Beowulf’s Children – Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes (Heorot, Book 2)

Title: Beawulf’s Children

Series: Heorot, Book 2

Authors: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes

Genre: Science Fiction

I grabbed this book because I remembered it being mentioned as a highlight of Larry Niven’s bibliography in another of his books. That, and the cover was kinda exciting with the gold print and all. That said, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book too much because one of the aspects of sci-fi that I enjoy so much is the gadgets, gizmos and high tech in general. This was a book about a group of colonists sent out to a planet from Earth who have lost contact with Earth and are struggling to make this new planet their own – in spite of some super-charged alien animals who have evolved there! I wasn’t sure if that was a recipe for the type of sci-fi I enjoyed.

Well, whether or not the general recipe was to my personal taste, the execution, for the most part, was. The authors kept me intrigued from the first page. The world and the science they created and set the story in was so well-thought out and, in effect, real that I was completely caught up in it. The characters were strong, intriguing and engaging. And the plot never felt forced, all the intrigue, chaos and action unfolded very naturally, though sometimes at breakneck speed.

After I finished reading it, I found out that this was actually a sequel to another book, Legacy of Heorot. That was irritating, I had to read the books out of chronological order. Oh well – they were both good, but, in my mind, this was definitely a step better. It was just a little more complex plot-wise as well as with the characters. But I definitely recommend reading Legacy of Heorot as well – first if you can manage it!

My only hesitation in recommending it is the extremely casual attitude and atmosphere regarding sex in the colonists. All the colonists having been thoroughly screened before being accepted into the colonization program ensured that there was virtually no chance of a sexually transmitted disease in their community. That element, combined with a lack of religious restraint on relationships, created an environment where sexual partnering was done at a whim, though most eventually settled down with more “permanent” partners. But among the youth there is an extremely casual attitude towards sex, and though most specific/explicit details are left out, many encounters are described in varying amounts of detail. But, interestingly enough, there is one conversation between a young lady and her ‘father figure’ near the end of the book where she expresses some regret that she, as well as all her peers, has been so prolific in her sexual partnering.

So do I recommend the book? For the most part, but be aware of a decently strong permeation of a casual (i.e. unbiblical) attitude towards sex. That reason alone makes me hesitant to suggest it to anyone not yet out of high school. But it is an incredibly well-written book, with very strong science behind everything. If you want to read an excellent, stand-alone novel of science fiction, this is one I might recommend, even if you’re not the biggest fan of sci-fi.

Worldview: secular, evolutionary

Recommended Age: College age, due to sexual themes and situations