Books like The Mote in God's Eye

Very entertaining, interesting, intriguing, thought provoking, etc. Good science fiction. Robert A. Heinlein himself is quoted as saying something to the effect that this was the best science fiction novel he had ever read. I don’t know that I’d go that far, but this was very good. David Allen Coe claimed to have sang the perfect country and western song, and in that same regard, Niven and Pournellle may have collaborated to create the perfect science fiction novel, it contains all of the important elements: future, space travel, time travel, aliens, space ships, laser blasters, planetary colonies, etc. etc. Whoever created the 1980s film Gremlins may have read The Mote in God’s Eye and been inspired by the miniature Moties, or watchmakers. Called a masterpiece by many, and it may well be, but it is not without its flaws. There are inconsistencies, the language of the New Scotts and New Ruskies is superficial and distracting, and it is too long, some good editing may have shaved a hundred pages and strengthened the narrative.Still it is very good. The creation of the Motie alien race was masterful, full of brilliant and thoughtful attention to detail. Though the characterization is not an especially strong point, many characters are painfully one dimensional and static, the authors created a Nietzschean juggernaut in Admiral Kutusov, and he steals the show. ** 2017 reread - as good now as ever, a little dated, sexist yes, oddly aristocratic, but fun. MUST read for SF fans.