author for decades and his work is usually of high quality. Unfortunately, very little of that quality appears in this collection of twenty-seven very short stories, all set in a bar on the edge of a Siberian spaceport that hosts a wide array of alien visitors. These aren't shaggy dog stories, though, or whimsical character portraits. In fact, it's hard to tell just what they're supposed to be. Each story introduces one or more aliens in conversation with (usually) the bartender/owner, Rick Schumann. So they schmooze, and the alien tells a story, and that's it. I kept wondering whether the end of each story had been omitted, and that was why they were all so short. Sorry, I don't see the point.
" GREAT SHORT STORIES!" The ""Draco Tavern"" is a collection of very short stories written over several decades. I have read most of the other reviews on this book. I get a kick out of some of these reviews. People trying to sound too intelligent. Using big words or comparing this book to "Classic" Literature. ?????( Niven is better than the "CLASSICS!")
"THIS BOOK IS FUN!" Plain and simple! Stories about a Tavern in Siberia set in the mid-21st century, that caters to all sorts of Alien life.( Yeah,, The Cantina scene in STAR WARS comes to mind!) Some of the stories are only a few pages long. I like short story books. Some readers don't.
I would call this book "Larry Niven LIGHT!" but it is a solid work by one of my favorite authors.
I could not put it down!
Terrific Short Stories Take Place in an Interesting Sci Fi Setting Let me start off with, I usually don't care much for short story collections. But!!! This one was FABULOUS! I enjoyed that each story was based in the same interesting and unique Sci Fi setting. I loved how each story presented a different view on some alien group and how they interact with humans. This book is a Keeper!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
