Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Simon & Schuster (New York, 1974). Book club edition. 475 pages.
Description
In the year 3016, the Second Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to the faster-than-light Alderson Drive. No other intelligent beings have ever been encountered, not until a light sail probe enters a human system carrying a dead alien. The probe is traced to the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud, and an expedition is dispatched. In the Mote the humans find an ancient civilization--at least one million years old--that has always been bottled up in their cloistered solar system for lack of a star drive. The Moties are welcoming and kind, yet rather evasive about certain aspects of their society. It seems the Moties have a dark problem, one they've been unable to solve in over a million years.
User reviews
LibraryThing member clong
The Mote in God's Eye is essentially a combination of a reasonably entertaining, but far from extraordinary, space opera and one of the best first contact novels ever. The Moties are a beautifully designed sentient alien race--they think differently from humans, act differently from humans, and
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worry about different problems than humans. They have evolved in a way that provides the species with biological imperitives quite different from those of man. And Niven accomplishes the difficult task of making them both highly sympathetic and ultimately quite frightening. A sci-fi classic that should be in the library of every fan of the genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member Radaghast
The Mote in God's Eye is viewed by many as one of the greatest examples of alien creation in science fiction. As with most of Niven's writing however, I found that to be less than true.
The novel starts by introducing us to a future society in the midst of forming a second Empire from the ashes of
Except it doesn't completely work. For starters, I found the characters acting in ridiculous ways in numerous parts of the story. Despite the apparent power and strange abilities of the alien "Moties", the humans are extremely quick to accept them as harmless, inevitably leading to danger. The scientists seem more responsive to the Moties cuteness than their ability to perfectly understand human motivations in a few short encounters. This and other potentially dangerous abilities are laughed off by the scientists nearly to humanity's doom. And that's why characterization is one of the book's biggest flaws. It wasn't just that the characters acted with annoying stupidity. The characters themselves were hard to tell apart at times. Most of the story takes place on board a Navy vessel, and most of the Navy crewman simply run together. They don't have a wide enough variety of personalities to tell them apart, despite playing major parts in the story. Niven limits characterization to the "Scottish stereotype" or "the Captain." The only person who felt like a real character to me were the Admiral, and at a few moments, the Chaplain. The sole female character, Sally, an aristrocratic scientist, became the most difficult problem for me. Niven writes with an unnacceptable sexism. There's nothing wrong with describing a society in which women are regarded differently, even archaically. The problem begins when you have lines like Sally's lament that she doesn't have women onboard for "girl talk" which she describes as, among other things, housekeeping. Even a society in which women are relegated to secondary roles, the women don't enjoy discussing housekeeping especially if they are an aristocrat with tons of servants and a Ph.D. At that point, you aren't just telling me about a world that views women differently, you are engaging in sexism.
These issues are large and take a lot of wind out of the novel. There are long stretches in the beginning and the end were the novel drags. But I'm not writing this just to pile it on. Part of the reason why these flaws are so pronounced is because The Mote in God's Eye, could have been awesome. The Moties are a unique species, very well thought out and believably presented.
I just can't forgive Niven and Pournelle for their glaring mistakes. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card presented a fantastic alien species along with a gripping plot and fully realized characters. It's unfortunate, but no amount of world building or alien creation can mask a poor story.
The novel starts by introducing us to a future society in the midst of forming a second Empire from the ashes of
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the first. This society, similar to turn of the century Britain in a lot of ways, has encountered (and accidentally destroyed) an alien probe. Because this is happening at a crucial point in the reformation of the Empire, the pressure and fear that grips the Empire makes for an interesting first contact tale.Except it doesn't completely work. For starters, I found the characters acting in ridiculous ways in numerous parts of the story. Despite the apparent power and strange abilities of the alien "Moties", the humans are extremely quick to accept them as harmless, inevitably leading to danger. The scientists seem more responsive to the Moties cuteness than their ability to perfectly understand human motivations in a few short encounters. This and other potentially dangerous abilities are laughed off by the scientists nearly to humanity's doom. And that's why characterization is one of the book's biggest flaws. It wasn't just that the characters acted with annoying stupidity. The characters themselves were hard to tell apart at times. Most of the story takes place on board a Navy vessel, and most of the Navy crewman simply run together. They don't have a wide enough variety of personalities to tell them apart, despite playing major parts in the story. Niven limits characterization to the "Scottish stereotype" or "the Captain." The only person who felt like a real character to me were the Admiral, and at a few moments, the Chaplain. The sole female character, Sally, an aristrocratic scientist, became the most difficult problem for me. Niven writes with an unnacceptable sexism. There's nothing wrong with describing a society in which women are regarded differently, even archaically. The problem begins when you have lines like Sally's lament that she doesn't have women onboard for "girl talk" which she describes as, among other things, housekeeping. Even a society in which women are relegated to secondary roles, the women don't enjoy discussing housekeeping especially if they are an aristocrat with tons of servants and a Ph.D. At that point, you aren't just telling me about a world that views women differently, you are engaging in sexism.
These issues are large and take a lot of wind out of the novel. There are long stretches in the beginning and the end were the novel drags. But I'm not writing this just to pile it on. Part of the reason why these flaws are so pronounced is because The Mote in God's Eye, could have been awesome. The Moties are a unique species, very well thought out and believably presented.
I just can't forgive Niven and Pournelle for their glaring mistakes. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card presented a fantastic alien species along with a gripping plot and fully realized characters. It's unfortunate, but no amount of world building or alien creation can mask a poor story.
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LibraryThing member Jamski
A long time ago, in a land far, far away, I was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club.
Remember that? If you read Ace Doubles (remember (THOSE?) or just about any Ace book or most sci-fi mags, you found blowi-ns for the SFBC. "Choose any four books! FREE!" Well, that was my kind of price. Mind
And send those cards in every month to keep them from sending me more books. Which I would have to pay for.
Show of hands…how many of you often forgot to send those cards in? Yeah, me too.
Now, one of those books I got "unwanted" was Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye", which was pretty highly regarded when it came out. In fact, a blurb from no less than Robert Heinlein say it was the finest science fiction novel he'd ever read. Really. And it ended up being nominated for a lot of awards…Hugo, Nebula, etc. With all this going for it, you'd think I would find time to read the damned thing, especially when I paid full price for it.
Well. In my defense, I was 13 at the time. No, I never read it. Kept it for years, kept it on my list of to-reads, but somehow it never got read. Years passed, that copy disappeared, I bought another. Still never read it. I DID read Niven & Pournelle's other works, namely "Lucifer's Hammer" and "Inferno". Great stuff. But somehow I still never got around to reading "Mote".
Fast forward now to 2016. Shell and I are at a semi-annual book sale in Fairview, Tennessee. And look; what's that on that Sci-Fi table? Why, it's a battered copy of "Mote"! I was torn…if I bought it, would I actually READ it this time? Well, it was only fifty cents. It went home in my sack. And yes, I did finally read it.
Take my advice. DON'T WAIT FORTY YEARS. This really IS an excellent book. It amazes me it's never been made into a movie, but then I could say the same about "Lucifer's Hammer" (but do we really need another "Armageddon"?) or "Inferno". It's not just about the first contact with aliens, but in the personal and political results of just such a meeting. From both points of view. It's hugely fascinating, exciting, and occasionally funny. Better yet, it kept me guessing to the very end just what would happen to whom. No, I won't spoil it for you.
Oh. There is a sequel too, titled "The Gripping Hand". You bastards, now I have to go get THAT. And I will get it, and I will read it, I won't wait forty years. And that's my advice to you, dear friends: go out and get yourself a copy of this one, and READ THE DAMNED THING. You'll love it.
Remember that? If you read Ace Doubles (remember (THOSE?) or just about any Ace book or most sci-fi mags, you found blowi-ns for the SFBC. "Choose any four books! FREE!" Well, that was my kind of price. Mind
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you, I was 13 years old at the time. I think that first lot was volume one and two of "The Hugo Winners" (still have it, minus the dust jacket), Asimov's "The Gods Themselves", "The Fall of Colossus", and "A Treasury of Great Science Fiction". Wow! And all I had to pay was shipping!And send those cards in every month to keep them from sending me more books. Which I would have to pay for.
Show of hands…how many of you often forgot to send those cards in? Yeah, me too.
Now, one of those books I got "unwanted" was Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye", which was pretty highly regarded when it came out. In fact, a blurb from no less than Robert Heinlein say it was the finest science fiction novel he'd ever read. Really. And it ended up being nominated for a lot of awards…Hugo, Nebula, etc. With all this going for it, you'd think I would find time to read the damned thing, especially when I paid full price for it.
Well. In my defense, I was 13 at the time. No, I never read it. Kept it for years, kept it on my list of to-reads, but somehow it never got read. Years passed, that copy disappeared, I bought another. Still never read it. I DID read Niven & Pournelle's other works, namely "Lucifer's Hammer" and "Inferno". Great stuff. But somehow I still never got around to reading "Mote".
Fast forward now to 2016. Shell and I are at a semi-annual book sale in Fairview, Tennessee. And look; what's that on that Sci-Fi table? Why, it's a battered copy of "Mote"! I was torn…if I bought it, would I actually READ it this time? Well, it was only fifty cents. It went home in my sack. And yes, I did finally read it.
Take my advice. DON'T WAIT FORTY YEARS. This really IS an excellent book. It amazes me it's never been made into a movie, but then I could say the same about "Lucifer's Hammer" (but do we really need another "Armageddon"?) or "Inferno". It's not just about the first contact with aliens, but in the personal and political results of just such a meeting. From both points of view. It's hugely fascinating, exciting, and occasionally funny. Better yet, it kept me guessing to the very end just what would happen to whom. No, I won't spoil it for you.
Oh. There is a sequel too, titled "The Gripping Hand". You bastards, now I have to go get THAT. And I will get it, and I will read it, I won't wait forty years. And that's my advice to you, dear friends: go out and get yourself a copy of this one, and READ THE DAMNED THING. You'll love it.
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LibraryThing member helver
In the far distant future after the decline and fall of the first human empire, a new CoDominium has arisen from the ashes and is in the process of reasserting its control over the planets that humans have inhabited. The wars of secession and re-integration are proceeding with the usual costs when
Captain Rod Blaine and his ship is called away from the internal hostilities to intercept a large, fast moving object approaching from a distant star. Blaine and his crew intercept the object and discover it is an alien probe from a nearby star system. Unfortunately, the sole passenger has died so humanity is left without a means to determine the nature of these aliens. After a hasty series of discussions, Rod and his ship are called upon to make first contact with the aliens, to determine their nature and, if possible, to open up diplomatic and trade relations... which the Moties want only too much...
This really is a fantastic novel. Eminently believable given the technology of the Langston field and the Alderson drive. The Moties are well defined with biological and societal imperatives for their actions. The conflicting interests of Science, Commerce and Defense are all represented on both sides. And there's even a nod to Star Trek.
The biggest surprise for me came from the end of the evacuees... I really thought they were going to make it. It felt similar to the way I felt when I read about the Reavers killing the Giants in the Thomas Covenant series. Just disbelief that this would be allowed to happen.
Read 1/2008
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a new, unifying threat appears on the horizon.Captain Rod Blaine and his ship is called away from the internal hostilities to intercept a large, fast moving object approaching from a distant star. Blaine and his crew intercept the object and discover it is an alien probe from a nearby star system. Unfortunately, the sole passenger has died so humanity is left without a means to determine the nature of these aliens. After a hasty series of discussions, Rod and his ship are called upon to make first contact with the aliens, to determine their nature and, if possible, to open up diplomatic and trade relations... which the Moties want only too much...
This really is a fantastic novel. Eminently believable given the technology of the Langston field and the Alderson drive. The Moties are well defined with biological and societal imperatives for their actions. The conflicting interests of Science, Commerce and Defense are all represented on both sides. And there's even a nod to Star Trek.
The biggest surprise for me came from the end of the evacuees... I really thought they were going to make it. It felt similar to the way I felt when I read about the Reavers killing the Giants in the Thomas Covenant series. Just disbelief that this would be allowed to happen.
Read 1/2008
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LibraryThing member chersbookitlist
This is a classic and belongs on every sci-fi lover's shelf. Both authors have written separate sci-fi novels, but the collaboration brings their individual work to new heights. I think this is one of the best in terms of its vivid and complex depictions of an alien society (Dune is probably
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better, but this comes close). Just enough high tech stuff to make it realistic and amazing at the same time, but not overly geek-driven. Show Less
LibraryThing member andyray
A singular joy! When you begin this, leave yourself some time to enjoy it. The Moties are such loveable beings and the book twists so delightfully, one can reread it every few years and enjoy it again.
LibraryThing member jjvors
The Mote in God's Eye is one of Larry Niven's best novels and one of the best science fiction books I have ever read. I read it first in the 80s when it came out and re-read it once in the 90s.
Why is it so good? Mr. Niven portrays aliens in a very interesting, yet non-human way. He enfolds some
Additionally, he pulls in much good science concerning space travel, nuclear power, astronomy, and warfare. This is to be expected of any "hard" science fiction, but Niven does it as well as Heinlein, in my opinion.
Four stars and highly recommended reading!
Why is it so good? Mr. Niven portrays aliens in a very interesting, yet non-human way. He enfolds some
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mysteries about them that are not revealed until the end of the book. He draws distinctions and contrasts between the aliens' strengths and weaknesses and humans'. He develops interesting characters among both the humans and aliens.Additionally, he pulls in much good science concerning space travel, nuclear power, astronomy, and warfare. This is to be expected of any "hard" science fiction, but Niven does it as well as Heinlein, in my opinion.
Four stars and highly recommended reading!
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Standalone SF, A first contact novel. Very readable. Humans eventually arrive at an alien world whose inhabitants are desperate for more space to live. The Truth of each species weaknesses are hidden on both sides, and things start out admireably but circumstances reveal the darker sides.
LibraryThing member deldevries
Acclaimed as a classic in science fiction. That seemed good enough for me, but I questioned if if wanted to continue several times. The good news is that the last half is generally better, more interesting, and better paced than the first half. The bad new is that there are still points in the 2nd
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half where I wondered why I continued slogging through it. Two authors are not blended together seamlessly and I haven't read either individually to tease out their methods. Interesting enough, but glad I'm finished with this "classic" published in the mid 1970s. Show Less
LibraryThing member LamontCranston
Although written in the mid 1970s the authors seem to have learned nothing from the New Wave and it reads like something written 20 or 30 years earlier.
The simple workman like writing could pass for a YA novel today. If you can get past that you get what is essentially a locked room mystery about
But thats not enough to sustain interest.
The simple workman like writing could pass for a YA novel today. If you can get past that you get what is essentially a locked room mystery about
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the nature of the moties.But thats not enough to sustain interest.
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LibraryThing member monado
Niven has created an unusual world here. The Mote in God's Eye is an isolated sun in the constellation of a nebula. It has a planet... and the inhabitants of that planet can only launch into space under certain rare conditions... which is good for Mankind, because they can't stop breeding and their
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internecine combat is ferocious and finely honed. Show Less
LibraryThing member StigE
Old school sci-fi of the first encounter kind. Parts of it are dated now, but the dilemmas poised and the proposed solutions are not. Really enjoyed this one.
LibraryThing member kenzen
Bland characters and bad writing make Mote a tough read. After fighting my way halfway through I decided reading a synopsis would be enough.
What annoyed me most are the human characters. All of them. They are just a collection of stereotypes without any depth. Having them live in a society that is
Their actions, when dealing with an alien species, are laughable and painful to read. You can just watch a bunch of clueless buffoons fumble their way through first contact.
What annoyed me most are the human characters. All of them. They are just a collection of stereotypes without any depth. Having them live in a society that is
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basically Europe in the Victorian age in space doesn't help. I feel you could tell the same story on earth with sailing ships.Their actions, when dealing with an alien species, are laughable and painful to read. You can just watch a bunch of clueless buffoons fumble their way through first contact.
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LibraryThing member clutch68rs
The story was interesting but had many shortcomings that were hard to overlook. The book was written after America's space program was well under way. Why weren''t the ship and crew of the "first contact" ship quarantined? Midway through the book, verbal communication is possible between human and
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alien. There were lingering questions regarding the alien race. Why didn't we just ask them? Grew tired of trying to "read" an engineer's Scottish accent (Star Trek's Scotty?). Show Less
LibraryThing member NickBrooke
"The Mote In God's Eye" is a classic of Space Opera, the first contact between the Empire of Man and the inscrutable, hyper-advanced, but strangely-crippled Motie civilisation. Whatever else you do, do *not* read the "sequel" - a completely unnecessary travesty!
LibraryThing member stuart10er
Humans had been clawing back from a planetary civil war when they come across a probe from an alien civilization. They triangulate back to where they came from then go there. The "Moties" are friendly but don't give all the information about themselves. Pretty good book.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
An excellent read & raises a lot of interesting thoughts for me. It's about contact with an alien civilization in a more interesting setting than most. Makes me think a lot about some of our civilizations. Well worth reading & a classic of science fiction.
LibraryThing member conformer
The groundbreaking sci-fi story of mankind's disastrous first contact with extraterrestrials. What sets this one apart from other E.T. books is the "Moties" themselves, whose appearance, social structure, and Big Secret are truly alien. A little dated, if only for the application of earthbound
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Naval procedures upon a spacefaring vessel, but still a deep and rich read, which is something you don't always find in sci-fi shoot-em-ups. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaipakartik
A realistic Sci Fi if ever there was one. The ultimate first contact novel. The motes are very well explained as an alien race.
LibraryThing member cousin_gipthorn
I originally read The Mote in God's Eye in high school and have had fond memories of it. The reread, however, wasn't so successful. I don't consider myself a snob about writing, but I just couldn't get past the poor writing and dull characters and I'm afraid this is going to remain unfinished.
LibraryThing member voodoochilli
Started great, but went on too long for me.
LibraryThing member LeeHallison
This was one of my all time favorites, but reading through the other reviews I see it may not stand up to the test of time.
I will edit this after I reread the book!
I will edit this after I reread the book!
LibraryThing member wifilibrarian
I liked the book. However, I disliked the characters, and it was a bit depressing thinking that feminism was totally absent, even reversed, so only one strong female character who still took a back seat to the action and plot. Also disliked that there are royals and aristocrats so far in humanities
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future. Did like the aliens. Show Less
LibraryThing member magicians_nephew
Too long: Check
Cardboard Human Characters: Check
Overdone Techno-porn: Check
No Believable female characters: Check
And still I will call it a masterpiece. The problem of the Moties -- a civilization trapped on a single planet, hierarchical, territorial trapped in mad cycles of overpopulation and war
Not one bit interested in the politics of the Galactic Empire and I suspect Nivin and Pourlenne aren’t either. If the one memorable character in this book is the Motie civilization, that’s good enough for me.
Cardboard Human Characters: Check
Overdone Techno-porn: Check
No Believable female characters: Check
And still I will call it a masterpiece. The problem of the Moties -- a civilization trapped on a single planet, hierarchical, territorial trapped in mad cycles of overpopulation and war
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- sound familiar? Not one bit interested in the politics of the Galactic Empire and I suspect Nivin and Pourlenne aren’t either. If the one memorable character in this book is the Motie civilization, that’s good enough for me.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
This book is similar to Lucifer’s Hammer in many ways: it tackles an archetypal theme in science fiction (this time, first contact with an alien race); it starts off slow and gets really exciting about halfway through; and it’s peopled mainly by men, with one or two very poorly drawn female
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characters that proves the authors really don’t know that much about women. Unlike many first-contact books, Niven and Pournelle really put a lot of thought into their alien race, the Moties, and it shows; these aliens are realistic, three-dimensional creatures with quite a detailed history who we can relate to but who still come off as undeniably alien. If only they had spent as much time developing a realistic human civilization two thousand years in the future, but the depiction of the “Empire of Man” is the book’s major flaw – more of an amalgam of 50s America misogynistic values (complete with its own Cold War dichotomies) with 16th century European monarchies than a fully realized culture that is a logical offshoot of our own. But if you don’t let that distract you, this is an enjoyable read, and the Moties themselves are well worth getting to know. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1975)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 1975)
Locus All-Time Best (Science Fiction Novel — 13 — 1987)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1974)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1974
Physical description
475 p.; 8.3 inches
ISBN
156865054X / 9781568650548
Local notes
Bottom corner of front board missing.