Ask Larry Niven

If you read science fiction at all, you're familiar with Larry Niven. (If you don't, his work is a great place to start.) Anyway, this is a golden opportunity to learn more about a truly innovative author. (Thanks go to Chris DiBona for arranging this interview; he met Larry during one of his TechTV appearances.) One question per post, please. We'll post Larry's answers to 10 of the highest-moderated questions shortly after he gets them back to us.

An Appeal to Moderators... not a question

[Jerf]

Moderators: These interviews are probably the neatest thing Slashdot does. Please only moderate up actually interesting questions that can't be answered with a quick Google search, a read through his (excellent) work, a few moments thought, or a handful of words ("Yes, I do like to write.").

I particularly recall the Dave Barry interview where it seemed like half the questions were pathetic attempts to toss him a straight line, rather then really interesting questions.

I think these are the most "importent" moderations you can do on Slashdot, as they are the only ones that have any real effect on the world. Please consider them carefully.

Again, this is not a question so should this happen to get modded highly please do not forward ;-)

Carl Sagan vs. Larry Niven

[shanmonster]

Although Carl Sagan purported to be a fan of fiction based on scientific possibilities, he didn't appear to have much of a use for more fantastic works. You write pretty hard science fiction, so what on earth was Carl Sagan's beef with you?

Re:Unstable

[Anonymous Coward]

It is easier to destroy than create.

BTW, for Niven, I think Ringworld should be required reading for all high school physics students.

Could you elaborate on link between characters

[BKrani]

Particularly the more obscure relationships between characters in your know-space series?

One that springs to mind this the question of just who is Louis Wu's father.

The question came up as an impromptu trivia question somewhere on Compuserve once. Thinking about it, I realised that it's likely that Louis Wu's biological father and the husband of his mother are likely to be two completely different people.

I don't think it's entirely stated anywhere but it's likely that his father was Carlos Wu (registered genius with an unlimited fatherhood license) - while his mother was Sharrol Shaeffer (husband to Beowulf Shaeffer - the pilot who attempted to travel to the core).

In discussion with the guy who prompted this trivia question, he mentioned that you had confirmed this to him personally a convention - and had referred to other obscure relationship between the characters.

Which leads back to the original question - would you care to elaborate on any of these relationships.

Cheers.

Re:Inferno

[Ungrounded Lightning]

I must have missed something, however... What was "the secret" that Mussolini (and later Carpentier) knew that allowed them to move freely about Hell?

I thought that was made explicit near the end - that hell was a post-life chance to repent, renounce your sins, redeem yourself (through pennance), and achieve heaven. (And also to get stuck again in a different hellish object-lesson by embracing some other sin.)

(Of course IAJAR (I Am Just A Reader). Maybe I didn't get the point either.)