Content levels
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
Science fiction masters Larry Niven ( Ringworld ) and Gregory Benford ( Timescape ) continue the thrilling adventure of a human expedition to another star system that is jeopardized by an encounter with an astonishingly immense artifact in interstellar space: a bowl-shaped structure cupping a star, with a habitable area equivalent to many millions of Earths. And which, tantalizingly, is on a direct path heading toward the same system the human ship is to colonize. Investigating the Bowl, or Shipstar, the human explorers are separated—one group captured by the gigantic structure's alien inhabitants, the other pursued across its strange and dangerous landscape—while the mystery of the Shipstar's origins and purpose propel the human voyagers toward discoveries that transform their understanding of their place in the universe.
Tags
Is Shipstar appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
This hard science fiction novel features moderate action and peril as human explorers are captured and pursued across an alien megastructure, with some violence but no graphic content, sexual material, or strong language.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include captivity and violence.
Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.
Who'll love this
Teens who love big science fiction ideas will be fascinated by the mind-bending scale of an artificial world wrapped around a star and the mystery of who built it.