The Smoke Ring

The Smoke Ring by Larry Niven, published by Little, Brown Book Group Limited in 1988, is a science fiction narrative that explores the lives of the descendants of the crew of the ship Discipline. In this edition, consisting of 362 pages, the story unfolds as the characters grapple with their lost Earth roots and the re-emergence of Sharls Davis Kendy, the ship’s computer-program despot. Kendy’s renewed contact after fourteen years sets off a chain of events that reveals the existence of the Admiralty, a society living in free fall, and the potential preservation of Discipline’s original computer library.

Readers will find a richly constructed world where the Citizen’s Tree scientist, Jeffer, is the only one aware of Kendy’s ongoing surveillance. The narrative delves into themes of memory, identity, and the implications of advanced technology on society. As the Citizen’s Tree people discover the Admiralty, the story raises questions about the past and the future of their civilization. This edition offers a detailed exploration of these concepts within the framework of science fiction, inviting readers to consider the complexities of human existence in a technologically advanced environment.