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The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story (Gap #1)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 3,930 ratings · 183 reviews

Author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, one of the most acclaimed fantasy series of all time, master storyteller Stephen R. Donaldson returns with this exciting and long-awaited new series that takes us into a stunningly imagined future to tell a timeless story of adventure and the implacable conflict of good and evil within each of us.
Angus Thermopyle was an ore pira...more

Mass Market Paperback, 241 pages

Published July 1992 by Spectra (first published 1990)

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Sep 10, 2007 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Gap really explores the cycle of hero/victim/villain. Between the first book and the last, the cycle has turned atleast twice, with the main characters exploring and fulfilling all the roles.

The Real story is a brutal book. No mistake, its a hard read. But between Donaldson's writing, and the compelling back story, it really sets the stage for a wider story. The characters do develop and change over time. This is a dark book, with dark characters, and is by no means a book that is intended f...more

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Jun 12, 2010 notgettingenough rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

3am. Surely the right time.

Call me completely insane, but I've agreed to read this (I wrote a few months ago)

....after a conversation that went like this:

Me: I hate Thomas Covenant
Noela: But you have to read the Gap series
Me: Huh?
Noela: It is about a girl who has the most appalling things happen to her. You read a bit, put it down thinking 'that's it! No more' but then you can't help yourself. You have to know what dreadful thing is going to happen to her next. You have to!
Me: Grumble, grumble,...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I will tell you what I don't like about this book right up front, to warn those who might wish to be warned: there's a LOT of raping and psychological abusing of the main female character. In fact, it's an essential element of the story most of the way through the book. I don't criticize the actual book for it, because it was necessary in order to tell this particular story about this particular man who was acting fully within his character to do such a thing. But it's still really unpleasant to...more I will tell you what I don't like about this book right up front, to warn those who might wish to be warned: there's a LOT of raping and psychological abusing of the main female character. In fact, it's an essential element of the story most of the way through the book. I don't criticize the actual book for it, because it was necessary in order to tell this particular story about this particular man who was acting fully within his character to do such a thing. But it's still really unpleasant to read. If you can't stomach that sort of thing, steer clear.

Now, on to the good stuff.

The first thing I **loved** about this book was its structure. First, we are told about a very brief scene and its subsequent aftermath from the point of view (and therefore, pure opinion) of most of the casual onlookers who witnessed it. Then we dial back and are told about the exact same sequence of events from the point of view of the onlookers who were more observant, and noticed things the casual bystanders did not. They have a slightly different hypothesis about what happened because they observed differently. Then we dial back AGAIN and see the same sequence of events from what the investigating security and official staff were able to piece together afterwards, using records and personal interviews, as well as their professional intuition and experience. Again, they paint a slightly different picture than the other observers, because they have slightly different information.

Then we get the real story, from the points of view of the two - and later three - players involved. But even here, there are three different versions of the story being told, because each person has a very different perspective on what is happening. So now we know the actual events that occurred, and yet we're still left facing the idea that there is no actual conclusive true story, because each of them experienced a different version of the same events.

I. Freakin'. Love that. Yes indeedy.

The other reason I really liked this book was that Donaldson wrote a totally unlikeable main character, and succeeding in making the reader care about him. In general, people like to root for people they identify with somehow, at least in part. That's why we root for the underdog - because we all feel like life hasn't really given us our fair shake. So its rare to find a book where the protagonist is completely detestable, because what reader would desire to root for him? It's even more rare to find such a protagonist that is written so well that we actually do want him to succeed. These rare successful attempts are one of my favorite things to read.

This little novella is the first of a series, which I may or may not continue to read, but it also stands on its own as a fantastic open and shut character study. Bravo.(less)

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Mar 22, 2012 Miriam rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Stephen R. Donaldson since I read the Thomas Covenant Chronicles in the 70s. In this new series, the Gap Chronicles, Donaldson moves to science fiction from fantasy. Be warned, this is a brutal series to read (like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), but it is also a phenomenal study in character development. The first book is the most difficult, and really only sets the stage for the rest of the series. I read this series after it was completed so I was able to read it straig...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Christopher rated it 4 of 5 stars

It starts with a brief summary of the story "everyone knows" -- what the general public assumed happened to the villainous brute, the beautiful space police officer, and the dashing pirate. Then it tells you the real story, which is... not the same story at all.

This is a tough read. The protagonist has terrible, terrible things happen to her, and Donaldson is a writer who seems to enjoy writing about nasty, vicious, horrifically flawed people... and they show up all over the place. On the other...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Nikko Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Why I read this book:
First, I have to admit to having read the 5th book in the Gap Sequence without knowing anything about the previous books years ago. What stuck in my mind was the tragic bonds between two of the leading characters. When a friend offered me access to her vaste Scifi/fantasy library I decided to start at the beginning with The Real Story.

My one sentence summary:

The Real Story explores the basic principals of interdependance between a damaged UMCP officer and the outwardly ruthl...more Why I read this book:
First, I have to admit to having read the 5th book in the Gap Sequence without knowing anything about the previous books years ago. What stuck in my mind was the tragic bonds between two of the leading characters. When a friend offered me access to her vaste Scifi/fantasy library I decided to start at the beginning with The Real Story.

My one sentence summary:

The Real Story explores the basic principals of interdependance between a damaged UMCP officer and the outwardly ruthless inwardly terrified space pirate who forces her to bend to his twisted will.

Kuddos:
The first thing that struck me as I started to read this relatively short and fast-paced novel was how Donaldson dangles a superficial account of the who novel's events in the first chapter only to end the chapter telling that version isn't the real story. The rest of the novel explores the whys and hows largely through Angus' point of view. He is brutal and ruthless yet profoundly damaged in a way that made his character sympathetic even if he was no where near likable. I found myself at once cringing and compelled to keep reading as Angus took out all his inner fears and insecurities on Morn's body, mind, and spirit. Too late does he realize that hurting her is only a way to hurt himself.

Quibbles:
The structure left me wanting for a more organized narrative. The narrative is raw. In places that adds to the story and in others it was confusing for me to follow. At barely over 200 pages it's a fast read even for a slow reader and interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. I hope to hear from Morn a little more in the next books. Her narrative was slight. I'm often annoyed by characters that seem too perfect in some way. Morn is a little too good at coping with her abuse, but Donaldson builds enough around that element to make me want to over look it.

Final verdict:
The dark bond formed between Angus and Morn is enough to keep me interested in reading the next book in the series and pretty much anything Donaldson writes.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 18, 2010 Asher rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is my opinion on the entire Gap Series, not just the first book, which is by the weakest.
Indeed this is one those book series that grows better which each installment.
What seems to start out as a very shallow exploitationist space opera eventually turns into a rather
complex narrative with at least most of the characters gaining a third dimension somewhere when you least expect.

The most memorable experience i had during the reading of the series happened somewhere in book three or four, when...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Carl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasysci-fi

Having written this (and having had it actually turn into a longer review), I should warn you-- this contains spoilers! Even if not very explicit ones.

Wish I had time to write a longer review-- I'm giving it 5 stars, though I didn't always feel like it was worth that-- but I really really like how different the story is and how Donaldson is trying to do something unique in the field of space opera.

He has a section at the end where he explains the genesis of the story and the connection to Wagne...more Having written this (and having had it actually turn into a longer review), I should warn you-- this contains spoilers! Even if not very explicit ones.

Wish I had time to write a longer review-- I'm giving it 5 stars, though I didn't always feel like it was worth that-- but I really really like how different the story is and how Donaldson is trying to do something unique in the field of space opera.

He has a section at the end where he explains the genesis of the story and the connection to Wagner's Ring cycle. I'd heard of this series as his take on Volsunga saga, but seeing it as inspired by Wagner (and dealing with similar themes) makes more sense.

I have to admit it is really hard to read through a story which centers so much around a psychopath breaking a woman through violence and rape, but in his favor Donaldson does not linger on details in a pornographic way (actually, he does a good job keeping the horror somewhat off camera, without letting us think that rape is any less horrible than it is), and I think I would say that he does accomplish his goal (sorry, spoiler here!) of switching the structural roles of the triangle of characters-- villain becomes victim, victim becomes rescuer, hero becomes villain. Actually, just the fact that this is clearly a structural switch (and very dependent on the perspective through which the configuration is viewed), rather than a change in some inherent characteristic in each of them, is a fairly powerful statement, imho, esp. in the world of space opera which has had its share of evil strawmen. The central character is still very despicable (at first you think he is too extreme a villain, but by the end I saw him as a plausible psychopath-- after all, people have done such horrible things before-- but I'm no psychologist, and don't know if the description of his internal mental life, motives, etc, is realistic or not), but it's a great author who can show a reversal like this without excusing the despicable things which were done. Of course, the act of mercy on the part of the former victim (while it doesn't actually resolve anything-- really, just delays resolution till future books, I assume) feels a bit tarnished, too clearly a case of Stockholm Syndrome-- well, except for the fact that she still wants to escape and does. But hey, let's let mercy be mercy.

This book feels very unusual, and the brief look I've taken at the next book tells me that "The Real Story" is set apart even within it's own series-- it feels like a prologue (and the connection Donaldson gives to the Ring cycle seems to corroborate this), a very concentrated, reduced narrative which is setting the stage for everything else. In what way, I don't know yet, but I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series! Also need to get around to watching the whole ring cycle-- anyone have 15-20 hours to spare? (less)

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Oct 04, 2009 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Not having picked up a Donaldson book since the second trilogy of Thomas Covenant, I was surprised to rediscover just how much I savor this author's prose. Reading his books is tantamount to Hannibal Lector adorning his meal with fava beans. I really feel like I get into the character's heads.

This book is essentially a science-fiction homage to Wagner's Ring Cycle, but it is considerably more than that. It deals with a cataclysmic love triangle, but it is considerably more than a soap opera or t...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Michael Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an interesting perspective on rivalry and revenge that provides a tough and brutal analysis of a truly disturbing individual (murderer, pirate, rapist) and the things he does to further his own goals, yet you cannot help but feel sympathetic to him -- just keep in mind that the rest of the cast of characters are not shining examples of humanity either! It begins with a brief and superficial synopsis of what the observers think they know about went went on between the victim, the villian...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, epic-fantasy

Author of The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, one of the most acclaimed fantasy series of all time, master storyteller Stephen R. Donaldson takes us into a stunningly imagined future to tell a timeless story of adventure and the implacable conflict of good and evil within each of us. Angus Thermopyle (that's Ther-mop-a-lee,) was an ore pirate and a murderer; even the most disreputable asteroid pilots of Delta Sector stayed locked out of his way. Those who didn't ended up in the lockup--or dead. B...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Molly Ison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: westeros-sff-book-list

3.5 stars - This is almost the best work of Donaldson's that I've read, and it has a lot of strengths that I don't find in his other works, but also many of the same weaknesses. Full disclosure - I quit on both Thomas Covenant and Mirror of Her Dreams because I found the writing style irritating and the imagined worlds facile.

The way that the story is laid out is for the most part, very clever and engrossing. Even though the apparent plotline and main events are laid out in the first chapter, t...more

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Aug 29, 2008 Barrett Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: BDSM Peeps

Shelves: science-fiction

I found this on the street and thought it was a science fiction book... halfway through I decided I had stumbled into a perverse romance novel, than towards the end I thought it was sci-fi... now I'm not quite sure. It's not exactly romantic with all the rape and sexual torture so explicity described, but, well, I don't know. I liked it, but felt kinda dirty afterwards and I don't quite feel like reading the next book in the series. I'm kinda scared to be honest.

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Jun 21, 2012 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

This is my first Donaldson book to read. I finished it in just a few days, and it wasn't because it was short, but because there was something about Donaldson's narrative style that made me going. The story is pretty simple, told by a narrator who doesn't leave much room for the reader to judge, who gives little description to the setting, the era, and what humankind has achieved and reached thus far, and who concentrates only on what the "real story" is. And yet, the story was captivating. Ther...more

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May 01, 2013 Geoff rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my second time reading this story, and it still holds up well. The first time I read it I was blown away by the brutality of the story and frankly embarrassed to say I enjoyed the story. The second time through it didn’t appall me as much, but then again I knew what I was getting into. This is typical Donaldson; he explores the darkness of the human soul and can put human despair down on paper better than any author out there, and it’s in full display here.

Anyway, this is the first book...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Eric Leblanc rated it 2 of 5 stars

Since I was waiting for the 3rd book of the final Covenant serie, I decided to give this one a shot. This book is a quick read, about 225 pages or so, quite uncharacteristics of Donaldson. I rated this book as "ok" because really, I can't find any other way to describe it.

The book is titled The real story, simply because the first 30 pages describe a situation that occured between two characters, and all the rumors and speculations about the whole situation are flying around. But of course, wha...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Timothy Tan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The starting novella of a bloody excellent series.

If you don't normally read the Author's Notes/Afterwords section of a book, I suggest you do so for this one. Donaldson lays out his grand plan in it: to re-tell Wagner's Ring cycle of opera's in an sf setting.

And he does so, brilliantly, IMO.

This series is *not* for the squeamish or the easily-frightened. As has been mentioned in other reviews, there is a lot of rape and general violence in these books -- the whole setting is one of moral filth...more

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May 11, 2012 MMOGC rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pirates, science-fiction

Another recommendation from my husband, with the caveat that The Gap series can be a pretty dark and brutal read. I asked, "Dark and brutal like A Song of Ice and Fire but with spaceships?" His answer: "Actually, that's not such a bad comparison, in the horrible-things-happening-to-the-main-characters kind of way." So I picked this up knowing exactly what I was in for.

This first book, originally meant to be a standalone novella, only reads like an introduction to the three main characters. Howe...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Jesse rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, pulp

The epitome of swashbuckling-in-space, a chronicle of two pirates and their bounty, the company of a young woman from an aristocratic enforcer family. It will effectively engage the sci-fi adventure enthusiast; it's always plausible and flows smoothly, and its twists and turns are neither forced nor too predictable. Its worst failing is its lack of ambition or restraint -- the shocks and traumas aren't delivered with enough gravity to feel really dramatic, and things seem a bit too stamped from...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Andreas rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is the first of the Gap series of five 5 novels, a grand space opera loosely based on the Nibelung Ring operas by Wagner (of which there is a synopsis at the end). A mere 184 pages, it is an idea piece that introduces three characters, and delves deeply into their psyche, especially that of the villain.

Donaldson’s space opera aspects are a constant mild annoyance, since he has taken the very worst of all clichés in the genre, without making even a token effort to be original. It’s like bein...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Keith rated it 4 of 5 stars

More violent than I had remembered. It has a sort of rotational character-development style which is explicitly addressed in the afterword (where the traditional hero/villain/victim triad is established, then rearranged), along with thematic parallels to the Ring cycle. I love the quasi-frame story aspect of it, as well: First there's the absolute surface-level of what people saw, and what they assumed. Then there's the next just-below-the-surface level, where people who have Connections and Kno...more

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May 23, 2012 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story in a nutshell: a hideous cowardly space pirate who is also a cunning bully, clashes with his cocky devious rival who happens to be a woman-hating hunk of a man, and caught between them is a self-loathing broken beauty with a mind-control device installed in her brain.

Needless to say, I've not read a more hilarious story that has all kinds of sado-maso overtones than this :p

Most of all, I love the overall story's simplicity. This simplicity allows proper development of the main characte...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Max rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was originally put off this author after attempting to read the first Thomas Covenant book, but I was encouraged to try this series.
Even though the characters are not at all likeable (like TC) you still feel a slight connection to them and they are interesting enough to keep you going.
At times I thought it was a bit indulgent on the author's part (rape and slavery involved, much like the start of TC) but this became relevant later on in the story, and his justification of this in the afterwo...more

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Dec 12, 2008 Peggy Q rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

First in the "Gap Series." Sets the stage well but, on it's own, it is probably the weakest in the five book series. The tale is set in human space in the future when earth's resources are no longer enough. Space becomes the new mining territory. The United Mining Companies becomes the major policy maker for humans in space -- surpassing all other governing bodies. The UMC Police are the defenders of the galaxy -- sometimes horribly corrupt, sometimes trying hard to be honest.

"The Real Story" in...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Diogo rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is actually a short book, but there is something to it. It's not obvious in the beginning, but the main character is not that typical, and I thought it was going to be switched somewhere along the story, and it wasn't. It became increasingly obvious with the personal dramas and complexity of the characters.

This book was recommended after reading Dragonflight. I'm glad it was, I enjoyed it, even though it could have had more story. I'm curious about the parallel with the The Ring of the Nibe...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

So, first off, this book could be triggering for rape victims. The level of detail isn't necessarily deep, but the book is essentially based on the main character trapping and repeatedly raping the second main character. Again, not a lot of detail is gone into- more the psychological state of the first main character, but it was surprising to find that a space pirate series starts off revolving around this fact so tightly. It's a spare, fast read, and perhaps that heightens the importance of tha...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Unfortunately this first volume in Stephen Donaldson's epic science fiction dram is the weakest of the series, and I know of at least one person who abandoned the series on the basis of this entry.

However, possibly just as intended by the author, the first book is deceptively simple, and the remaining four volumes reveal an increasingly hair-raising web of intergalactic intrigue worth of the very best space opera. (I won't say more for the sake of avoiding spoilers.)

Fortunately, it's only a shor...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Two men and one woman form a triangle composed of villian, victim and savior. But which person is which?

THE REAL STORY is the small-seed beginning of The Gap, one of the most hard-hitting sci fi series I've read. Powerful character archetypes find themselves on various sides of an ethical free-for-all. What can be justified when the goal is to keep humanity from being mutated into the enemy species?

I called it a series, but actually it's a 5-part novel, each book opening onto wider horizons than...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Kenny Cross rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: space-opera

I read this when it was first published but it is currently in my newest book order (reading it this week at some point). I never finished the series though. For some reason or other I stopped after the 3rd novel and every time I kept putting off finishing the series.

I'm only sad that all of my hardcovers for this series are missing. It's funny how when you have a practically a library at your house books magically walk out without ever saying a word. Alas.

A quick word about the series: twisted...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Reed Porter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi, thriller

I recently recalled reading this series some 15 years ago and wanted to add them to my Goodreads shelves. It's an extraordinarily well crafted set based on the Wagnerian Ring Cycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Ring....

Trust me. You'll hate these books while loving them. There are an amazing amount of plots and subplots all running in parallel while remaining true to the Wagner and offering a glimpse of the future that still rings true twenty years later. Enjoy.

"I said Enjoy Life, not End yo...more

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About Stephen R. Donaldson

Stephen Reeder Donaldson is an American fantasy, science fiction and mystery novelist. He earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University. He currently resides in New Mexico.

Stephen R. Donaldson was born on the 13th May 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled i...more

More about Stephen R. Donaldson...

Books by Stephen R. Donaldson

Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, #1)

The Power That Preserves (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, #3)

The Illearth War (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, #2)

The Wounded Land (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, #1)

White Gold Wielder (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, #3)

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