Tonight on Books and Writing...

[thinarthur]

Have started reading a Larry Niven collection with somewhat mixed emotions. It was part of the joblot of sci-fi books from the last two decades bequeathed me by my Wife's late Uncle, most of which I have found execrably written on several levels, even when by name authors

Comments

Hats Off to Larry

[rj42]

One of his short stories is the basis for an episode
of Star Trek Animated, "The Slaver Weapon".
They left in elements of his Known Space universe,
like Kzinti and Slavers, creating a crossover.

Re: Hats Off to Larry

[thinarthur]

Yep, know that and original story pretty well. Ironically Trek Animated isn't canon so no Kzin have turned up in the live action series, though maybe that's just the plot they need for the next Trek movie they can't seem to sort out

Re: Hats Off to Larry

[rj42]

For me personally, the animated series is more canon
than most of Next Gen, Deep Sleep 9
or Voyager before Seven turns up.

Admittedly, the Larry Niven story was probably the best.

>...the plot they need for the next Trek movie
> they can't seem to sort out...

Kirn Oath !

The modern Trek shows would have been a LOT more interesting
if they had grabbed more material from external sci-fi writers.
Voyager probably peaked with the B/W 30s based eps.

Re: Hats Off to Larry

[thinarthur]

Well I always saw the Animated show as the missing years of the 5 year mission and it was in Bjo Trimble's Star Trek concordance, but when they started up again they decided not to include it. Some of the later series shows directly contradict it, though they do that to the original show as well. Simple fact is you cannot produce a TV show across decades without making continuity mistakes. Curiously Enterprise ties in way better with the new Star Trek movie than it ever did with the Shatner show.

Larry & Lenny

[rj42]

Apparently Larry Niven appeared in an ep of "SexTV"
"Loving the Alien - Leonard Nimoy".

I don't want to think about that !

Re: Larry & Lenny

[thinarthur]

He wrote the famous essay "Man of Steel-Woman of Kleenex" about what would really happen if Supe did the deed with Lois and also had it as a subject in some of his other books.