244:, considering it an undesirable genetic trait. Sharrol was unable to leave Earth because of her Flatland Phobia, a fear of being off-planet. They asked Carlos Wu, a friend of Sharrol's who has an unlimited parenthood license, to help them. Sharrol and Wu were married on a two-year contract arrangement; Tanya Wu was born in 2649 and Louis a year later, 2650. Shaeffer returned to Earth in 2650 and both children were raised by Sharrol and Beowulf. Carlos remained a family friend to both Beowulf and Sharrol. Several years later, amidst unusual and perilous circumstances, Louis, his sister, mother, and adoptive father (Beowulf) along with Carlos and Carlos' girlfriend, Feather Filip, secretly and illegally emigrated from Earth to
256:-based autodoc where it reconstructed his body, sizing it to the Intensive Care Cavity of the autodoc, which was tailored to Carlos's body proportions. Eventually, Beowulf recovered, was reunited with Sharrol, and had two more children with her, Jeena and an unnamed second child; therefore, Louis has one sister and two half-siblings, who grew up on the Home colony world. Eventually, in his adulthood, Louis moved to Earth, and in the years between his two trips to the
25:
342:
He awakens on a very expensive FTL singleship near Known Space, physically younger than he recalled, unaddicted (the ship refuses to provide him with alcohol or pills), and without recollection of how he came to be in this situation while several months away from Sol and
Wunderland. He attributes the
327:
and severely addicted to pain killers. Nessus is attempting to find members of Louis' family, but Louis reports them dead. Desperate and hoping Louis has similar talents, Nessus recruits Louis with the understanding that his memory would be altered before his return to Known Space, he would be saved
285:
to fit in with this continuity. This is also probably why Louis never reflected on the obviously traumatic events in his childhood that took place on Fafnir. This might also be explained as Louis simply being tight-lipped about certain aspects of his personal history, a trait he shared with both his
298:, Wu ran for political office in the United Nations in his middle 70s. He lost the election but in the process of running learned an oratorical technique he would later use to attempt to convince Teela Brown not to come on what would later turn out to be the first Ringworld expedition.
251:
Upon reaching Fafnir, Feather shot
Shaeffer in the chest with an ARM punchgun, but Carlos managed to escape with Tanya and Louis. Sharrol killed Feather by cutting her throat, then decapitating her. Sharrol then placed Bey's head (after removing it from his body) in Carlos's
434:, a deposed leader (the "Hindmost"). While there, he discovers that the Ringworld is unstable. He decides to save the Ringworld with Speaker-To-Animals (renamed Chmeee) and the Hindmost (after Louis destroys the hyperdrive motor, trapping them there again).
208:" bodypaint, his brown eyes show no discernible slant and his yellow-brown skinned features are a blended fusion of Earth's many races. Born a "Flatlander", Louis is best known among his friends for inventing the "Sabbatical"—going off alone in a
239:
at the time but the
Fertility Board of the United Nations of Earth had absolute control over reproductive rights on that planet (its population was about 18 billion at the time). The Board denied a parenthood license to Shaeffer based on his
339:, and finding himself with a very large Puppeteer bounty on his own head. Taking it for granted that he would eventually be discovered in Puppeteer regions of space, he agrees to let Nessus alter his memory and return him to Known Space.
335:. He eventually ends up preventing a genocide, observing the removal of the legitimate Puppeteer government, its ironic replacement with a puppet regime controlled by the
798:
582:
273:
novel Louis seems not to know who
Shaeffer is, nor does he make any reference to his relation to Carlos upon encountering the same autodoc in the later
380:
After one of his booth transfers gets diverted to a hotel room, he accepts an offer to go on an expedition with three other members – two aliens (a
212:
outside the boundaries of known space until one can tolerate human company again. Louis was the first human being to make contact with the
721:
108:
385:
320:
760:
575:
46:
712:
89:
678:
61:
354:), Wu later appears in the short story "There Is a Tide", where he becomes the first human to make contact with the
35:
568:
42:
281:
universe continued to grow in complexity with each newly published story, Louis' own backstory was increasingly
68:
755:
644:
630:
504:
490:
262:
431:
412:
381:
316:
75:
343:
memory loss to pill usage and resolves to sell his ship as soon as he arrives back in the Sol system.
793:
637:
497:
469:
443:
57:
373:, Louis celebrated his 200th birthday by working his way from party to party around the world using
358:
species. In terms of publication chronology, "There Is a Tide" is the story where Wu first appears.
235:
Louis Wu is the second of two children born to Carlos Wu and
Sharrol Janss. Sharrol was married to
686:
476:
393:
307:
205:
744:
670:
416:
555:
770:
591:
236:
550:
533:
662:
694:
511:
374:
253:
560:
82:
787:
220:
411:
When Louis comes up with an ingenious way to get them home, he is rewarded by the
608:
599:
397:
324:
278:
245:
224:
194:
155:
24:
328:
from the Civil War on
Wunderland, well compensated and cured of his addiction.
420:
200:
Louis Wu was born in 2650 to Carlos Wu and
Sharrol Janss. When he appears in
623:
483:
427:
405:
282:
257:
189:
135:
336:
332:
241:
209:
355:
331:
Louis' task is initially to prevent a war between the
Puppeteers and
213:
408:, a huge structure with 3,000,000 times the surface area of Earth.
750:
401:
389:
564:
536:. The Incompleat Known Space Concordance. news.larryniven.net.
18:
451:. Events immediately following his escape are chronicled in
269:
While Louis Wu was raised by
Beowulf Shaeffer, in the first
441:
books, where he tries to get the Pak
Protectors in line in
556:
https://www.januarymagazine.com/features/ringworldexc.html
286:
biological father Carlos and his adoptive father Beowulf.
346:
In terms of in-universe chronology (falling in-between
311:), that he does not recall in his later life (e.g., in
430:
looking for matter conversion technology for another
736:
705:
654:
615:
551:
The Incompleat Known Space Concordance: "Wu, Louis"
301:In an adventure some 70 years before the events of
187:, a fictional character, is the protagonist in the
174:
166:
161:
151:
143:
128:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
323:while working in a hospital in a rebel camp on
404:. Unfortunately, the group crash-lands on the
576:
219:He is also the only hominid ever to become a
204:, Louis is 6′2″ (188 cm) tall. Without "
8:
266:he is in a spaceship, heading back to Home.
16:Fictional character created by Larry Niven
583:
569:
561:
463:List of Louis Wu novels and short stories
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
524:
799:Literary characters introduced in 1968
260:he relocated to Canyon. At the end of
125:
437:Louis appears again for the last two
419:", capable of moving a spaceship one
400:, a human female supposedly bred for
7:
305:(around when Wu was 130, related in
47:adding citations to reliable sources
722:Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch
14:
23:
377:to stay ahead of the dateline.
34:needs additional citations for
1:
193:series of books, written by
237:Beowulf (or "Bey") Shaeffer
815:
426:Louis then returns to the
294:According to narration in
706:Games based on the series
606:
457:Return from the Ringworld
133:
631:The Ringworld Engineers
491:The Ringworld Engineers
447:and finally escapes in
315:), Louis is found by a
162:In-universe information
147:1968, "There Is a Tide"
223:and return to normal (
532:Antinore, R. Dennis.
417:Quantum II Hyperdrive
756:Pierson's Puppeteers
645:Ringworld's Children
638:The Ringworld Throne
505:Ringworld's Children
498:The Ringworld Throne
449:Ringworld's Children
444:The Ringworld Throne
369:At the beginning of
263:Ringworld's Children
43:improve this article
728:Return to Ringworld
679:Destroyer of Worlds
432:Pierson's Puppeteer
382:Pierson's Puppeteer
317:Pierson's Puppeteer
231:Birth and childhood
227:) state afterward.
123:Fictional character
687:Betrayer of Worlds
477:Betrayer of Worlds
394:Speaker-to-Animals
348:Betrayer of Worlds
308:Betrayer of Worlds
781:
780:
671:Juggler of Worlds
423:in 1.25 minutes.
182:
181:
119:
118:
111:
93:
806:
771:Beowulf Shaeffer
655:Companion novels
585:
578:
571:
562:
538:
537:
529:
388:, and a catlike
185:Louis Gridley Wu
144:First appearance
129:Louis Gridley Wu
126:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
814:
813:
809:
808:
807:
805:
804:
803:
784:
783:
782:
777:
732:
701:
663:Fleet of Worlds
650:
616:Original novels
611:
602:
589:
547:
542:
541:
531:
530:
526:
521:
470:There Is a Tide
465:
375:transfer booths
367:
292:
277:novels. As the
233:
124:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
812:
810:
802:
801:
796:
786:
785:
779:
778:
776:
775:
774:
773:
768:
758:
753:
748:
740:
738:
734:
733:
731:
730:
725:
718:
709:
707:
703:
702:
700:
699:
695:Fate of Worlds
691:
683:
675:
667:
658:
656:
652:
651:
649:
648:
641:
634:
627:
619:
617:
613:
612:
607:
604:
603:
590:
588:
587:
580:
573:
565:
559:
558:
553:
546:
545:External links
543:
540:
539:
523:
522:
520:
517:
516:
515:
512:Fate of Worlds
508:
501:
494:
487:
480:
473:
464:
461:
453:Fate of Worlds
366:
362:Appearance in
360:
291:
288:
254:nanotechnology
232:
229:
180:
179:
176:
172:
171:
168:
164:
163:
159:
158:
153:
149:
148:
145:
141:
140:
131:
130:
122:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
811:
800:
797:
795:
792:
791:
789:
772:
769:
767:
764:
763:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
746:
742:
741:
739:
735:
729:
726:
724:
723:
719:
717:
715:
711:
710:
708:
704:
697:
696:
692:
689:
688:
684:
681:
680:
676:
673:
672:
668:
665:
664:
660:
659:
657:
653:
647:
646:
642:
640:
639:
635:
633:
632:
628:
626:
625:
621:
620:
618:
614:
610:
605:
601:
597:
595:
586:
581:
579:
574:
572:
567:
566:
563:
557:
554:
552:
549:
548:
544:
535:
528:
525:
518:
514:
513:
509:
507:
506:
502:
500:
499:
495:
493:
492:
488:
486:
485:
481:
479:
478:
474:
472:
471:
467:
466:
462:
460:
458:
454:
450:
446:
445:
440:
435:
433:
429:
424:
422:
418:
414:
409:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
378:
376:
372:
365:
361:
359:
357:
353:
349:
344:
340:
338:
334:
329:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
309:
304:
299:
297:
290:Pre-Ringworld
289:
287:
284:
280:
276:
272:
267:
265:
264:
259:
255:
249:
247:
243:
238:
230:
228:
226:
222:
217:
215:
211:
207:
203:
198:
196:
192:
191:
186:
177:
173:
169:
165:
160:
157:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
137:
132:
127:
121:
113:
110:
102:
99:December 2018
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
765:
743:
727:
720:
713:
693:
685:
677:
669:
661:
643:
636:
629:
622:
593:
527:
510:
503:
496:
489:
482:
475:
468:
456:
452:
448:
442:
438:
436:
425:
410:
379:
370:
368:
363:
351:
347:
345:
341:
330:
312:
306:
302:
300:
295:
293:
274:
270:
268:
261:
250:
234:
218:
201:
199:
188:
184:
183:
134:
120:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
794:Known Space
609:Known Space
600:Larry Niven
455:(subtitled
398:Teela Brown
279:Known Space
195:Larry Niven
156:Larry Niven
788:Categories
761:Characters
519:References
421:light-year
415:with the "
413:Puppeteers
325:Wunderland
206:Flatlander
178:Adventurer
175:Occupation
152:Created by
69:newspapers
58:"Louis Wu"
745:Long Shot
714:Ringworld
624:Ringworld
594:Ringworld
484:Ringworld
439:Ringworld
428:Ringworld
406:Ringworld
371:Ringworld
364:Ringworld
352:Ringworld
313:Ringworld
303:Ringworld
296:Ringworld
283:retconned
275:Ringworld
271:Ringworld
258:Ringworld
221:Protector
216:species.
210:spaceship
202:Ringworld
190:Ringworld
139:character
136:Ringworld
766:Louis Wu
737:Concepts
242:albinism
392:called
225:Breeder
83:scholar
698:(2012)
690:(2010)
682:(2009)
674:(2008)
666:(2007)
596:series
396:) and
386:Nessus
384:named
356:Trinoc
337:Gw'oth
333:Gw'oth
321:Nessus
319:named
246:Fafnir
214:Trinoc
167:Gender
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
90:JSTOR
76:books
751:Kzin
592:The
402:luck
390:Kzin
350:and
170:Male
62:news
716:RPG
598:by
534:"W"
459:).
45:by
790::
248:.
197:.
584:e
577:t
570:v
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
