History Literature / TheMoteInGodsEye

* CowTools: The toolroom "IQ" test used on the Motie ambassador ship, to determine the technical abilities of the humans they were visiting.
** Some of the humans think it's an IQ test, but Motie culture is ''different''. Their initial interpretation of the results is that the engineer, who does pretty well on the tool test, is an idiot savant and not worth communicating with, since in their culture the Mediators (who do all the talking) are completely uninterested in such things. All the humans who "failed" the test get a dedicated fyunch(click) (think personal translator); the engineer doesn't get one until after the Moties learn enough English to find out humans don't specialize to the same extent, and it later develops that the engineer's fyunch(click) has been slowly going insane (by Motie standards) since the engineer keeps talking to her about ''technical'' things.

** Also in the first book, one Mediator shocks the others by [[spoiler:killing her Fyuck(click)]]. It is clear to the reader, however, that she realized that he faced a SadisticChoice, and identified him with so thoroughly that she shared the dilemma and took this as the third option [[spoiler: between suicide and risking the human race by capture]].

** "Come, I will conceal nothing from you". Renner (and Renner's fyunch(click!) make a point of complete candor... even though, perhaps because it puts other humans off-balance.

* WithDueRespect: The ''correct'' way to contradict a Senator is to say "That turns out not to be the case."

* ColonyDrop: the Moties got this one covered by virtue of there being no fissionables left in their star system. Luckily, there were plenty of asteroids around, until they were moved further out in the system to prevent further use as bombardment tools.

* ArcWords: "Come, I will conceal nothing from you". Renner (and Renner's fyunch(click!) make a point of complete candor... even though, perhaps because it puts other humans off-balance.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Subverted in ''Mote'', in which [[TheGoodCaptain Captain Blaine]] is a nobleman (heir-apparent to a Marquis), and is a decent guy. WordOfGod is that ''Mote'' is set in a time when the Empire is in a dynamic, expansionist phase, with the aristocrats generally more concerned with duties than privileges. By the time of ''Hand'', there are references that may indicate that the reverse is gradually becoming true, and the Empire is starting to exhibit signs of decadence (at least on the capital world). Blaine himself is still a decent guy, though.
** The Motie Masters, on the other hand (sorry!), seem almost entirely motivated by self-interest.

* ArcWords: "Come, I will conceal nothing from you". Renner (and Renner's fyunch(click!) make a point of complete candor... even when it puts other humans off-balance.

* ExplosiveBreeder: [[spoiler:Every species of Motie - except the Mediators and Keepers (Mediators are sterile physically-female mules; Keepers are sterile males)]]. It's at one point explicitly stated that the only method of contraception available for them is infanticide.

''The Mote in God's Eye'', by Creator/LarryNiven and Jerry Pournelle, is a science fiction novel that was first published in 1974. The story is set in the distant future of Pournelle's ''Literature/{{CoDominium}}'' universe, and charts the FirstContact between humankind and an alien species. The title of the novel is a wordplay on Luke 6:41-42 and Matthew 7:3-5. ''The Mote in God's Eye'' was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards in 1975.

* BizarreAlienPsychology: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Motie mediators assigned to human emissaries go mad trying to comprehend how they act.
** In particular, the Mediator assigned to Captain Blaine goes mad, unable to comprehend the chain of command, and how one being both gave and responded to orders.

* CasualInterstellarTravel: Due to the Alderson Drive, it only takes the blink of an eye to travel between star systems. However, the trip is only possible along certain "[[HyperspaceLanes tramways]]" ending near a star, and ships spend days or weeks travelling interplanetary distances getting from one endpoint to the other, or to the target planet.

* DecadeDissonance: ''The Mote in God's Eye'' features the INSS ''Lenin'', a massive battleship with a reputation of being a nigh-invincible mobile DepopulationBomb (see immediately below). In the sequel, ''The Gripping Hand,'' 25 years later, the main character tools around in an aircraft described as if it was found and restored from the Alaskan bush.

* ExplosiveBreeder: [[spoiler:Every species of Motie - except the Mediators and Keepers (Mediators are sterile physically-female mules; Keepers are sterile males)]].
** It's at one point explicitly stated that the only method of contraception available for [[spoiler: Moties]] is infanticide.

--> '''Jack Cargill:''' Will you stop talking like that? You talk just like everyone else when you get angry!
--> '''Jock Sinclair:''' [[OohMeAccentsSlipping THAT'S A DAMNED LIE!]]

* NuclearWeaponsTaboo:
** The Moties don't have nukes, though not by choice, as their system has run out of fissionables. Not to worry though, [[ColonyDrop they found something just as good as nukes.]]
** Subverted in the sequel, in that when several thermonuclear devices are used [[spoiler:by Bury, who brought them "just in case"]] in trying to contain the Moties who have recently gained a new means out of their system, they're quite shocked/impressed with its capabilities.

[[quoteright:234:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moteingodseye_1741.jpg]]

* BizarreAlienBiology: Moties have an asymmetrical anatomy, and their reproductive system differs greatly from most terran species. [[spoiler: All Moties of all types are born male. After a while, they change genders and become female (except the Keepers). If they don't get pregnant and give birth, they die. If they do get pregnant and give birth, they become male again. This cycle repeats - no one's quite sure how old a Motie can get if they keep with the cycle.]]

* LaResistance: In ''The Gripping Hand'', the "Medina Traders" are effectively the LaResistance against the much larger "Khanate". There's also passing mention of a potential Mormon uprising in human space, towards the beginning of the book.

* DepopulationBomb: Admiral Kutuzov has a certain reputation for this one, given his involvement in quelling a budding rebelion in a rather terminal manner for the local populace.

* SpareToTheThrone: Commander Roderick Blaine was the second oldest son in a noble family, who wanted nothing more than a Navy career and the chance to become Grand Admiral someday. His older brother George was in line to inherit the estates and title when their father retired but was killed in battle, leaving Rod as the heir. He is also related to the Imperial family, not too far down the line of succession.

''The Mote in God's Eye'', by Creator/LarryNiven and Creator/JerryPournelle, is a science fiction novel that was first published in 1974. The story is set in the distant future of Pournelle's ''Literature/{{CoDominium}}'' universe, and charts the FirstContact between humankind and an alien species. The title of the novel is a wordplay on Luke 6:41-42 and Matthew 7:3-5. ''The Mote in God's Eye'' was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards in 1975.

* AbsentmindedProfessor: Dr. Buckman in ''The Mote in God's Eye'' and ''The Gripping Hand''. Not a terribly important character, but an excellent example.

* HumansThroughAlienEyes: We are as strange to the Moties as they are to us, perhaps more so. They don't regard humanity with fear, exactly, but they are confused by our biology and culture. Motie diplomats are trained to think exactly like the person they are negotiating with. Diplomats who think too much like humans are regarded as having gone [[HumansAreInsane insane]] - see above.

* SpareToTheThrone: Commander Roderick Blaine was the second oldest son in a noble family, who wanted nothing more than a Navy career and the chance to become Grand Admiral someday. His older brother George was in line to inherit the estates and title when their father retired but was killed in battle, leaving Rod as the heir.

* MarketBasedTitle: ''The Moat Around Murcheson's Eye'' in the United Kingdom and some other countries.

** Some of the humans think it's an IQ test. Motie culture is ''different''. Their initial interpretation of the results is that the ship's engineer, who does pretty well on the tool test, is an idiot savant and not worth communicating with, since in their culture the Mediators (who do all the talking) are completely uninterested in such things.

** The Runner, Farmer and Engineer castes on Mote Prime. Engineers in particular are pretty much treated like portable autopilots. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that the Moties bomb themselves back to the Stone Age every five generations or so, are aware of the fact, and keep the old methods around as preparation for the next time.
*** Also, there is the very true point that, for the Motie civilization, they will never, ever, ''ever'' find themselves facing a shortage of laborers. Automating things just deprives Moties of something that they could be doing. Therefore, it rarely would occur to them to just give the job to a machine.