Reading order · 3 books · 1974 to 1981 · Set in space
Moties Books in Order
The Mote books, written with Larry Niven, describe humanity’s first contact with an alien race in a far-future empire.
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Series facts
- Books
- 3
- Published
- 1974 to 1981
- First book
- The Mote in God's Eye
- Latest
- King David's Spaceship (1981)
- Setting
- Set in space
The reading order
Every Moties book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
3 books · Set in space
- 1The Mote in God's Eye1974With Roderick BlaineIn 3017, humanity makes first contact with an alien race from a star called the Mote, and the warship MacArthur is sent to meet them.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Gripping Hand1993With Kevin Renner and Horace BuryTwenty-five years later, the secret of the aliens of the Mote threatens humanity.Buy on Amazon
- 3King David's Spaceship1981With Nathan MacKinnieOn a backward world, Nathan MacKinnie must build a spaceship to win his planet a place in the empire.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read The Mote in God’s Eye first, then The Gripping Hand. King David’s Spaceship is set in the same future.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Roderick Blaine | Kevin Renner | Horace Bury | Nathan MacKinnie | Sally Fowler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Mote in God's Eye | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 2 The Gripping Hand | MMajor | LLead | LLead | MMajor | |
| 3 King David's Spaceship | LLead |
Characters in the Moties books
5 characters from Jerry Pournelle’s chart, with the number of Moties books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Roderick BlaineCaptain of the MacArthur | 2 | The Mote in God's Eye 1974 |
| Kevin RennerSailing master and later envoy | 2 | The Mote in God's Eye 1974 |
| Horace BuryMerchant prisoner | 2 | The Mote in God's Eye 1974 |
| Nathan MacKinnieSoldier on a backward world | 1 | King David's Spaceship 1981 |
| Sally FowlerAnthropologist | 2 | The Mote in God's Eye 1974 |