The 'Known Space' cycle actually started as two series. What is 'Known Space' and why should I read it? But all is not lost! Those earlier stories are more enjoyable when you have the 'easier' reads under your belt, and can enjoy the cohesive tapestry of Known Space. Niven became a much better writer as he went along. While there's something to be said for seeing a writer's style evolve over time, some of Niven's early stories are tough reads, peppered with cardboard characters and simplistic plots. This order is definitely not a chronological one, and it isn't at all the order in which the stories were written. This allows a reader to discover Larry Niven's series of Known Space books in an order that will maximize enjoyment while letting the reader bail early if they don't enjoy Niven's unique style.

They were written for publication in sci-fi magazines, after all. While there are some story cycles within Known Space that are best read in order, the core Known Space tales can be easily read in whatever order you happen to come across them. Known Space was his first, best series of tales, and all of the stories in it are reasonably self-contained. Larry Niven, one of the most prominent writers of the New Wave of Science Fiction in the 1960's and 70's, was very good at making stories self-contained while still part of a larger whole.

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