The Descent of Anansi
1982 novel by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes
Cover art by Howard Chaykin
The Descent of Anansi is a 1982 science fiction novel by American writers Steven Barnes and Larry Niven.
Plot summary
A space station manufactory attempts to become commercially independent from its government backers by exporting super-strong nanowire that can only be manufactured in free-fall.
Following an attempt to sabotage their first delivery and hijack the cargo, the intrepid crew realizes they can escape the hijackers. Their shuttle Anansi can become a modern-day version of its namesake, an African spider-god, by descending to Earth on a thread.
The physics of tidal forces are explained, and the possibilities of orbital tethers to accelerate payloads into higher orbits (or indeed de-orbit shuttles without retro-rockets) are woven into a hard science fiction thriller.
Reception
Dave Langford reviewed The Descent of Anansi for White Dwarf #54, and called it "Fast-moving, predictable, inoffensive."[1]
References
- ^ Langford, Dave (June 1984). "Critical Mass". White Dwarf. No. 54. Games Workshop. p. 24.
External links
- Page at International Speculative Fiction Database
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Bibliography of Larry Niven
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| Ringworld |
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|---|---|
| Man-Kzin Wars1 | |
| Fleet of Worlds2 |
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- The Magic Goes Away (1976)
- The Magic May Return (1981)
- The Burning City (2000)
- Burning Tower (2005)
- The Seascape Tattoo (2016)
Jerry Pournelle
| |
| Moties3 |
|
|---|---|
| Heorot4 |
|
- Dream Park (1981)
- The Barsoom Project (1989)
- The California Voodoo Game (1992)
- The Moon Maze Game (2011)
- A World Out of Time (1976)
- The Integral Trees (1984)
- The Smoke Ring (1987)
- The Flying Sorcerers (1971)
- The Descent of Anansi (1982)
- Fallen Angels (1991)
- Building Harlequin's Moon (2005)
- Bowl of Heaven (2012)
- All the Myriad Ways (1971)
- The Flight of the Horse (1973)
- Inconstant Moon (1973)
- A Hole in Space (1974)
- Convergent Series (1979)
- Limits (1985)
- N-Space (1990)
- Playgrounds of the Mind (1991)
- Bridging the Galaxies (1993)
- Rainbow Mars (1999)
- Scatterbrain (2003)
- The Draco Tavern (2006)
- Stars and Gods (2010)
- The Best of Larry Niven (2010)
- "At the Core"
- "The Borderland of Sol"
- "Death by Ecstasy"
- "The Defenseless Dead"
- "Flash Crowd"
- "Flatlander"
- "Grendel"
- "The Handicapped"
- "The Hole Man"
- "The Jigsaw Man"
- "The Magic Goes Away"
- "Neutron Star"
- "Procrustes"
- "The Return of William Proxmire"
- "The Soft Weapon"
- "What Good Is A Glass Dagger?"
- "The Slaver Weapon" (Star Trek: The Animated Series)
- "Downstream" (Land of the Lost)
- "Hurricane" (Land of the Lost) with David Gerrold
- "Circle" (Land of the Lost) with David Gerrold
- Collections by Niven or others
- With Edward M. Lerner
- Set in the CoDominium series
- With Steven Barnes
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