- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Orbit; New edition edition (31 Dec 1981)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1857230787
- ISBN-13: 978-1857230789
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 10.6 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 939,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Excellent'
TIME OUT
'Larry Niven has ideas the size of planets'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The ramrobots, giant ships guided by an algorhithm to find planets suitable for human colonisation, had a small bug in their system. They found places suitable for human life, not necessarily all the time and not necessarily encompassing the whole planet... One of the ramrobots landed on Plateau - a small peak of a huge mountain on a planet unsuitable to host human life. But the Plateau itself has the right kind of an atmosphere so a human colony is established there.
Plateau has been out of contact with Earth for some time and while on Earth the problems of Organ Banks are no longer present (due to boosterspice which extends human life), the Plateau is a society still based on "death penalty for parking in the wrong place" rules. But some facts might change that very soon...
The story in "A Gift from Earth" is very dynamic, but, personally, I always liked the "Ringworld" and "Neutron Star" most (a shame the latter one is not in print anymore!). However, I rate "A Gift..." on an equal scale with books such, as "Protector" or "The World of Ptavvs".
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
13 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Intersting, and yes, cool.
7 July 1999
Format:Mass Market Paperback
On a planet where the only habitable place is the plateau on a mountain rising fifteen miles above the acidic, roiling surface, a brutal and unjust aristocracy lives long lives on the organs of the people of the lower classes, (colonists), who had committed even the smallest transgressions, while the rich, (crew), do as they wish with no fear of consequences of repercussions. On this world a young colonist with a very strange mental power, that of making himself invisible in others' minds, is about to unwittingly set off a revolution. I said it before, I'll say it again. Cool.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Great sci-fi adventure romp
1 Jan 2000
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Great book! It deals with all kinds of fun, interesting technologies, with enough action to keep anyone hooked. Also some really good discussion of ethics. This book is wholeheartedly suggested
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Really Good Classic Niven
20 Aug 2008
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If you've never read one of Niven's stories, this is probably not the one to start with. Start with the short story collections, like Tales of Known Space. But when you get hooked on his style and find that you can't get enough, do come back to it, buy it, and you will enjoy it thoroughly. It's a really fun, very well-rounded look at a colony whose founders choose, at its inception, to divide its society into haves and the have-nots.
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