In it a civilization of under-evolved, elephantine creatures overrun a much more advanced civilization by force, and inherit their advanced technology. They proceed to use it to clumsily conquer every planet they find.

It’s not spoiling the ending to say that things don’t go as expected for them on Earth. And the book has one of my favorite descriptions ever. A space ship is lifting off, a large one. It is lifted by a series of atomic bombs going off under it. (This was a real idea called Project Orion.) The authors describe the launch as experienced by the passengers:

“God was knocking on the door. And He wanted in real bad.”

Anyway, I often think of those space barbarians when I see cretins from a culture totally incapable of producing anything like eye glasses or the internet using the technology of its enemies. Here’s hoping things don’t get quite as bad as they did in Niven and Pournelle’s book before we win.

As we shall. Some day.

UPDATE:

Dan Simmons thinks they’ll get that bad. And worse. (Caution: language)

UPDATED UPDATE
Speaking of terrifying technology in the hands of savages, how did I miss the bomb?