What is the author's style in Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven?

The book is written in an easy-to-read style, but some readers will likely find it rather difficult to get into the story because of the sheer number of characters that must be introduced before the action can begin. This is an unwieldy task, and it's easy to confuse character identities. However, there is a list of characters at the beginning of the book with brief descriptions of each. While these bios aren't sufficient to fully understand a character, they are available so that readers may prod their memories regarding a particular name. With forty-seven characters on Niven's list, it's easy to see how a reader can lose track of a particular character.