A World Out of Time

Several years ago (and by several I mean much more than 20!) I read Larry Niven's novel Intergral Trees and enjoyed it so much I went on to read The Smoke Ring. Now imagine my surprise when I found out that there was in fact a novel before these two. Now I am (at least) 20 years older since I read these "first" two novels, but I remember I loved the world building and the characterization. I went on to read what became one of my favorite novels of all time Lucifer's Hammer. It is with this Larry Niven background that I gleefully dove into reading A World Out of Time.

This was a good novel, but, I don't know, there seemed to be something missing in this novel, and I'm not sure why. I liked Corbell, but did not love him. I enjoyed the adventure of seeing unknown space through the authors eyes. I loved the "Cattails" and wished there were more of the in the book.

spoiler coming up here...

[Wouldn't it have been A-W-S-O-M-E if the Cattails had been the source of immortality. Think of how they could become the must have fashion accessory of the future.

Ok, You can open your eyes again.

I guess I just did not like the ending. It felt like a let down and that after all his struggle and fight to get away from the state Corbell just kind of laid down and died at the end. It made the last third of the novel seem just a tad pointless to me.

I may have to go back and re-read the other two novels in "The State" series, maybe years (and years.. and years.. and years) have made the novels seem better than they were.