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Magic Goes Away #0.5
Not Long Before the End
[First in a series.] A Warlock discovers the energy source that powers all magic, and is forced to use this secret weapon to battle a jealous villager brandishing the ultimate sword of evil. Hugo Award Nominee, Nebula Award(R) Nominee
Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1969
About the author
Larry Niven
603 books3,172 followersLaurence van Cott Niven's best known work is Ringworld (Ringworld, #1) (1970), which received the Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics. The creation of thoroughly worked-out alien species, which are very different from humans both physically and mentally, is recognized as one of Niven's main strengths.
Niven also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes The Magic Goes Away series, which utilizes an exhaustible resource, called Mana, to make the magic a non-renewable resource.
Niven created an alien species, the Kzin, which were featured in a series of twelve collection books, the Man-Kzin Wars. He co-authored a number of novels with Jerry Pournelle. In fact, much of his writing since the 1970s has been in collaboration, particularly with Pournelle, Steven Barnes, Brenda Cooper, or Edward M. Lerner.
He briefly attended the California Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics (with a minor in psychology) from Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, in 1962. He did a year of graduate work in mathematics at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has since lived in Los Angeles suburbs, including Chatsworth and Tarzana, as a full-time writer. He married Marilyn Joyce "Fuzzy Pink" Wisowaty, herself a well-known science fiction and Regency literature fan, on September 6, 1969.
Niven won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story for Neutron Star in 1967. In 1972, for Inconstant Moon, and in 1975 for The Hole Man. In 1976, he won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for The Borderland of Sol.
Niven has written scripts for various science fiction television shows, including the original Land of the Lost series and Star Trek: The Animated Series, for which he adapted his early Kzin story The Soft Weapon. He adapted his story Inconstant Moon for an episode of the television series The Outer Limits in 1996.
He has also written for the DC Comics character Green Lantern including in his stories hard science fiction concepts such as universal entropy and the redshift effect, which are unusual in comic books.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/larryn...
Niven also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes The Magic Goes Away series, which utilizes an exhaustible resource, called Mana, to make the magic a non-renewable resource.
Niven created an alien species, the Kzin, which were featured in a series of twelve collection books, the Man-Kzin Wars. He co-authored a number of novels with Jerry Pournelle. In fact, much of his writing since the 1970s has been in collaboration, particularly with Pournelle, Steven Barnes, Brenda Cooper, or Edward M. Lerner.
He briefly attended the California Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics (with a minor in psychology) from Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, in 1962. He did a year of graduate work in mathematics at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has since lived in Los Angeles suburbs, including Chatsworth and Tarzana, as a full-time writer. He married Marilyn Joyce "Fuzzy Pink" Wisowaty, herself a well-known science fiction and Regency literature fan, on September 6, 1969.
Niven won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story for Neutron Star in 1967. In 1972, for Inconstant Moon, and in 1975 for The Hole Man. In 1976, he won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for The Borderland of Sol.
Niven has written scripts for various science fiction television shows, including the original Land of the Lost series and Star Trek: The Animated Series, for which he adapted his early Kzin story The Soft Weapon. He adapted his story Inconstant Moon for an episode of the television series The Outer Limits in 1996.
He has also written for the DC Comics character Green Lantern including in his stories hard science fiction concepts such as universal entropy and the redshift effect, which are unusual in comic books.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/larryn...
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 5, 2023
Note: First and maybe the best in the collection of linked stories The Magic Goes Away, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
At least, I think so, but ISFDB doesn't list it as a fixup. Need to find my copy.
https://isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?5... lists the many, many reprints! I own at least one, maybe two!
I should re-read it. 5-star story! -- or was on last reread, some years ago. First published in 1969, and I likely first read it not too long after that.
At least, I think so, but ISFDB doesn't list it as a fixup. Need to find my copy.
https://isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?5... lists the many, many reprints! I own at least one, maybe two!
I should re-read it. 5-star story! -- or was on last reread, some years ago. First published in 1969, and I likely first read it not too long after that.
December 7, 2022
First time I have read anything by Larry Niven. Enjoyed it enough to read more of his writing.
May 18, 2022
this was a fun short story and full of enjoyable banter. I could use some of those youth spells myself...
December 23, 2020
Fantasy is not my cup of tea although there is some fantasy that I've liked in the past. I'm thinking of "The Fellowship of the Ring" in the Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, "City of Stairs" in the Divine Cities series by Robert Jackson Bennett and possibly "The Wretched of Muirwood" in the Legends of Muirwood series by Jeff Wheeler.
The story: A wizard is confronted by a jealous man with a magic sword.
Any problem with the story? I needed more character development in order to feel invested with the characters.
I doubt I will read this story again.
The story: A wizard is confronted by a jealous man with a magic sword.
Any problem with the story? I needed more character development in order to feel invested with the characters.
I doubt I will read this story again.
December 16, 2020
This is a short story from Madness From The Inconstant Moon: A Warlock who understands magic has to battle Hap, a swordsman, who is possessed by a demon. The swordsman claims that he is there to free the Warlock’s wife. Hap has a 60 pound sword attached to his right hand. He plans to use it to kill the Warlock and “rescue” the woman for himself. The Warlock has a secret he’s kept for 150 years. A secret that will change the world.
July 26, 2018
Rating: 2.5 stars
This is a short story of a battle between a sorcerer and a swordsman in a world where mana or magic is running out and the sorcerer is the only person aware of this truth. It's also a prequel to a full-length series set in this world. I think it's an interesting story but not captivating enough to want to read the whole series.
This is a short story of a battle between a sorcerer and a swordsman in a world where mana or magic is running out and the sorcerer is the only person aware of this truth. It's also a prequel to a full-length series set in this world. I think it's an interesting story but not captivating enough to want to read the whole series.
January 5, 2021
I don't really like "fantasy", but this was a fantasy short story which treated magic scientifically and thus ended up pretty good -- in the hard sf way of reasoning once premises are given and coming to an interesting conclusion which drives the plot. Liking Niven's short stories more than his novels.
October 3, 2021
This was okay, kind of a fun story that clearly has something more behind it. Not surprised that it inspired a novella, but it didn't strike me as something super special. Glad I listened to it though.
October 29, 2021
A cleverly written little story which uses the disappearance of magic in prehistory to comment on the modern disregard for both the environment and experts. Tragically more relevant today than when it was written.
November 6, 2020
I realize that I like his writing less and less with every book. I really loved The Inconstant Moon, though.
September 27, 2021
Interesting concept and main character. It's a pity it wasn't fleshed out into a proper novel.
October 1, 2021
I’ve never thought of Larry Niven as a fantasy writer, but in this quick tale he shows what he can do with the genre as a classic wizard versus warrior confrontation blossoms. It’s lots of fun.
November 24, 2023
Reading about love is boring. Now reading about a warlocks defence of his wife to defeat a mam lusted with demonic power? Yes please.
November 23, 2022
Interesting story, enjoyed it for what it was. May continue the series…or at least try the first full novel.
August 2, 2022
This was very short but I still felt sucked into the world the author created. Even while being absurd it felt believable within this miniature universe and left me wanting to know more. I enjoyed the quick read.
August 3, 2024
My top favourite fantasy story. Larry Niven is primarily a science fiction author, but he really knocks it out of the park with this fantasy. The story of the Warlock is continued in "The Magic Goes Away". There is also an excellent story set later in this universe about Clubfoot.
See also stories by other authors, which are set in the same universe, in the collection "The Magic May Return"
Reread (for the umpteenth time) on Nov. 6, 2018.
An absolutely great fantasy story. Once again, Niven demonstrates his commitment to exploring the logical development of a concept. He never did do a lot of fantasy, and this one is his very best.
As a committed SF fan of more than a half-century, this story forces me to admit that fantasy can occasionally be as compelling as science fiction. I even remember back to the Before Times, when Hugo and Nebula Awards were reserved exclusively for science fiction. [With apologies to all of you fantasists out there.]
My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
See also stories by other authors, which are set in the same universe, in the collection "The Magic May Return"
Reread (for the umpteenth time) on Nov. 6, 2018.
An absolutely great fantasy story. Once again, Niven demonstrates his commitment to exploring the logical development of a concept. He never did do a lot of fantasy, and this one is his very best.
As a committed SF fan of more than a half-century, this story forces me to admit that fantasy can occasionally be as compelling as science fiction. I even remember back to the Before Times, when Hugo and Nebula Awards were reserved exclusively for science fiction. [With apologies to all of you fantasists out there.]
My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
August 18, 2016
This story takes place thousands of years ago, in a time long forgotten, a time when magic was real. In that time, power was based over mana, the energy that fueled spells. Sorceres fought against swordsmen and usually won, if they were worth their salt. However things are not always that simple, there are many things to take into account, complicated things, like feelings, demons and a restless world that is ever changing.
The author crams so much ideas in so little space (including the revolutionary concept of mana), that you have to wonder what he could do with more time and words. The same thing that probably the main character was thinking during this short-story.
P.S. It's also interesting to note how this short-story keeps affecting modern fantasy, for example Abercrombie books seems heavily, even if indirectly, influenced by this work.
This is a true stepping stone in fantasy, one that every fantasy enthusiast should read.
The author crams so much ideas in so little space (including the revolutionary concept of mana), that you have to wonder what he could do with more time and words. The same thing that probably the main character was thinking during this short-story.
P.S. It's also interesting to note how this short-story keeps affecting modern fantasy, for example Abercrombie books seems heavily, even if indirectly, influenced by this work.
This is a true stepping stone in fantasy, one that every fantasy enthusiast should read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews