The Soft Weapon

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"The Soft Weapon" is a science fiction short story by the American writer Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe. It was first published in the February 1967 issue of If.^[1]

The story introduces the character of Nessus, a Puppeteer who later became one of the main characters of the novel Ringworld. The story is retold, from the point of view of Nessus, in Juggler of Worlds.

"The Soft Weapon" was first published in If in 1967 and has since been included in the short story collections Neutron Star (1968) and Playgrounds of the Mind (1991).