3 ms·

Indeed. Spoilers here. http://www.larryniven.net/stories/downinflames.shtml http://www.larryniven.net/stories/downinflames.shtml

• simonh 13y ago
  DIF is fun, but it changes too much established canon for my liking. I have my own grand unified Known Space theory, originally in two forum posts which a friend has compiled together: http://news.larryniven.net/concordance/content.asp?page=The%20Tnuctipun%20Plot http://news.larryniven.net/concordance/content.asp?page=The%...
  • pavel_lishin 13y ago
    Ooh, a fellow Niven fan! I have a problem with your theory that the Outsiders built the ring as a doomsday Protector breeding ground: why would they create copies of Known Space worlds, and then seed them with the inhabitants of those worlds?
    • simonh 12y ago
      Cop out answer: The same reason anyone else would, i.e. that's not a particular reason to exclude them as against anyone else. Best answer I can come up with: they are laboratories for experimenting with known space sentient species. After all these are species that evolved from programmed good yeast, so the outsiders may want to figure out how that works and if there are any nasty surprises hidden in their genomes. Which is an interesting idea I think and I wouldn't have though of it if you hadn't asked, so thanks!