Cons: Less than 'rock solid' science and limited character development for any but the protagonist.
The Bottom Line: It is worth reading, particularly for the many fans of Larry Niven or even those who enjoy a well written science fiction adventure with a point.
altecocker's Full Review: Larry Niven - Destiny's Road
When the genre is properly used, science fiction provides a broad canvas that allows the writer to explore the consequences of disparate environments on humanity. If the speculative framework is used to provide a predicate within which the story unfolds logically, science fiction is a powerful tool for an author’s imagination. The genre also invites pitfalls for the writer who only uses its freedom to provide gimmickry or avoid the necessity for logical plot outcome. Larry Niven is among the handful of masters who have used the devices allowed by science fiction to set the scene for both meaningful speculation and entertaining story. He has developed the art of speculative social anthropology in such a way that the story entertains as the lesson edifies. Niven’s ‘Ringworld’ series is a masterpiece of generating an entire complex culture predicated on a physical structure that shapes its mores, its socio-economic, technological, and psychological characteristics. In this context, he has developed characters and generated stories that captivated literally millions of fans. In Destiny’s Road Niven calls on these skills to create another culture, a culture that was also generated by humanity’s diaspora from Earth and shaped by the physical characteristics of the new habitat. The world is Destiny and the force that shapes the culture is a deficiency of a vital mineral and nutrient from the plant and animal life of the planet. This deficiency dominates the economy of the planet in a manner that forms the plot of the book and makes the 433 page essay on man’s political nature an enjoyable lesson. It doesn’t even matter that the basic physiological premise from which the story derives is, charitably, flawed. It is easy to suspend one’s critical problems with the details and accept the device for what it is.
The story is of a young man, Jemmy, who is born in one of the settlements of Destiny, a colony planet for mankind. Jemmy’s maturation and development parallel the unfolding of the mystery of Destiny. His journey through life and across the “road” of Destiny constitutes the story of the book, comprising the adventures of “Jemmy,” and the unfolding understanding of the culture of Destiny, a world deliberately created by man.
Niven creates a world of limited communication among its various cultures. There is a degree of artificiality in this plot necessity that is only partially, explained by allusion to an experimental plan of the original founders of the colony world. This is sketchily developed and not entirely believable. Niven’s allusion to ‘experimental design’ leaves something to be desired, but it is a minor flaw in the greater scheme of things. Jemmy is driven to travel “the road” by two separate motivations, both compelling. He has an intellectual curiosity about the origins and design of Destiny, specifically about the people who created the “road,” their motivations and fate. Moreover, he is forced to escape his insular town of origin by an event that threatens his future or, even, his life. Jemmy travels, runs, learns, and matures so that he becomes virtually unique in his understanding of the mysteries of Destiny. At the end, he is undertaking the task of undoing the artificially restrictive culture that was forced upon the colony. We are left to infer his success.
The book is well written and an enjoyable ‘read.’ Transitions are sometimes a bit abrupt, and ancillary characters come and go without being developed so that they are important parts of the story. They serve more as foils to Jemmy than as fully drawn characters with whom we can identify. In this manner, Destiny’s Road falls short of truly fine literature, but it doesn’t pretend to that status. The story demands the passage of many years and providing the details of these years would be both unnecessary and tedious. It is not profound, but neither is it meaningless fluff. On balance, it presents an enjoyable reading experience that provokes at least some thought. It is not written for, nor suitable for children. The descriptions of the mores of the cultures detail intimate human interactions of all sorts from the role of sexual interactions to the rules of polite conversation. In fact, the descriptions of these interpersonal relations constitute important parts of the book. Its construction invites a sequel or even a series based upon this world. Given Mr. Niven’s previous record, I suspect that there will be more of Destiny to come. I will read the next.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.