Cover Artist: Boris Vallejo
Gateway opened on all the wealth of the Universe...and on reaches of unimaginable horror. When prospector Bob Broadh...
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reviews
Mar 03, 2011
D_Davis
rated it: 
While reading this, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. I knew it was good, I was into the characters, and the drama was tangible. However, I kept waiting for something big to happen. I kept waiting for a big reveal, and that reveal never really came. When I finished the book, I was a tad disappointed. But some time later, I looked back at it, and it started to grow on me.
It really is all about the character development. SF is not (EVER!) reliant upon any certain setting, or techn More...
It really is all about the character development. SF is not (EVER!) reliant upon any certain setting, or techn More...
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Apr 11, 2008
Sam
rated it:
Frederik Pohl is a very good writer, reminiscent of Robert Silverberg - Silverberg is better with characterization and his literary skills are a half-step above, but Pohl's ability to manipulate large amounts of plot arc at a surgical level is incredible and they both create vivid, realistic seeming worlds with real, living characters, none of the Azimov cardboard men, and both develop their themes subtly through plot and characterization, rather than through preachy dialog and other cheap mecha
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Dec 30, 2010
Mark
rated it: 
"Gateway" by Frederik Pohl has long been considered a classic of Science Fiction and deservedly so. It's earned its status honestly and is one of the best books I have ever read.
What separates this from the myriad other science fiction and fantasy offerings out there?
It's the characters.
The Plot
Gateway is an asteroid in our Solar System that was hollowed out and made into a base of operations by the mysterious ancient alien race known as More...
What separates this from the myriad other science fiction and fantasy offerings out there?
It's the characters.
The Plot
Gateway is an asteroid in our Solar System that was hollowed out and made into a base of operations by the mysterious ancient alien race known as More...
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Aug 09, 2007
Abe
rated it:
I read this book in 2006 — 30 years after it was first published — and it immediately shot up to my top 10 list of science fiction books. It is highly original, entertaining and thought provoking. It loses none of it's wow! even 30 years after it was written.
Oct 24, 2009
Manny
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 03, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
At a time of food shortages, a crashing world economy and recently expensive fuel, Gateway by Frederik Pohl is relevant and contemporary. Told in flashback through a series of conversations between a patient and his psychiatrist, Gateway, is an account of Robinette Broadhead's time on Gateway, an alien outpost.
Gateway captures the feeling of adventure of the classic frontier stories bringing to mind the works of Daniel Defoe, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London and Jules Verne. Gatew More...
Gateway captures the feeling of adventure of the classic frontier stories bringing to mind the works of Daniel Defoe, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London and Jules Verne. Gatew More...
Jun 20, 2011
Brendan
rated it:
SO GOOD. SO GOOD. Part of a big Father's Day weekend buying binge of science fiction, zombie fiction, and Ray Bradbury.
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Mar 19, 2007
Michael
rated it:
It's not often that a science fiction novel transcends the genre. Sci-fi authors tend to be singularly focused on their techy premises, more often than not. Human interaction within the genre is often stilted and corny, like the under-developed social skills of a geeky computer science prof. This book is a wonderful exception to the rule. Besides the get-rich-quick plot and the heady scenerio of a black hole and time-stands-still event horizon, the book is funny, sad and thought provoking.
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 22, 2008
Marc
rated it:
I really like this one.
The structure of the book is interesting, it runs in two simultaneous threads, one a future thread with the lead character talking to a computerised psychologist. The other thread is back in his past, before the things that have messed him up have actually happened. The threads finally meet in the middle at the end of the book.
The story itself is really cool. Humans have stumbled upon some relics from an alien civilisation, including a huge s More...
The structure of the book is interesting, it runs in two simultaneous threads, one a future thread with the lead character talking to a computerised psychologist. The other thread is back in his past, before the things that have messed him up have actually happened. The threads finally meet in the middle at the end of the book.
The story itself is really cool. Humans have stumbled upon some relics from an alien civilisation, including a huge s More...
Jul 31, 2011
Jason (FNORDinc)
rated it:
Space scares me.
Scratch that.. When I am on the beach, I do not fear drowning in the ocean. It is not what happens to my body after I am dead that frightens me. I don’t really fear the numerous little nibbly biting things that will slowly devour my corpse until nothing remains.
Space is similar. I do not fear decompression. I don’t really fear the floating forever bit with no boundaries or edges, just an expanse of nothingness with no explanations or hope of understanding More...
Scratch that.. When I am on the beach, I do not fear drowning in the ocean. It is not what happens to my body after I am dead that frightens me. I don’t really fear the numerous little nibbly biting things that will slowly devour my corpse until nothing remains.
Space is similar. I do not fear decompression. I don’t really fear the floating forever bit with no boundaries or edges, just an expanse of nothingness with no explanations or hope of understanding More...
Jul 20, 2011
Mike
rated it:
This book is basically a character study of a somewhat pathetic and reprehensible person. The setting is fairly well realized. It would be more interesting if there were any chance or hint that we would ever find out anything about why/how the setting came to be. Perhaps later books in the series deal more with the HeeChee, why Gateway exists, the political makeup of the earth and colonies etc.
But this book isn't about that. It's about Bob Broadhead, a cowardly and not terribly br More...
But this book isn't about that. It's about Bob Broadhead, a cowardly and not terribly br More...
Nov 28, 2010
Peter
rated it:
Pohl won a Hugo and a Nebula for Gateway, deservedly so.
Frederik Pohl was, of course, one of the Golden Age writers of SF. But Gateway showed that he was hardly stuck in the 1950s. It was very innovative for its time. The general tone is quite modern. Much of the book is about the therapy of Robinette Broadhead, an ex-astronaut with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. The PTSD is understandable, since his spaceflights were taken in several alien spacecraft that no one knew how to op More...
Frederik Pohl was, of course, one of the Golden Age writers of SF. But Gateway showed that he was hardly stuck in the 1950s. It was very innovative for its time. The general tone is quite modern. Much of the book is about the therapy of Robinette Broadhead, an ex-astronaut with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. The PTSD is understandable, since his spaceflights were taken in several alien spacecraft that no one knew how to op More...
Oct 24, 2010
Simcha
rated it:
Although it's been over a year now since I first challenged myself to start reading science fiction, I still find myself intimidated by the hard core stuff. To me, Gateway by Frederik Pohl falls into this category because it's written by a top scifi author and it has a cover featuring spaceships shooting at each other in outer space. That's heavy-duty scifi stuff.
But when I recently found myself in possession of a copy of Gateway I thought it couldn't hurt to take a look inside, just More...
But when I recently found myself in possession of a copy of Gateway I thought it couldn't hurt to take a look inside, just More...
Sep 08, 2010
Harmonybites
rated it:
Humans have discovered an ancient and abandoned space depot on an asteroid. The ships will take passengers to set headings and bring them back automatically. Since they can't be reverse engineered, the Gateway Corporation allows "prospectors" to take ships out. There's about one chance in four they'll never come back alive--but there's also a chance they could come back rich. This is set in a dystopic society where to not be rich means you can't get "Major Medical" (catastrop
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Jul 29, 2010
Jonah
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 02, 2010
James
rated it:
This is more like it. The second of today's two Hugo-winners, Gateway was tremendously satisfying. The premise is heavier on the "fiction" than the "science"--an ancient and extinct culture from Venus left an asteroid filled with wacky ships that will travel unimaginable distances. Yet, because the controls are inscrutable to humans, crews never know where they're going--or whether they will even return alive. But success can mean great wealth and security on an overcrowded
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Jan 26, 2010
Steven
rated it:
I originally read this book years ago while in the military. It turned me back on to science fiction and saved me from the doldrums while stationed at Fort Knox.
The book holds up pretty well. There are some anachronisms - our visions of the future have changed radically - but not enough that it really bothers the flow of the book. This is, after all, a *character* story. The character development arc, as revealed by both history and intercut psychiatric sessions, is a finely cr More...
The book holds up pretty well. There are some anachronisms - our visions of the future have changed radically - but not enough that it really bothers the flow of the book. This is, after all, a *character* story. The character development arc, as revealed by both history and intercut psychiatric sessions, is a finely cr More...
Nov 04, 2009
Don
rated it:
This is the second book I've read by author Frederik Pohl. JEM was the first book and I enjoyed that one and thought I'd pick up his most famous book Gateway. I thought this book was well written, I like how it keeps jumping from past to present and how the main character is trying to come to grips with himself. Basically the past story is about the main characters experience on Gateway, this abandoned alien made transportation station found out in space. The human race doesn't understand the te
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Aug 18, 2009
Patrick
rated it:
I didn't have very high expectations going into this novel, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It quickly turned into a book I couldn't put down, and is a great example of really good genre writing (and I'm not using that term in a patronizing way).
The plot is reminiscent of “Stalker/Roadside Picnic,” and probably a million other science fiction stories that take the idea of abusing undecipherable alien technology and exploiting it for science and profit. I've always been a fan of More...
The plot is reminiscent of “Stalker/Roadside Picnic,” and probably a million other science fiction stories that take the idea of abusing undecipherable alien technology and exploiting it for science and profit. I've always been a fan of More...
Jul 22, 2011
Angela
rated it:
A foundational text for me, this is 1970s, New Wave, fun, smart sci fi. Its vibe of the irreverent and the mundane, as seen through the eyes of a protagonist in a high-tension, kinda shitty "space adventure", is just pitch perfect.
Robinette "Bob" Broadhead gets mixed up with other desperate (usually poor) human guinea pigs on the Heechee space station near Earth called "Gateway". The Heechee are a species of mysterious alien life forms that have disappear More...
Robinette "Bob" Broadhead gets mixed up with other desperate (usually poor) human guinea pigs on the Heechee space station near Earth called "Gateway". The Heechee are a species of mysterious alien life forms that have disappear More...
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Apr 23, 2009
Glenn
rated it:
I'm in a science fiction state of mind. I was looking through my many “to be read” lists the other day and was drawn to the SF, and that brought me to Frederik Pohl. Pohl is one of science fiction's Grand Masters, one of the best known names in the genre. The Hugo and Nebula award winning Gateway is one of his best known works. Since it's publication in 1977 it has spawned several sequels and a couple of computer games.
The premise of Gateway is pretty clever. Mankind has found relics More...
The premise of Gateway is pretty clever. Mankind has found relics More...
Apr 01, 2011
Christopher
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 12, 2012
Donna
rated it:
Once I started listening to this, I vaguely remembered reading it years ago. I remembered the Heechee and the general idea of Gateway but luckily did not remember the plot itself.
This book tells the story of Robinette Broadhead by alternating between psychiatric sessions in later years with his time at Gateway. I find Gateway absolutely fascinating, the idea of this very advanced ancient civilization that disappeared long ago and now humans are desperately trying to find what amoun More...
This book tells the story of Robinette Broadhead by alternating between psychiatric sessions in later years with his time at Gateway. I find Gateway absolutely fascinating, the idea of this very advanced ancient civilization that disappeared long ago and now humans are desperately trying to find what amoun More...
Jan 25, 2009
Christine
rated it:
This is classic scifi at its best and one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a while. I flew through this book, the suspense driving me through almost from page 1. The ending -- well, I won't spoil the ending, but it was well worth the journey.
In a nutshell, Gateway is leftover alien technology that sends ships through wormholes to....wherever. No one knows just how it works or where you'll end up on the other side. You could find a new inhabitable planet or you could find yours More...
In a nutshell, Gateway is leftover alien technology that sends ships through wormholes to....wherever. No one knows just how it works or where you'll end up on the other side. You could find a new inhabitable planet or you could find yours More...
Jan 16, 2012
Chris
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 24, 2010
Raj
rated it:
Gateway is an asteroid found in an odd orbit in the solar system that contains a multitude of ships left behind by the departed Heechee. The ships are easy to pilot but impossible to control. Their pilots may find things that make them rich or their remains may be barely identifiable, if they make it back at all.
Robinette Broadhead is one such pilot who has made it rich but feels the need to see an AI therapist that he calls Sigfrid von Shrink and the book is alternates between Rob's More...
Robinette Broadhead is one such pilot who has made it rich but feels the need to see an AI therapist that he calls Sigfrid von Shrink and the book is alternates between Rob's More...
May 18, 2010
Liam/Lew
rated it:
A very enjoyable read that maintains great suspense despite heavy foreshadowing and alternate timelines. One is the main character with his robotic shrink ("present day"), the other his time on gateway. Both are engaging and feed off each other well.
The insight into human nature and psychology is well crafted, though the occassional more literal applications of Fruedian principals (present day timeline) may be out of date or skewed interpretation, they don't take away for More...
The insight into human nature and psychology is well crafted, though the occassional more literal applications of Fruedian principals (present day timeline) may be out of date or skewed interpretation, they don't take away for More...
May 21, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
I really liked the premise of this book, but I didn't care for the main character. Perhaps I am supposed to dislike him? But even if it's intentional, that doesn't make it good. Especially since I just recently read The Stars My Destination which purposely has an unlikable protagonist, and carries it off much better. Although, to be fair in The Stars My Destination the protagonist is bad, and in this book the protagonist is a coward--it's easier to like bad.
I also could have done wit More...
I also could have done wit More...
Jul 01, 2011
Jonathan
rated it:
I wanted to like this book but ended up annoyed and slightly disgusted. I was hopeful at first because the sci-fi elements were interesting and seems to have potential (the Heechee ships, Gateway, the food mines etc). I'd also recently finished his enjoyable capitalist-dystopian novels The Space Merchants and sequel The Merchants' War.
Sadly there is nothing to like about Pohl's protagonist in this novel, in fact Bob is a despicable human being on all accounts (and not in an intenti More...
Sadly there is nothing to like about Pohl's protagonist in this novel, in fact Bob is a despicable human being on all accounts (and not in an intenti More...
Dec 25, 2009
Richard
rated it:
This was a strange book. I ended up liking it more than I had expected, but still can't summon the enthusiasm for four stars.
The story is bifurcated. The first arc involves our antihero, Bob (actually, "Robinette Broadhead") gradually involving himself in the dangerous but perhaps rewarding effort taking place at Gateway. This is an alien space station constructed by the long-gone Heechee. The spaceships they left there are still functional, although completely mystifying. More...
The story is bifurcated. The first arc involves our antihero, Bob (actually, "Robinette Broadhead") gradually involving himself in the dangerous but perhaps rewarding effort taking place at Gateway. This is an alien space station constructed by the long-gone Heechee. The spaceships they left there are still functional, although completely mystifying. More...
