Limits (collection)

Limits is a collection of short stories and essays by science fiction author Larry Niven, originally published in 1985.

• "The Lion in his Attic" - Seventy-six years after Atlantis drowned, a sorceress and a prince learn to their dismay that not all lions eat red meat.
• "Spirals" - An early space colony loses its supply lines to budget cuts. But the colonists aren't going to give up without a fight.
• "A Teardrop Falls" - In his youth, Hilary Gage had fought men and studied the ravages of Berserkers. As a machine, he terraformed planets and lay in wait . . . .
• "Talisman" - A thief steals an enchanted talisman from a wealthy stranger, but when she tries to find the treasure he's seeking, the talisman leads her back to its previous owner.
• "Flare Time" - A professional tourist visits a planet in a three-star system. Its ecology is affected by the intense UV flares released by its normally-red suns.
• "The Locusts" - The first attempt to colonise an alien planet seems to hit a snag when all the babies are born with simian features - but there's something much bigger going on.
• "Yet Another Modest Proposal" - At last, a solution to the problem of radioactive wastes that costs nothing and yields an immodest profit.
• "Folk Tale" / "Table Manners" - A group of dog-like aliens invites a man to join them on their hunt.
• "The Green Marauder" - An ancient alien visits The Draco Tavern and tells the proprietor about the first time she came to Earth.
• "War Movie" - A drunk, bankrupt alien asks a human why her race no longer fights wars.
• "The Real Thing" - Rick Schumann of the Draco Tavern is offered a look at another interplanetary bar.
• "Limits" - Two aliens fascinated by man's fondness for defining boundaries decide to make sure he doesn't get out of the habit.

First edition (publ. Del Rey Books)
Cover art by Barclay Shaw