Larry Niven is a prolific American science fiction writer. His best known works are a collection of short stories and books informally referred to as "Tales of Known Space". The first book in the Known Space series is Ringworld, and it received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. Niven has also written fantasy novels, including the series The Magic Goes Away. He has also collaborated with fellow science fiction authors Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes on several books.