Niven, Larry, 1938-

Laurence van Cott Niven (1938- ) is a multiple award-winning American science fiction author. Born in Los Angeles, Niven graduated with a degree in mathematics from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. His first story was published two years later and soon after that he was writing full time. One of his best-known works is Ringworld (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards; the story of an inhabited orbital "band" influenced not only other authors but even the Halo video game. His novels and short stories are primarily hard science fiction, though he has also written several fantasy novels. He has collaborated with fellow science fiction author Jerry Pournelle on five novels, including the post-apocalyptic Lucifer's Hammer, the alien invasion adventure Footfall, and two contemporary retellings of Dante's Inferno . He has also written scripts for television shows and for the DC Comics character Green Lantern.