Speaker-to-Animals
Encyclopedia
Speaker-to-Animals is a fictional character
in the Ringworld
series of books, written by Larry Niven
.
In Ringworld, Speaker-to-Animals is a junior diplomat who is trained to deal with other species without reflexively killing them. He is recruited by Nessus
, a Pierson's Puppeteer, as a member of an expedition to explore the Ringworld.
, a member of an extraterrestrial race of large tiger-like beings. He is a trained diplomat
posted to the United Nations
. His title (in place of a name he has yet to earn) is a polite reference to how Kzinti refer to non-Kzin races.
Following their return to Known Space
, he is given the name of Chmeee (the "ch" is pronounced like a guttural German
"ch", as in "ach") and given breeding rights by the Kzinti Patriarch
.
In the sequel The Ringworld Engineers
Chmeee, along with Louis Wu
, is kidnapped by the Hindmost (the exiled leader of the Puppeteers
). The Hindmost wants Louis and Chmeee to uncover the secret behind the creation of the Ringworld. Chmeee escapes and manages to conquer the Map of Earth and become its new leader.
Chmeee appears briefly in The Ringworld Throne
and Ringworld's Children
. His son, Acolyte, is a supporting character in these novels.
As a member of the Kzin species, Speaker-to-Animals is extremely dangerous and always ready to fight despite the fact that he is a diplomat. He was the one that caused the most damage to the Ringworld village of Zignamuclikclik and were he not a part of the Docile Kzinti project, he probably would have leveled the village to the ground. He is also responsible for the expedition's safety on Ringworld and therefore is in charge most of the time.
); they can fold back flat against the head for protection during a fight.
Chmeee was badly burned during Ringworld; and as a result, his body was covered with scars. After involuntarily receiving an injection of the Kzinti analog of boosterspice, his scarring gradually disappeared. However, he acquired new scars after a fight with a Pak protector in The Ringworld Engineers
.
Warlike: As most Kzinti, Chmeee is very warlike. He is always on guard in case he is attacked. There are numerous examples in both novels he appears in where he sees things as weapons first, tools second. Early in the second novel, he gored Louis Wu by accident when Louis shook him awake. Chmeee is a fantastic fighter and will kill without a second thought. However, he is comfortably outmatched by Teela Brown
, by that time a Protector
-stage human, who nearly kills him despite her best efforts to lose a hand-to-hand fight.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Ringworld
Ringworld
Ringworld is a Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe and considered a classic of science fiction literature. It is followed by three sequels, and preceded by four prequels, and ties into numerous other books set in Known Space...
series of books, written by Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
.
In Ringworld, Speaker-to-Animals is a junior diplomat who is trained to deal with other species without reflexively killing them. He is recruited by Nessus
Nessus (Pierson's Puppeteer)
Nessus is a male character in Larry Niven's Known Space universe, of the species Pierson's Puppeteer, an herbivorous species noted for two heads whose mouths act as capable hands...
, a Pierson's Puppeteer, as a member of an expedition to explore the Ringworld.
Background
Speaker is a KzinKzin
The Kzinti are a fictional, very warlike and bloodthirsty race of cat-like aliens in Larry Niven's Known Space series....
, a member of an extraterrestrial race of large tiger-like beings. He is a trained diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
posted to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. His title (in place of a name he has yet to earn) is a polite reference to how Kzinti refer to non-Kzin races.
Following their return to Known Space
Known Space
Known Space is the fictional setting of some dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by author Larry Niven. It has also in part been used as a shared universe in the Man-Kzin Wars spin-off anthologies sub-series....
, he is given the name of Chmeee (the "ch" is pronounced like a guttural German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
"ch", as in "ach") and given breeding rights by the Kzinti Patriarch
Kzinti Patriarch
From Larry Niven's Known Space series of science fiction books, the Kzinti Patriarch is the leader of the Kzin race.-Background:Larry Niven wrote a number of science fiction books set in a mythical universe called Known Space...
.
In the sequel The Ringworld Engineers
The Ringworld Engineers
The Ringworld Engineers is a 1980 science fiction novel by Larry Niven. It is the first sequel to Niven's award-winning Ringworld and was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1981.-Origin:...
Chmeee, along with Louis Wu
Louis Wu
Louis Gridley Wu, a fictional character, is the main protagonist in the Ringworld series of books, written by Larry Niven.Louis Wu was born in 2650 to Carlos Wu and Sharrol Janss. When he appears in Ringworld, Louis is 6'2" tall...
, is kidnapped by the Hindmost (the exiled leader of the Puppeteers
Pierson's Puppeteer
Pierson's Puppeteers, often known just as Puppeteers, are a fictional alien race from American author Larry Niven's Known Space books.- Biology and sociology :...
). The Hindmost wants Louis and Chmeee to uncover the secret behind the creation of the Ringworld. Chmeee escapes and manages to conquer the Map of Earth and become its new leader.
Chmeee appears briefly in The Ringworld Throne
The Ringworld Throne
The Ringworld Throne is a novel by Larry Niven, first published in 1996. It is the direct sequel to his previous work The Ringworld Engineers...
and Ringworld's Children
Ringworld's Children
Ringworld's Children is a 2004 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, the fourth in the Ringworld series set in the Known Space universe. It describes the continuing adventures of Louis Wu and companions on Ringworld.-Plot summary:...
. His son, Acolyte, is a supporting character in these novels.
As a member of the Kzin species, Speaker-to-Animals is extremely dangerous and always ready to fight despite the fact that he is a diplomat. He was the one that caused the most damage to the Ringworld village of Zignamuclikclik and were he not a part of the Docile Kzinti project, he probably would have leveled the village to the ground. He is also responsible for the expedition's safety on Ringworld and therefore is in charge most of the time.
Physical description
Chmeee is approximately 8 feet in height and 400-500 pounds in weight. He, like all kzinti, is covered with a thick coat of long fur that comes in various combinations of orange, yellow, and black. His face has black fur across the eyes resembling a bandit's mask, or the facial markings of a raccoon. His tail is naked and similar in appearance to a rat's tail. Kzinti ears are hairless, pink, and shaped liked a segment of a Chinese parasol (or Cocktail umbrellaCocktail umbrella
A cocktail umbrella is a small umbrella or parasol made from paper, paperboard, and a toothpick, used as a garnish or decoration in cocktails, desserts or other food and beverages....
); they can fold back flat against the head for protection during a fight.
Chmeee was badly burned during Ringworld; and as a result, his body was covered with scars. After involuntarily receiving an injection of the Kzinti analog of boosterspice, his scarring gradually disappeared. However, he acquired new scars after a fight with a Pak protector in The Ringworld Engineers
The Ringworld Engineers
The Ringworld Engineers is a 1980 science fiction novel by Larry Niven. It is the first sequel to Niven's award-winning Ringworld and was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1981.-Origin:...
.
Character traits
Honor: Chmeee places a very high value on honor. Late in the novel Ringworld, he is deprived of food. Rather than eating Louis Wu and appearing to be a coward, he would rather starve in reach of meat and be seen as honorable.Warlike: As most Kzinti, Chmeee is very warlike. He is always on guard in case he is attacked. There are numerous examples in both novels he appears in where he sees things as weapons first, tools second. Early in the second novel, he gored Louis Wu by accident when Louis shook him awake. Chmeee is a fantastic fighter and will kill without a second thought. However, he is comfortably outmatched by Teela Brown
Teela Brown
Teela Brown is a fictional character created by Larry Niven in the Ringworld novels. Teela was a member of the crew recruited by Puppeteer Nessus for an expedition to the Ringworld. Her sole qualification was that she was the sixth generation of a line of ancestors all born because - in each case -...
, by that time a Protector
Pak Protector
Pak Breeders and Pak Protectors are two forms of fictional life in Larry Niven's Known Space universe. The Pak first appeared in "The Adults," which appeared in Galaxy in 1967; this story was expanded into the novel Protector by Larry Niven...
-stage human, who nearly kills him despite her best efforts to lose a hand-to-hand fight.