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itself and many other species extinct, but left behind their knowledge inscribed on large stone cubes from which the Fithp gained their technology. An arms race between two rival herds threatened to render the species extinct, so they wagered to see who would depart in a starship and seek a new home elsewhere. The leadership of the loser formed the
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to inflict heavy damage, which forces the Fithp to accept humanity as the stronger species and surrender themselves to become part of the human "herd". In the final scene, the Fithp leader lies on his back and allows the former captive Dawson to place his foot on his chest, which is the formal Fithp
429:. Shortly thereafter the Jayhawk Wars begin, a conventional attack against Fithp forces that is rapidly destroyed using space support. About two weeks later, the Americans and Soviets co-operate in a combined nuclear retaliation that defeats the Fithp forces and wrecks much of Kansas in the process.
335:
On Earth, US President David Coffey receives an offer of conditional surrender from the Fithp. Coffey is willing to let the Fithp withdraw into space and is reluctant to destroy their technology and cargo of females and children. He is opposed by his advisors, who feel that by allowing the Fithp to
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wipes out their beachhead. The Fithp, who are familiar with nuclear weapons, but prefer to use cleaner ones, are shocked by what they consider the barbarity of humans' willingness to "sow radioactive fire on their own croplands". The Fithp respond to the defeat of their invasion by dropping a large
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The alien Fithp resemble baby elephants with multiple prehensile trunks. They possess more advanced technology than humans, but did not develop any of it on their own. In the distant past on their planet, another species was dominant. The predecessor species badly damaged the environment, rendering
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The human characters fall into two major groups: those on Earth and those who are taken aboard the Fithp spaceship as captives. Civilians are used to show the effects of the war on day-to-day life in the US, and military and government personnel convey a more strategic overview of events. Science
244:
creatures and fight wars differently from humans. When two herds meet, they fight until it is evident which is dominant. Fighting then ceases, and the losers are incorporated into the winning herd. The Fithp are confused by human attempts at peaceful contact. Upon arrival, they attack the Soviet
482:
found it to have "the mediocrity and tedium of a much longer novel," with a weak characterization and a scientifically-inaccurate portrayal of the effects of the asteroid's impact, but conceded that it was better than most other works in its subgenre and commended Niven for his portrayal of the
40:
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commented, "Overblown and largely underdone." It judged the novel to be "more tedious and less thoughtful" than previous joint Niven–Pournelle works, with "barely relevant" subplots and a "cumbersome cast of thousands" but praising the Fithp society as "particularly well worked-out."
478:#71, and stated that "Their flaws are blockbuster flaws: momentum takes 100 pages to build, several of the teeming characters are dispensable, and megadeaths are glossed over. All the same, I read most of it twice and ran out of adrenalin."
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space station, the country still being a world superpower, where
Soviets and Americans wait to greet them. They proceed to destroy military sites and important infrastructure on Earth. US Congressman Wes Dawson and Soviet
436:. Tsunamis devastate surrounding landmasses, and the entire globe is enveloped in an endless salty rainstorm. India is practically destroyed, and the Fithp successfully invade much of Africa.
253:
fiction writers are employed as technical advisers on alien technology and behavior; the characters are based on real writers, including Niven ("Nat
Reynolds"), Pournelle ("Wade Curtis"), and
237:. The original leaders are subordinate to the Spaceborn, who are prepared to start a space-based civilization, but are still dedicated to the generations-old goal of conquest.
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pursues the alien mothership. One of the shuttles rams the Fithp ship, damaging it badly enough that it cannot escape
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launches prematurely and battles through small enemy "digit" ships, aided by one-man gunships and larger
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escape and regroup, he risks the whole of humanity. When Coffey seemingly folds under the pressure,
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results in environmental damage on a global scale, particularly the almost total destruction of
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This article is about the science fiction novel. For the Samuel
Beckett play, see
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June 1981: The Fithp have established themselves on the Foot, an asteroid colony.
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586:, at JamesNicollReviews.com; published August 3, 2014; retrieved May 23, 2017
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realize that there is an alien ship on a trajectory towards the Earth.
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species called the Fithp that have traveled to the Solar System from
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1985 science fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry
Pournelle
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The US secretly builds a large, heavily armed spacecraft in
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Book Review Desk (May 18, 1986). "Paperback Best
Sellers".
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August 1985: Footfall. The Fithp drop the Foot into the
264:. They initially repel attacks with orbital lasers and
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is a 1985 science fiction novel by
American writers
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is destroyed and its surviving passengers captured.
324:and released as needed. Though seriously damaged,
249:are captured from the ruins of the space station.
546:; published June 16, 1985; retrieved May 23, 2017
304:. The ship is named after the Biblical archangel
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373:c. 1919: The sleepers go into their death-sleep.
213:. Their intent is conquest of the planet Earth.
201:. The book depicts the arrival of members of an
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540:FOOTFALL, By Larry & Jerry Pournelle Niven
312:out of Heaven. When there is a security leak,
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580:Footfall, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
425:July 1985: The Fithp launch an invasion of
380:swings around the Sun, maneuvering towards
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495:Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
443:, ending with the formal surrender of the
624:. pp. Section 7, Page 42, Column 2.
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1648:Books with cover art by Michael Whelan
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408:begins its journey towards the Earth.
1638:Novels about nuclear war and weapons
131:495 pages (first edition, hardcover)
597:"1986 Award Winners & Nominees"
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366:for Earth on their spacecraft, the
340:Admiral Carrell stages a bloodless
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1633:Novels about extraterrestrial life
559:(November 1985). "Critical Mass".
209:in a large spacecraft driven by a
44:Cover of first edition (hardcover)
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1588:Fiction set around Alpha Centauri
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285:. The Fithp then invade southern
123:Print (hardback & paperback)
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1608:Military science fiction novels
411:May 1985: Human astronomers in
268:, but a combined Soviet and US
1643:Fiction about generation ships
1544:Collections by Niven or others
1485:Star Trek: The Animated Series
1462:Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex
1425:The Return of William Proxmire
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639:An artistic rendering of the
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439:July 1986: The flight of the
1623:Novels about alien invasions
1439:What Good Is A Glass Dagger?
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1618:1985 science fiction novels
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489:was nominated for the 1986
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1613:Novels about impact events
1096:The California Voodoo Game
300:, a real concept known as
298:propelled by nuclear bombs
144:(first edition, hardcover)
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1603:Novels by Jerry Pournelle
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1267:Playgrounds of the Mind
1219:The Flight of the Horse
788:The Ringworld Engineers
520:extraterrestrial bolide
216:
1055:Starborn & Godsons
349:gesture of surrender.
266:kinetic energy weapons
25:. For other uses, see
1598:Novels by Larry Niven
1341:The Borderland of Sol
1275:Bridging the Galaxies
1168:The Descent of Anansi
1004:The Mote in God's Eye
255:Robert Anson Heinlein
226:('Traveling Herd').
1653:Hard science fiction
1593:Collaborative novels
1583:1985 American novels
1355:The Defenseless Dead
1160:The Flying Sorcerers
1031:The Legacy of Heorot
902:The Magic May Return
804:Ringworld's Children
796:The Ringworld Throne
735:Tales of Known Space
398:has been resupplied.
1472:TV episodes written
1404:The Magic Goes Away
1211:All the Myriad Ways
1125:A World Out of Time
1088:The Barsoom Project
926:The Seascape Tattoo
894:The Magic Goes Away
885:The Magic Goes Away
853:Destroyer of Worlds
370:("Message Bearer").
34:
1152:Co-authored novels
1133:The Integral Trees
1104:The Moon Maze Game
1039:Beowulf's Children
861:Betrayer of Worlds
751:The Patchwork Girl
601:Worlds Without End
497:, and was a No. 1
273:asteroid into the
32:
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1480:The Slaver Weapon
1243:Convergent Series
1203:Other collections
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1012:The Gripping Hand
879:
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845:Juggler of Worlds
711:A Gift from Earth
406:Thuktun Flishithy
396:Thuktun Flishithy
389:Thuktun Flishithy
378:Thuktun Flishithy
368:Thuktun Flishithy
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182:PS3564.I9 F6 1985
112:Publication place
64:Cover artist
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1549:Edward M. Lerner
1527:Land of the Lost
1511:Land of the Lost
1498:Land of the Lost
1348:Death by Ecstasy
1299:The Draco Tavern
985:Escape from Hell
961:Lucifer's Hammer
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565:. No. 71.
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360:Chtaptisk Fithp
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257:("Bob Anson").
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1553:Set in the
1362:Flash Crowd
1334:At the Core
759:Crashlander
690:Known Space
682:Larry Niven
562:White Dwarf
475:White Dwarf
394:June 1980:
342:coup d'Ă©tat
308:, who cast
195:Larry Niven
54:Larry Niven
1577:Categories
1555:CoDominium
1493:Downstream
1418:Procrustes
1369:Flatlander
1080:Dream Park
1071:Dream Park
743:Flatlander
606:2009-07-20
527:References
502:Bestseller
247:cosmonauts
170:813/.54 19
1506:Hurricane
1116:The State
780:Ringworld
771:Ringworld
727:Protector
468:reviewed
452:Reception
420:Kosmograd
92:Publisher
33:Footfall
22:Footfalls
977:Footfall
508:See also
487:Footfall
470:Footfall
353:Timeline
296:that is
277:, whose
190:Footfall
157:11316829
74:Language
1530:) with
1514:) with
1376:Grendel
1259:N-Space
953:Inferno
641:Michael
483:Fithp.
441:Michael
346:Michael
330:Michael
326:Michael
322:Michael
314:Michael
310:Lucifer
306:Michael
77:English
1557:series
1522:Circle
1449:Essays
1318:(2010)
1310:(2010)
1302:(2006)
1294:(2003)
1286:(1999)
1278:(1993)
1270:(1991)
1262:(1990)
1254:(1985)
1251:Limits
1246:(1979)
1238:(1974)
1230:(1973)
1222:(1973)
1214:(1971)
1195:(2012)
1187:(2005)
1179:(1991)
1171:(1982)
1163:(1971)
1144:(1987)
1136:(1984)
1128:(1976)
1107:(2011)
1099:(1992)
1091:(1989)
1083:(1981)
1058:(2020)
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1042:(1995)
1034:(1987)
1023:Heorot
1015:(1993)
1007:(1974)
996:Moties
988:(2009)
980:(1985)
972:(1981)
964:(1977)
956:(1976)
929:(2016)
921:(2005)
913:(2000)
905:(1981)
897:(1976)
872:(2012)
864:(2010)
856:(2009)
848:(2008)
840:(2007)
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807:(2004)
799:(1996)
791:(1979)
783:(1970)
762:(1994)
754:(1986)
746:(1976)
738:(1975)
730:(1973)
722:(1968)
714:(1968)
706:(1966)
427:Kansas
413:Hawaii
382:Saturn
287:Africa
279:impact
262:Kansas
233:and a
50:Author
1560:With
1547:With
542:, at
283:India
203:alien
128:Pages
82:Genre
472:for
242:herd
217:Plot
197:and
151:OCLC
137:ISBN
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