Larry Niven was born on this date, April 30, in 1938.  I’m doing it again, breaking my pattern of focusing on dead writers to do a birthday post on one who is still alive.

Niven has written some of the milestones of the field, particularly Ringworld. Today I want to take a quick look at a short story that takes place early in the Known Space series, a future history of which Ringworld is a part.

One of the things Niven focused on in his early writings was organlegging, the illegal harvesting and transplanting of human organs. In Niven’s future, the death penalty is expanded to encompass all manner of trivial crimes, in the interest of saving a life.

“The Jigsaw Man” concerns a man who has been arrested and knows  he’s going to get the death penalty.  We aren’t told until the end of the story what his crime is, just that it isn’t deserving of death. In the next cell is an organ legger who  has had a bomb planted in his femur. When he detonates it, the main character manages to escape.  At least for a while.

“The Jigsaw Man” is a tight little story that makes for an entertaining read. It’s currently available in Overruled!, edited by Hank Davis and Christopher Ruocchio.  These guys put together some great anthologies, so pick this one up.

And Happy Birthday, Mr. Niven!