Limits (collection)

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

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.