''Crashlander'' is a

fix-up A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame ...

novel by American writer

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...

, published in 1994 () and set in his ''

Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories by American writer Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Inter ...

'' universe. It is also a term used in the Known Space universe, denoting a human born on the planet ''We Made It''.

Plot summary

''Crashlander'' brings together the short stories featuring the space pilot Beowulf Shaeffer — "

Neutron Star A neutron star is the gravitationally collapsed Stellar core, core of a massive supergiant star. It results from the supernova explosion of a stellar evolution#Massive star, massive star—combined with gravitational collapse—that compresses ...

" (1966), " At the Core" (1966), " Flatlander" (1967), "

Grendel Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem ''Beowulf'' (700–1000 AD). He is one of the poem's three antagonists (along with his mother and the dragon), all aligned in opposition against the protagonist Beowulf. He is referred to as b ...

" (1968), " The Borderland of Sol" (1975), and " Procrustes" (1993). The stories are linked, and some of them extended, by a framing story, "Ghost". This story recounts Shaeffer's reunion with a ghostwriter whom Shaeffer had used to write about his adventures at the neutron star and at the core, Ander Smittarasheed. Ander, working for

ARM In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between ...

agent Sigmund Ausfaller, has come to question him about his dealings with Pierson's Puppeteers, General Products and Carlos Wu, as well as what happened to Wu and ARM agent Feather Filip. Wu, Shaeffer and Sharrol Janss and their children, Tanya and

Louis Wu Louis Gridley Wu, a fictional character, is the protagonist in Larry Niven's ''Ringworld'' book series. Louis Wu was born in 2650 to Carlos Wu and Sharrol Janss. When he appears in ''Ringworld'', Louis is 6′2″ (188 cm) tall. Without ...

, had secretly emigrated from Earth to the planet Fafnir to escape the control of Earth's United Nations government and the ARM. "Neutron Star", "At The Core", "Flatlander"', and "Grendel" were previously included in the 1968 collection ''

''. Most of the stories in the collection are retold from the point of view of Sigmund Ausfaller in '' Juggler of Worlds''.

Crashlander (in-universe term)

A "Crashlander", in Known Space, is anyone from the planet ''We Made It''. As the names imply, the colonists who first settled the planet almost did not survive the landing.

External links

The Incompleat ''Known Space'' Concordance
Known Space stories 1994 short story collections 1994 science fiction novels Short story collections by Larry Niven Del Rey books {{1990s-sf-story-collection-stub

Plot summary

Crashlander (in-universe term)

See also

External links