Niven's laws


Niven’s laws were named after science fiction author Larry Niven, who has periodically published them as "how the Universe works" as far as he can tell. These were most recently rewritten on January 29, 2002. Among the rules are:

Niven's Law (re Time travel)

A different law is given this name in Niven's essay "The Theory and Practice of Time Travel":
;Niven's Law: If the universe of discourse permits the possibility of time travel and of changing the past, then no time machine will be invented in that universe.
Hans Moravec glosses this version of Niven's Law as follows:
Ryan North examines this law in Dinosaur Comics #1818.
This proposition is also extensively examined in James P. Hogan's Thrice Upon a Time.

Niven's Law (re: Clarke's Third Law)

Niven's Law is also a term given to the converse of Clarke's third law, so Niven's Law reads: "Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology." However, it has also been credited as being from Terry Pratchett. Keystone Folklore identifies it as a "fan-composed corollary slogan" of Arthur C. Clarke fans. Gregory Benford in his January 30, 2013 "Variations on Clarke's Third Law" identifies it as a corollary to Clarke’s third law,
Both Clarke's Third Law and Niven's Law are referenced in part 2 of the serial Battlefield from season 26 of Doctor Who, first aired September 13, 1989. In this episode, the Doctor and his companion Ace have entered a trans-dimensional spaceship. While discussing the ship itself, the Doctor asks his companion if she knows Clarke's Law, which she then recites: "Any advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic." The Doctor replies that the reverse is true and Ace voices this, working through the inverse, "any advanced form of magic is indistinguishable from technology."

''Niven's Laws'' (stories)

Niven's Laws is also the title of a 1984 collection of Niven's short stories.
Included in the 1989 collection N-Space are six laws titled Niven's Laws for Writers. They are:
  1. Writers who write for other writers should write letters.
  2. Never be embarrassed or ashamed about anything you choose to write.
  3. Stories to end all stories on a given topic, don't.
  4. It is a sin to waste the reader's time.
  5. If you've nothing to say, say it any way you like. Stylistic innovations, contorted story lines or none, exotic or genderless pronouns, internal inconsistencies, the recipe for preparing your lover as a cannibal banquet: feel free. If what you have to say is important and/or difficult to follow, use the simplest language possible. If the reader doesn't get it, then let it not be your fault.
  6. Everybody talks first draft.
In the acknowledgments of his 2003 novel Conquistador, S.M. Stirling wrote:

''Niven's Laws'' (from ''Known Space'')

Drawn from Known Space: The Future Worlds of Larry Niven
  2. Never fire a laser at a mirror.
  3. Mother Nature doesn't care if you're having fun.
  4. F × S = k. The product of Freedom and Security is a constant. To gain more freedom of thought and/or action, you must give up some security, and vice versa.
  5. Psi and/or magical powers, if real, are nearly useless.
  6. It is easier to destroy than create.
  7. Any damn fool can predict the past.
  8. History never repeats itself.
  9. Ethics change with technology.
  10. There Ain't No Justice.
  11. Anarchy is the least stable of social structures. It falls apart at a touch.
  12. There is a time and place for tact. And there are times when tact is entirely misplaced.
  13. The ways of being human are bounded but infinite.
  14. The world's dullest subjects, in order:
  15. The only universal message in science fiction: There exist minds that think as well as you do, but differently.
Niven's corollary: The gene-tampered turkey you're talking to isn't necessarily one of them.
  1. Fuzzy Pink Niven's Law: Never waste calories.
  2. There is no cause so right that one cannot find a fool following it.
in variant form in Fallen Angels as "Niven's Law: No cause is so noble that it won't attract fuggheads."
  1. No technique works if it isn't used.
  2. Not responsible for advice not taken.
  3. Old age is not for sissies.