Larry Niven Destiny’s Road
Orbit hardback, 448 pages, £16.99
Review by Mike Don (1998)
Compared to Niven’s recent novels – Fallen Angels comes to mind – this is a masterpiece. Compared to his earlier work it is not.
The Road has existed as long as the colony; created by the fusion exhaust of one of the original landers which went exploring – and never returned. Jemmy Blocher is forced to flee his home and set off along the road.
Unfortunately, the hero survives by virtue of his bland invisibility and spends much of his time under various assumed names, and so comes across as quite dull. But, since he is the Hero, no other character is allowed to be more interesting.
Moreover, he lacks a strong sense of purpose. An individual who might have wondered what lay at the end of the road, yet did nothing until compelled, then just drifts in the general direction.