Ringworld has been criticized by some as having characters which are underdeveloped and somewhat two-dimensional. Ringworld is a “hard science fiction” novel. It is certainly true that this sub-genre has a tradition of concentrating on plot, science and technology, often or even usually to the detriment of developing three-dimensional characters.
The tendency toward underdeveloped characters in American science fiction waned somewhat after the “New Wave” SF sub-genre of the sixties introduced mainstream literary qualities into the genre. Larry Niven was certainly aware of this; Ringworld was published in 1970. But it is not our intent to offer an apologia for underdeveloped characters. Indeed, criticizing Ringworld for a lack of character development is entirely missing the point; it is missing the main plot of the book.
Ringworld joins together and expands upon many concepts from early stories of the Known Space series. Disparate elements from different stories are interwoven to create a cohesive whole, making Ringworld the linchpin, or keystone, of the early stories of Known Space. The author, Larry Niven, succeeds at this to a surprising degree. This accomplishment appears even more remarkable when we realize that some of the early stories were not even intended to be set in the same universe as the others. It was not until the tenth published story, “A Relic of the Empire,” that the pre-
