RingworldRingworld
Score Classic
What it's about
Louis Wu is two hundred years old and bored when he's recruited by an alien for a mysterious expedition. With a lucky young woman and a warrior from a fierce catlike species, he travels to the Ringworld, an artificial ring around a star, millions of miles wide and with the surface area of three million Earths. When their ship crashes, they have to cross it to survive.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Hugo, the Nebula and the Locus awards. It's a classic of 'big idea' science fiction, and the Ringworld is one of the genre's great inventions.
You'll love it if you liked
A Fire Upon the Deep
Foundation
The Moon Is a Harsh MistressGood to know
The characters and the treatment of women feel dated. Read it for the ideas.
By the numbers
- Readers31 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #97 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #312 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1015 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Larry Niven
If you like this, read next
Ender's Game
Dune
The Lord of the Rings
Hyperion
The Dispossessed
FiccionesExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Ringworld worth reading?
Yes. It won the Hugo, the Nebula and the Locus awards. It ranks #1,015 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Ringworld about?
Louis Wu is two hundred years old and bored when he's recruited by an alien for a mysterious expedition. With a lucky young woman and a warrior from a fierce catlike species, he travels to the Ringworld, an artificial ring around a star, millions of miles wide and with the surface area of three million Earths. When their ship crashes, they have to cross it to survive.
How long does it take to read Ringworld?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Ringworld won?
Hugo Award winner (1971); Nebula Award winner (1970).
What should I read after Ringworld?
If you liked it, try A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, Foundation by Isaac Asimov or The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein.