Man-Kzin Wars V

Man-Kzin Wars V (1992) – Larry Niven
Baen Books | ISBN: 0671721372
Condition: Good – Slightly Slanted Spine | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Humanity has always had a remarkable talent for getting into arguments. Over borders, politics, religion, parking spaces and whether the neighbour’s hedge is three inches too tall. But in Larry Niven’s Man-Kzin Wars universe, mankind discovers that its argumentative tendencies are positively amateurish compared with those of the Kzinti, a race of enormous, technologically advanced, aggressively carnivorous feline warriors who regard diplomacy as something best conducted after the other party has been thoroughly dismembered.

Welcome to Man-Kzin Wars V, the fifth instalment in the gloriously combative series set within Niven’s celebrated Known Space universe. Here, the old saying about curiosity killing the cat has been turned rather enthusiastically on its head. These cats are quite capable of killing practically everything else, preferably while roaring about honour, conquest and the general inadequacy of their enemies.

The central problem is straightforward. The Kzinti are bigger, stronger, equipped with formidable weaponry and culturally convinced that fighting is the highest expression of civilisation. Humanity, meanwhile, has developed an inconvenient attachment to remaining alive and would greatly prefer not to become an interesting addition to somebody else’s hunting trophies.

Unfortunately for the Kzinti, humans possess several irritating qualities, including ingenuity, adaptability and an almost pathological refusal to behave sensibly when cornered. The resulting conflicts provide a magnificent playground for military science fiction, combining interstellar warfare, elaborate technological problems, political intrigue and the occasional reminder that overwhelming firepower is no substitute for actually thinking.

This fifth volume continues the shared-universe tradition in which writers explore different corners of Niven’s richly imagined future. Rather than offering a simple procession of exploding spaceships, the series examines encounters between profoundly different civilisations, where assumptions about honour, intelligence, courage and the proper treatment of one’s enemies can have spectacularly destructive consequences.

The Kzinti themselves are among science fiction’s more entertaining creations. Imagine a gigantic tiger equipped with an interstellar battleship, an aristocratic superiority complex and an extremely limited appreciation of compromise. Then imagine explaining to him that his invasion plans have been rejected by a committee. The subsequent meeting would probably be brief.

Published in 1992 by Baen Books, this volume belongs to a particularly enjoyable era of military science fiction, when paperback shelves were crowded with alien empires, improbable spacecraft and heroic individuals attempting to prevent entire star systems from becoming expensive clouds of radioactive debris.

This Good-condition copy, offered by Crappy Old Books, has a slightly slanted spine, presumably from years of leaning into battle, although ordinary reading and shelf storage are more plausible explanations.

An excellent addition to any Known Space collection, particularly for readers who enjoy their science fiction packed with combat, cleverness and exceptionally bad-tempered extraterrestrial cats.

Because in space, nobody can hear you scream.

But they’ll probably hear a Kzin coming.

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