Neil Fein's Blog

The Draco Tavern
by Larry Niven

"Be cautious in your guesses. You may find the right answer.

From "The Subject is Closed", Larry Niven, 1977

The last new books I read by Larry Niven were Scatterbrain and Ringworld's Children. While I'm happy to report that the omnibus collection of stories The Draco Tavern is better than either of those, particularly the fans-only-welcome-here Scatterbrain. Draco Tavern, however, doesn't live up to the fan hype that has been surrounding the book, since the announcement of it's release two years ago.

There's a long tradition in literature of using bars as plot devices to get characters talking, and science-fiction generally knows a good thing when it reads it. Such notables as L. Sprague de Camp and Spider Robinson come to mind. Larry Niven's series in Rick Schumann's pub set near a world spaceport in Siberia was instantly a classic, with its first stories starring the Chirpsithra, self-proclaimed owners of the galaxy. They can answer any question, or they'll fake it very well. (And entertainingly, of course.) We also have the savage, unfailingly polite Folk; the Glig, who are famed for their biological expertise and their gastronomical taste.

The requirements of a bar serving multiple species, whose vices would certainly poison the being at the next table, are examined in detail. Other aliens, such as the barbaric and polite Folk, are brought in later on. And Rick's life does extend beyond the tavern, but the action takes place almost exclusively on the floor and behind the bar of the Draco Tavern.

The later stories aren't nearly as good, and the book ends without the dry humor of the earlier stories, although with more interesting plot twists. There's a 9/11-inspired story that is a little too obvious, and the book ends up being, well, depressing.

This is more than made up for by the vast majority of the stories being insightful and funny. Recommended!

Tags: books