Rating: 
Summary: Audible.com quality is excellent, their price less so.
Review: "Protector" is one of my favorite novels. My copy wore out many years ago, and when I tried buying a mass-market paperback last year I got three defective copies one after the other (the bindings fell apart straightaway-must have been a defective print run,) so I downloaded the Audible.com version and put it on CD. I listen to recorded books while using my stationery bike, and I just finished listening to this book for the second time, so I wanted to share my experience of this product. The sound quality of the book is first rate, and the reader is excellent. His rendition of Jack Brennan's post-protector voice seems spot-on. My problem is with Audible.com's prices. They are too high. I downloaded "Protector" at their "special introductory price" of $9.95. (Apparently you can "join" Audible and download books for some discounted price, but book or music club obligations have never appealed to me.) $10 seems like a hell of a lot of money to me, considering that you do not actually get anything physical, and you therefore must either download to your MP3 player or (as I did,) "burn" it to CD and rustle up a suitable cover picture from a Larry Niven web-site. If Audible.com would bring their prices down to $4 or $5 (at least for older titles,) and drop the confining policy of joining them, I would enthusiastically purchase many books from them.
Rating: 
Summary: all-time favorite
Review: I read all of Niven, and Protector isn't just my favorite of his works, it's my all-time favorite book. Through the Protectors' actions, Niven did a great job convincing the reader that Protectors are hyper-intelligent beings. It's one thing to simply label an alien race "hyper-intelligent" and endow it with magical technology. But Protector brings that to life with descriptive narratives of incredible action, and a carefully thought out plot.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a quick read
Review: I read this book in one night and I loved it. Its not the best sci-fi I've ever read but it sure was an enjoyable distraction for an evening. Its not very deep but its a fun ride with many interesting ideas. Get it and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Essential Niven
Review: Imagine a race of beings that:
Are so hyper-intelligent that they never invented computers. It never occured to them to devise a machine to help them think.Abandoned interstellar travel because it was useless. Except to kill off a few close-by competitive races. And they invented interstellar travel w/o computers, remember. Are very long-lived. Maybe immortal. They don't grow old since they always die a violent death. Are amazingly strong with lightning-quick reflexes. Are Very warlike. Are EXTREME XENOPHOBES. And you have to fight them. Actually, this would be a good basis for another Niven book. But Protector does a great job of introducing this race to his future history. The middle third of the story is rather slow, but it picks up again for the final third. Great book. And essential to understand, not just the one or two books that other have mentioned (giving away part of the plot for those books)but the place of Humanity in the Known Space Universe. A Protector could eat a Klingon for lunch. And wouldn't even enjoy it. A Must Read for the space-loving scifi fan.
Rating:
Summary: Essential Niven
Review: Imagine a race of beings that:
Are so hyper-intelligent that they never invented computers. It never occured to them to devise a machine to help them think. Abandoned interstellar travel because it was useless. Except to kill off a few close-by competitive races. And they invented interstellar travel w/o computers, remember. Are very long-lived. Maybe immortal. They don't grow old since they always die a violent death. Are amazingly strong with lightning-quick reflexes. Are Very warlike. Are EXTREME XENOPHOBES. And you have to fight them. Actually, this would be a good basis for another Niven book. But Protector does a great job of introducing this race to his future history. The middle third of the story is rather slow, but it picks up again for the final third. Great book. And essential to understand, not just the one or two books that other have mentioned (giving away part of the plot for those books)but the place of Humanity in the Known Space Universe. A Protector could eat a Klingon for lunch. And wouldn't even enjoy it. A Must Read for the space-loving scifi fan.
Rating:
Summary: what a great book
Review: Just re-read this for the first time in about 15 years and what a great book it still is. Niven is such a talented writer, the technology and science is fascinating but ultimately it is the small touches that make it work. Contrast this to some of the more recent "hard" scifi which is all tech and no story. He [Niven] is a true master. I only wish he would write some new Known Space books - and, of course, that some of this cool stuff is actually out there!
Rating:
Summary: Protector One of the Keys to Known Space
Review: Often overlooked in comparission to the Ringworld series of books is Protector. And this is a shame as it is one of the keys to Larry Niven's wonderland known as Known Space.
The Pak race has a three stage life cycle. Childhood (self explanitory); breeder (adulthood) and with the Tree Of Life Root becomes the sexless (both in deed and form) ultra smart Protector.
Phssthpok is a childless (meaning he will die soon) Protector who has traveled from the galaxy's core to save a lost colony of Pak Breeder whose Protectors have died out. What is this lost colony? Well it is the third planet from a medium yellow star. Phssthpok sets into motion a set of events that will change all of Known Space.
You can read other novels of Known Space without ever reading Protector but reading it makes the expierence all the more richer.
Would you trade away some of your humanity to become faster, stronger, smarter and nearly immortal? This is one of the things you will ponder as you read this novel.
A very enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: One of Larry Niven's classic's
Review: Protector is an interesting, fast story that will leave you wanting more. Our protector, a Belter (lives in the asteroid belt) named Brennan is transformed by an alien virus into a protector for us lowly breeders. Taking the threory of the stingy genes one step further, a protector is a super being whose only purpose is to protect his progeny. Without decendents a protector simply stops eating and dies. Lucky for us Brennan is infected with this virus and made a protector, because our parent race, the Pak, is on their way and will not be pleased when they find us.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, if short, book
Review: Protector is fairly entertaining. If you're looking for a quick, fun read, or if you want to pursue other Known Space books (especially the Ringworld series), go ahead and pick up Protector. If you're looking for high drama and/or deep characters that you can care for, Protector probably isn't for you. One of the things I like about this book, and other Niven books, for that matter, is that *most* of the science is solid. The descriptions of certain technologies are detailed enough to be intriguing and enjoyable for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Best Known Space Book
Review: Reading this book is like eating peanuts. Once you start you can't stop. This is about the best of Niven's know space books. Known space of our solar system is settled and quite productive. The PAC is an interesting and very alien creature. Indeed, of most aliens, this is one of the most dangerous to normal humans. Larry did an outstanding job making one of the best novels I've ever read. True Niven fans will not be let down. Note, this book is a must read for Ringworld, Ringworld Engineers, and Ringworld's Children coming in Summer of 2004. Enjoy!!!
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