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"Terrific science fiction collection"

This twenty-seven collection anthology centers on THE DRACO TAVERN with the only recurring character being the barkeeper-owner Rick Schumann. The stories take place in Mt. Forel, Siberia where the United Nations and the Chirpsithra of Europa with the help of earthlings built the "inverted city". The tales (a somewhat loosely used term) though extremely short in depth with some not registering as even a short story are deep suggestions of what was, is and will be on "Playground Earth". Each entertaining entry leads to thought provoking analysis based on the relative background of the individual (especially on subjects like God, wisdom, and knowledge, etc). Science fiction readers who treasure exploring cultural anthropology concepts that include aliens from Mars, Europa, and elsewhere will savor this compilation, a few anecdotes at a sitting toasting Larry Niven for opening the mind.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted December 30, 2005

Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 19, 2007

The Draco Tavern is a space-age bar where members of many alien races meet, drink and do business. There are currently 26 stories set in this universe. They were finally collected under one cover in 2006.

After humanities' first contact with the advanced alien race called the Chirpsithtra, Rich Schumann invested in a bar, not a normal bar mind you, the bar was built at Mount Forel Spaceport and served as a mecca for wandering spacemen and aliens alike.

Chirpsithtra come to drink in the bar together with lots of other alien races. Humans come to drink at the bar to see the aliens and to do business with the aliens. Think of the Draco Tavern as a kind of Mos Eisley Cantina, but a little more up market. After all: drinks cost twenty bucks a shot.

Well, enough of the introductions, Larry has written (so far), twenty-three stories set in the universe of the Draco Tavern, as fans we hope that the stories will one day be collected together and published in their own collection, and from there, who knows? Where would Deep Space Nine be without Quark's bar?

The stories, in order of publication are:

The Schumann Computer (#109) Published 1979 (The Convergent Series), 1984 (Niven's Laws)

Assimilating Our Culture, That's What They're Doing (#108) Published 1979 (The Convergent Series), 1984 (Niven's Laws), 1991 (Playgrounds of the Mind)

Grammar Lesson (#101) Published 1979 (The Convergent Series), 1984 (Niven's Laws)

The Subject is Closed (#100) Published 1979 (The Convergent Series), 1984 (Niven's Laws)

Cruel and Unusual (#99) Published 1979 (The Convergent Series), 1984 (Niven's Laws)

The Green Marauder (#120) Published 1984 (Niven's Laws), 1985 (Limits), 1991 (Playgrounds of the Mind)

The Real Thing (#123) Published 1984 (Niven's Laws), 1985 (Limits)

Limits (#129) Published 1984 (Limits Collection), 1991 (Playgrounds of the Mind)

War Movie (#128) Published 1984 (Niven's Laws), 1985 (Limits), 1991 (Playgrounds of the Mind)

The Real Thing (#123) Published 1984 (Niven's Laws), 1985 (Limits)

Folk Tale Published 1984 (Niven's Laws)

Table Manners (#142) Published 1985 (Limits)

One Night at the Draco Tavern (#186) Published 1991 (Playgrounds of the Mind)

Smut Talk Published January 2000 (Playboy), Available Exclusively on Known Space too

The Wisdom of Demons Published July/August 2000 (Analog)

The Missing Mass Published December 2000 (Analog), Available Exclusively on Known Space too

The Heights Published May 2001 (Analog)

Ssoroghod’s People Published November 2001 (Redshift: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction)

Convergence of the Old Mind Published July/August 02 (Analog)

Chrysalis Published September 02 (Analog)

The Ones Who Stayed Home Published January 03 (Analog)

The Death Addict Published May 03 (Analog)

Storm Front Published March 04 (Analog)

The # numbers preceding the story titles are Opus numbers denoting the order in which they were written. These numbers have been derived from the numbering system introduced in Niven's Laws and further expanded in Bridging the Galaxies.