Book Overview
WINNEROFTHEHUGOANDNEBULAAWARDS - Frederik Pohl stands shoulder to shoulder with Philip K. Dick, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury as one of the brilliant vision-aries in the science fiction stratosphere. Gateway is a modern masterpiece that defines--and transcends--its genre. Seeded among the stars are troves of valuable artifactsleft behind by the enigmatic, long-vanished alien racecalled the Heechee. For the right price, anyone can climb aboard one of the abandoned Heechee spaceships, castoff on an autopilot voyage to parts unknown, and takea chance on finding wealth . . . or facing death. Robinette Broadhead took that chance and walked awaya winner. But at what cost? Despite living a millionaire's life of material luxury, he's haunted by crippling despair--and the dark secrets buried deep in his psyche. With the help of his computerized psychiatrist, the truth about whathappened "out there" could set Broadhead free. But only after a personal journey more terrifying and, ultimately, more devastating than his last fateful trip into space. Praise for Gateway "When an author of the stature of Frederik Pohl says that . . . Gateway is the best thing he has ever written, it deserves careful attention. . . . Get this one." -- Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine "Ccompulsive reading." -- Chicago Daily News "Wonderfully satisfying." -- The New York Times Book Review
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0345475836
ISBN13:9780345475831
Release Date:October 2004
Publisher:Random House Worlds
Length:288 Pages
Weight:0.55 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
First or second on my list of Great SciFi Experiences
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Read this years ago, haven't forgotten a word. Astounded that nobody's made a movie of it -- can't think of a more cinematic novel. Because of its odd structure and unexpected humor, some might think it just plain strange -- but rarely has the intensity ratcheted up, for me, as highly as in this one book. Only caveat is this, and let me be absolutely clear: Do. Not. Read. The. Sequels.
A complete work in itself.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
GATEWAY is the first in a 4 book series... but the other books could be considered optional.The setting is rather simple, though the story seems to take on part a life of its own. Humans discover that an ancient race has left them with starships to explore their universe with... only the human beings cannot control, or even understand them. This enigma leads to a simple solution: promise reward to the brave souls who will dare try and pilot one of the craft, and pray they come back alive, as many do not.This is the setup, and the story starts here, but winds up in any of a thousand places. In the end all question of who the ancient beings were who built and left the ships and their nesting place, Gateway Station, remain a mystery. The ending is, however, satisfying enough to leave it at just that. For those who want to know what becomes of the "hero" of the story, Robinette Broadhead, and know the identity of the older-than-time alien civilization of the Heechee, read on.
Superiour Science Fiction
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Wow. I just finished this book the other day. Unlike what other people have said Pohl is surely a master of his art. This is what I'd consider Hard Core Science Fiction, much like that of Asimov. The story is written in a great fashion, from the past to future, but never leaves you completely in the dark as to what's going on. I have yet to read the rest of the series, but this is the true meaning to superior science fiction. It was all worth the last line (now THAT'S how you end a book!) I wish I could give more stars.
Pohl's best, and that's saying something
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Although the character of Robinette Broadhead is expertly handled and the frame narrative adds to the suspense, I think the real reason this is one of the greatest sf novels of all time lies in the world Pohl has created. He has taken a silly idea, something you'd expect to find in a pre-Campbell pulp or a Silver Age comic book, and made it perfectly plausible. Imagine how it would have been done then: people discover a mysterious box and find that when you enter you will either die or become rich. It's a cool idea, and a great setup for a story, but it's also terminally silly. Pohl has taken this clumsy deus ex machina box and opened it for us, so that the roulette wheel of Gateway makes perfect sense, and both the risk and the reward become logical, even necessary, extensions of the place. My one complaint: Pohl is too addicted to the practice of ending each chapter with a clever sentence.
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