Journal Entry 1 by Cayenne-UK from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 07, 2006

This story is set in an incredibly exotic environment, the gaseous envelope of a binary star system in which one of the pair is a neutron star. The bizarre life forms which populate the Smoke Ring, as it is termed, are a tour de force of imagination for Niven.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the story is the way that the suvivors of a lost colony ship and their descendants evolved a new physiology to help them exist in the low gravity environment of the Smoke Ring and their symbiosis with the Integral Trees themselves.

Larry Niven has the most amazing imagination I have come across in Sci Fi. Who could have come up with an inhabitable environment with no gravity, - and no space ship? Well not one that is called home! Well worth reading!

This will be spearheading a spiral, to be followed by The Smoke Ring. The players are:

Nell-Lu (UK - Scotland)
digital-mango (UK - Kent)
Iojima (Fr)
efs300 (USA) (Is joining spiral for The Smoke Ring-but NOT for this book!)
Erishkigal (USA)
BooksnBeer (USA)
candy-is-dandy (UK)
galexy (UK)
aubriel (UK - anywhere)
4orty7even (UK - anywhere)
colebear (USA - anywhere)
catsalive (Aus - anywhere) <- The book is here! 

Journal Entry 2 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, March 02, 2006

This just arrived - along with all sorts of goodies! Thanks, Cayenne-UK, for sharing the book and for the sweeties and postcard. What a great package to receive!

I'm between books, so I'll start reading this later today. I'm looking forward to it - it's ages since I read any Larry Niven. 

Journal Entry 3 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, March 03, 2006

This really is an imaginative environment - it took me a while to understand and picture it, but it is a world unlike any other. I found these elements of the book fascinating and very well done. I also found the writing flowing and very readable. The only disappointment is in the characterisation, which I didn't find convincing. (Oh, and human evolution to adapt to an environment would take much longer than 500 years, but I believe that it is Sharls Davis Kendy's memory that is at fault, not Niven. This could be interesting in the next book...)

I enjoyed this a lot and will really look forward to the sequel. Thanks again, Cayenne-UK, for sharing. I have PMed digital-mango, so will send this on as soon as I have an address.

UPDATE 03 MARCH 2006: I have digital-mango's address so am just about to take this to the Post Office. Welcome to BookCrossing, digital-mango. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 4 by digital-mango from Ashford, Kent United Kingdom on Monday, March 13, 2006

Wow! Trees in space! with candy floss leaves! I want whatever drugs Mr. Niven had access to!

Cant wait to see what happens next in this strange strange Smoke Ring (diagrams included!)

(This was my first Bookring/bookcrossing, so I didn't realise I should journal the catch and the review, sorry folks, will do better next time!) 

Journal Entry 5 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Caught today and next up on Mt. Toobie. Love the bookmark (a Fruitsalad chew bar). 

Journal Entry 6 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Monday, March 27, 2006

According to the cheat sheet I used, what I mean here is: Decent, but not my type of book. I always have trouble with the science in science fiction (and in real life), so I need quite a lot of sympathetic characterisation to carry me through. I didn't find anyone to care about. 

Journal Entry 7 by Erishkigal from Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Friday, April 28, 2006

Arrived yesterday, and as I'd just finished a book, I started last night in bed--better send off for BooksnBeer's addy right away! 

Journal Entry 8 by Erishkigal from Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Sunday, May 07, 2006

I liked this book a lot--such an amazing imagination/creative world-building!Characterization didn't bother me, more would be nice, but there was enough for me to care about individuals. Perhaps in the next book, when Niven doesn't have to take so much time and care creating this very alien enviornment in a way we can uderstand, more time and attention will be paid to the characters. I look forward to it. This one is packaged up to head to Booksnbeer mañana. 

Journal Entry 9 by BooksnBeer from Annandale, Virginia USA on Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Received this safe and sound in today's mail. Did my book dance by the mailbox. ;-) 

Journal Entry 10 by BooksnBeer from Annandale, Virginia USA on Monday, May 15, 2006

Wow - Larry Niven has an Incredible Imagination. I just started this book in the gym yesterday and I feel almost overwhelmed with the environment and the character descriptions. I will have to flip back a few pages.

I read Ring World a few years ago and really enjoyed it also - I look forward to the next in the series.

I’ll write more after I finish the book.
 

Journal Entry 11 by BooksnBeer from Annandale, Virginia USA on Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Wow – what an imagination. This is a relatively thin book – but, very rich in descriptions of a exotic universe and it’s characters. I just finished reading it and I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series. I didn’t feel the characterization was too thin – a harsh environment with little advanced education – the characters seemed suited. My only concern with the book was that I was a little confused about what/how the characters were breathing floating around a star/sun?

This series is very similar to the Ringworld series. I only read book one a number of years ago. At the library book sale this week, I had to pick up the whole series.

I have the next address and will put this into the mail tomorrow for it’s journey to the UK. 

Journal Entry 12 by candy-is-dandy from Braintree, Essex United Kingdom on Saturday, June 03, 2006

Received from BooksnBeer. I seem to be last on the ring currently. Isn't it even more exciting to receive parcels from overseas? 

Journal Entry 13 by candy-is-dandy from Braintree, Essex United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 09, 2006

When I looked at the maps/plans of the world I was about to visit in this book I thought the concept of smoke rings, floating trees etc would be beyond me. I haven't read science fiction for years though enjoyed it a lot when I was younger. However, as I read and began to understand the trees, the weak gravity etc I felt more comfortable with it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the 'trees', life in the ring and the evolution effected on the humans whose ancestors had arrived there several centuries before. The communities that had established themselves in this environment had similar superstitions and legends about their origins but their advancement was dependent on their specific environments and the 'technology' they had been left with or created. I still never quite got the reference to 'east takes you out, out takes you west....' etc.

I agree with other readers that the characterisation was weak with the author focussing more on how these communities had eveolved than on the individuals but on the whole I found it an interesting and enjoyable read.

Passing the book to my 15 year old son, BC name: 'galexy', before it continues on its travels across the universe. 

Journal Entry 14 by galexy on Thursday, August 31, 2006

I started this book but didn't really get into it. 

Journal Entry 15 by candy-is-dandy at In the hands of the Royal Mail in Posted to another bookcrosser, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, September 01, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (9/1/2006 UTC) at In the hands of the Royal Mail in Posted to another bookcrosser, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to aubriel. 

Journal Entry 16 by aubriel from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 06, 2006

This arrived a couple of days ago, but I've only just had the chance to journal - sorry! 

Journal Entry 17 by aubriel from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 10, 2006

For such a slim novel there is a lot packed into this. At times I did feel Niven was trying to pack everyone in to make this book a scene setter for the books to follow. It never ceases to amaze me the depth of Niven's imagination though and I did enjoy this

Posted on today to 4orty7even. 

Journal Entry 18 by 4orty7even from Kingston upon Thames, Surrey United Kingdom on Saturday, October 14, 2006

Arrived safely - thanks aubriel. As it's in a ring I'll try to get round to this soon.

Update - really enjoyed this the 2^nd time around. Remembered bits of it, but my first reading was so long ago that most of the story seemed new. Looking forward to reading the next one. 

Journal Entry 19 by 4orty7even at via post in Via Post, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (12/4/2006 UTC) at via post in Via Post, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to colebear - apparently it could take up to 6 weeks! 

Journal Entry 20 by colebear from Jacksonville, Florida USA on Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Wow! That sure was fast! One week to cross the pond?! I've got 2 books headed the other direction which have been traveling for 3 weeks! Anywhoo, I picked this book up from my mailbox last evening and am looking forward to it. I've got one ring going currently, and then I ought to be able to dive into this one. Thanks 4orty-7even, for sending it to me and thanks Cayenne-UK for beginning the spiral. 

Journal Entry 21 by colebear from Jacksonville, Florida USA on Tuesday, December 26, 2006

What an imaginative story. It took me a little while to wrap my head around all the implications of a free fall environment and science isn't my strong suit, so that didn't help, but Larry Niven was able to create a great story using that environment. I didn't believe every character or their motivations, but I still enjoyed the journey. I look forward to reading The Smoke Ring.

I've got catsalive's address and will mail the book down under on my lunch break, today.

12/27/06 ETA:
The nice lady at the Post Office, yesterday, told me this book should arrive within 6-10 days. Let's keep our fingers crossed. 

Journal Entry 22 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Monday, January 22, 2007

Breathe easily now colebear. A bit longer than 10 days but still pretty quick. Thanks. 

Journal Entry 23 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, February 10, 2007

I embarked on this journey with some trepidation. I do not like science fiction but this story sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go. I balked at the first chapter & put the book down, read something else. I started again on my morning commute during which enforced reading time I got through the first 20 pages & all the technical jargon. From then on it was plain sailing.

I do go on.... I really enjoyed the book, thankyou Cayenne-UK. I'm interested in the characters and looking forward to reading The Smoke Ring when it arrives. The idea of living in the life-sustaining Smoke Ring and living in the foliage is quite fascinating and makes for a good, entertaining read.

I'll wait until the 2nd book moves along a bit before offering the spiral again. You're right, C-UK, it would be a pity to just wild-release them. 

Journal Entry 24 by catsalive at Oz VBB in Australia Post, Virtual Bookbox OZ -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (1/30/2008 UTC) at Oz VBB in Australia Post, Virtual Bookbox OZ -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Journal Entry 25 by Girlybug from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Friday, February 15, 2008

Thankyou catsalive! Arrived as part of the oz virtual book box. Saw this years ago and it caught my eye but have never got around to reading it, until now. :0) Can't wait to get into it.