The Legacy of Heorot

Great read!

I read this one years ago, asked audible.com staff to consider recording it, they did. Hearing it was even better than reading it. The characters and theme are developed with great care.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Damn Great Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, I read this few years ago, and listening to it performed brings an entirely different element to it.

What did you like best about this story?

I love colonization books, and this one is one of the best thought out plots/story I think I have seen.

What about Tom Weiner’s performance did you like?

Awesome!!!!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

something to do with grendels and their speed I am sure

Any additional comments?

nope

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Still my all time favorite

If you could sum up The Legacy of Heorot in three words, what would they be?

Hold your breath

Any additional comments?

I first read this book back in 87 when it first came out, and it was my favorite book. I have read some great books since, but I still think this is my #1. I remember reading it, and it being a "can't put down page turner", until the big climax. Then I realized I was only 1/3 through the book. Again, the next big climax, and I was 2/3 through the book.I have always been a Niven fan, but not so much with Pournelle, and when Barnes joins in, I usually don't like the books much at all (Saturn Rising, no thanks), but in this book, they absolutely nailed it.I especially like the way the story gives voice to the thoughts of the Grendel. I almost made a spoiler there. I better stop now, before I let something slip.Just get this book, you'll love it!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Outstanding! Magical!

When Niven, Pournelle and Barnes get together to write a novel well it's pure chemistry. It's magical, because I can read these stories over and over and never tire of them! The Legacy of Hearot , the children of Beowulf, Footfall, all the Ringworld stored, and takes of known Space. Niven is a master story teller but Barnes and Pournelle really complaint him.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good story, hard to understand sometimes

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book. While under 30 years old, you can still tell the difference in societal norms. Cigarette smoking being glamorous, women in mostly subservient roles to men. But still a very good story. Because of the deepness of the narrator's voice it was sometimes hard to understand, but overall a very enjoyable listening experience.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, the narrator did a very good job.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

A Book Begging to Be Made into a Movie

You won't waste a single second listening to this book, again and again and again.

A horror story on a distant planet

Well written and action packed. An ecological horror story with credible aliens and believably naive colonists. I first read The Legacy of Heorot, shortly after it was published and was captivated. I returned to it recently as an audible book and found it holds up well, 30 years later. It's a science fiction novel with roots deeply sunk in in the classic Nordic tale of Beowulf.

Good!

Not my favorite sci-fi work, but certainly worth the listen. Overall, I’d say the story was a lot less scientifically technical than I though it should have been given that the book details “humanity’s first time settling a planet.” Further, the “ice crystals on the brain” that the colonists get from staying in sleep too long played almost no role in the entire book. I was anticipating a space gained ailment to play a much more significant role in the development of characters and events. Overall, it was classic sci-fi, found myself feeling like the book was grossly incomplete at the end, as the colonists never went to the mainland.

Ok story

Didn't find this particularly impressive given the authors are well known. Likely will not listen to rest of series.

I also wasn't overly thrilled with the narrators choice of character voices.

Maybe this just doesn't work as an audio book.

Difficult to follow in this format. Not the kind of story I expected.