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Heechee Saga #1
Gateway
Wealth ... or death. Those were the choices Gateway offered. Humans had discovered this artificial spaceport, full of working interstellar ships left behind by the mysterious, vanished Heechee. Their destinations are preprogrammed. They are easy to operate, but impossible to control. Some came back with discoveries which made their intrepid pilots rich; others returned with their remains barely identifiable. It was the ultimate game of Russian roulette, but in this resource-starved future there was no shortage of desperate volunteers.
Hardcover
First published March 1, 1977
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About the author
Frederik Pohl
1,150 books1,060 followersFrederik George Pohl, Jr. was an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited Galaxy magazine and its sister magazine IF winning the Hugo for IF three years in a row. His writing also won him three Hugos and multiple Nebula Awards. He became a Nebula Grand Master in 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,271 reviews
September 10, 2022
Kind of the same as Pohls´ cooperation with Kornbluth, The Space Merchants, with an extra layer of psychiatric mind penetration
No free meals in neoliberal, turbo capitalistic alien artifact filled alien spaceports
The whole system, the immense suffering on earth with the option of risking one´s life to get some grains of the immense wealth accumulated with patents found on suicide trips, exploiting anyone for the profit of some, was, is, and will be the key element of capitalistic systems Pohl wasn´t quite fond of. Sarcasm drips from each black humoured page and one could imagine that this is a possible future in corporate owned space habitats, planets, and solar systems.
Is it deep or just playing with childhood trauma, relationship issues, and making fun of psychiatry.
See, the main protagonist has some serious issues and searches for help in episodes I, highly subjectively, would have preferred to instead see as more exploration, meeting the aliens, or something else not that separated from the main plot. However, there is the one or other good toilet humor pun, but besides that, I don´t get how these stereotypical parent and partner problem drivel does anything substantial for the plot and its message of promoting leftist socialist propaganda, socializing the suffering, and stuff. Or I just don´t get that it´s a satire of psychology and psychiatry as a hidden bonus storyline.
Still, it should subjectively have been avoided because genre audiences don´t like that
Without that, the work would be an instant masterpiece, but by slowing the plot, losing suspense, and not really giving a satisfying conclusion, all linked to the problem of this unnecessary extra plotline, Pohl missed his place in the grand hall of sci-fi behemoth he could easily have entered after The Space Merchants by simply cooking with the same recipes. But I don´t want new herbs and hot cuisine experiments, I´m a genre savvy, kind of intolerant and conservative dude regarding my sci-fi and there is no place for empty relationship drivel.
Uchronia on
Let´s just do as if it never happened and that Pohl wouldn´t have polluted his work with the banality of human emotional deficits, and focus on how brilliantly the companies squeeze the last buck out of all of their astronauts, how the whole system is optimized towards forcing the people to risk their lives, how the many small anecdotes, elements, puns, and innuendos make it a work that inspired future, critical minds like Richard Morgan and very probably many others. That´s its biggest achievement, the use of sci-fi to throw society the ugly picture of itself right in the face.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
No free meals in neoliberal, turbo capitalistic alien artifact filled alien spaceports
The whole system, the immense suffering on earth with the option of risking one´s life to get some grains of the immense wealth accumulated with patents found on suicide trips, exploiting anyone for the profit of some, was, is, and will be the key element of capitalistic systems Pohl wasn´t quite fond of. Sarcasm drips from each black humoured page and one could imagine that this is a possible future in corporate owned space habitats, planets, and solar systems.
Is it deep or just playing with childhood trauma, relationship issues, and making fun of psychiatry.
See, the main protagonist has some serious issues and searches for help in episodes I, highly subjectively, would have preferred to instead see as more exploration, meeting the aliens, or something else not that separated from the main plot. However, there is the one or other good toilet humor pun, but besides that, I don´t get how these stereotypical parent and partner problem drivel does anything substantial for the plot and its message of promoting leftist socialist propaganda, socializing the suffering, and stuff. Or I just don´t get that it´s a satire of psychology and psychiatry as a hidden bonus storyline.
Still, it should subjectively have been avoided because genre audiences don´t like that
Without that, the work would be an instant masterpiece, but by slowing the plot, losing suspense, and not really giving a satisfying conclusion, all linked to the problem of this unnecessary extra plotline, Pohl missed his place in the grand hall of sci-fi behemoth he could easily have entered after The Space Merchants by simply cooking with the same recipes. But I don´t want new herbs and hot cuisine experiments, I´m a genre savvy, kind of intolerant and conservative dude regarding my sci-fi and there is no place for empty relationship drivel.
Uchronia on
Let´s just do as if it never happened and that Pohl wouldn´t have polluted his work with the banality of human emotional deficits, and focus on how brilliantly the companies squeeze the last buck out of all of their astronauts, how the whole system is optimized towards forcing the people to risk their lives, how the many small anecdotes, elements, puns, and innuendos make it a work that inspired future, critical minds like Richard Morgan and very probably many others. That´s its biggest achievement, the use of sci-fi to throw society the ugly picture of itself right in the face.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
December 4, 2013
Can you like a book when you kind of hate the main character? Especially when that character is the first-person narrator? The answer, for me, for this book anyway, is apparently "not all that much."
Gateway is one of those sci-fi classics that I am supposed to have absorbed if I want to consider myself well read in the genre. It's one of the rare Hugo/Nebula double winners (not to mention the Locus and Campbell awards, which pretty much covers all of them)! It is by one of the stalwarts of geek writing, the man who, as an editor, made sure Dhalgren was published, fergoshsakes! (And congratulations to Fred Pohl, by the way, on still being alive and engaging with the fandom at the approximate age of 103!)
A good portion of the book still holds up pretty well. The imagining parts. The setup is pretty simple: Earth discovers a mysterious alien space station built into an asteroid around, I don't remember, Venus or something. It is full of little ships. No one knows how or why the ships came to be there, but they have figured out that if you get inside one and push a button, it will take you somewhere very far away, very quickly. Relatively speaking. It also might take you very, very far away, but not so fast that you don't run out of food and wind up arriving there dead, or with nothing to eat on the way back but your fellow shipmates. Butgreedy brave souls are still willing to risk these death lottery missions because a rare few of them result in the discovery of yet more alien technology, which can then be reverse-engineered and patented and everyone winds up very rich, most particularly the omnipresent Company (TM).
So, to borrow from nerd parlance, this is your signature BDO (big, dumb object) adventure. Unfortunately, our window into this intriguing world is this total asshole. I read the book a few weeks ago and his name has been lost to the mists of time and sleep deprivation, but I remember one thing: what a douchebag. I mean, ok, he had a shitty childhood, growing up mining some unpleasant crap or another on... was it Venus again? But he gets lucky and wins the lottery, and enough money to travel to Gateway and maybe become really rich. And the book is told in an alternating structure, so we know that while he does (become really rich), it also happens in a pretty miserable fashion, and we have to sit in on his whiny sessions with his robot therapist.
Aside from the fact that I just didn't particularly like the structure (too much ominous foreshadowing!), it requires us to spend half the book with the jerk, before we find out why he's such a jerk. Except he was always kind of a jerk, and while his reason for sliding further down into a jerky abyss is ultimately a pretty good one, he also did plenty of stuff earlier in the timeline to evaporate every drop of my sympathy. Like
For a sci-fi book, it is also very clearly Of Its Time, what with all the casual references to swinging sexuality and dated therapy movements like primal screaming. Which just goes to show how hard it is to write a book set in the future that won't sound rather ridiculous once you've arrived there.
This is the first in a series, and I have heard the later books go a long way to explaining the mysterious alien objects, but I like them just fine all enigmatic and obtuse; over-explaining would make them just one more piece of technology, sans the risk associated with their use -- the drive to explore and discover new things that lights a fire under humanity. Well, that and greed. And I don't know if the narrator comes back (probably not) (EDIT: oh wait, I looked it up, and he does), but there's another reason to get out while the gettin's good (EDIT: indeed).
Gateway is one of those sci-fi classics that I am supposed to have absorbed if I want to consider myself well read in the genre. It's one of the rare Hugo/Nebula double winners (not to mention the Locus and Campbell awards, which pretty much covers all of them)! It is by one of the stalwarts of geek writing, the man who, as an editor, made sure Dhalgren was published, fergoshsakes! (And congratulations to Fred Pohl, by the way, on still being alive and engaging with the fandom at the approximate age of 103!)
A good portion of the book still holds up pretty well. The imagining parts. The setup is pretty simple: Earth discovers a mysterious alien space station built into an asteroid around, I don't remember, Venus or something. It is full of little ships. No one knows how or why the ships came to be there, but they have figured out that if you get inside one and push a button, it will take you somewhere very far away, very quickly. Relatively speaking. It also might take you very, very far away, but not so fast that you don't run out of food and wind up arriving there dead, or with nothing to eat on the way back but your fellow shipmates. But
So, to borrow from nerd parlance, this is your signature BDO (big, dumb object) adventure. Unfortunately, our window into this intriguing world is this total asshole. I read the book a few weeks ago and his name has been lost to the mists of time and sleep deprivation, but I remember one thing: what a douchebag. I mean, ok, he had a shitty childhood, growing up mining some unpleasant crap or another on... was it Venus again? But he gets lucky and wins the lottery, and enough money to travel to Gateway and maybe become really rich. And the book is told in an alternating structure, so we know that while he does (become really rich), it also happens in a pretty miserable fashion, and we have to sit in on his whiny sessions with his robot therapist.
Aside from the fact that I just didn't particularly like the structure (too much ominous foreshadowing!), it requires us to spend half the book with the jerk, before we find out why he's such a jerk. Except he was always kind of a jerk, and while his reason for sliding further down into a jerky abyss is ultimately a pretty good one, he also did plenty of stuff earlier in the timeline to evaporate every drop of my sympathy. Like
For a sci-fi book, it is also very clearly Of Its Time, what with all the casual references to swinging sexuality and dated therapy movements like primal screaming. Which just goes to show how hard it is to write a book set in the future that won't sound rather ridiculous once you've arrived there.
This is the first in a series, and I have heard the later books go a long way to explaining the mysterious alien objects, but I like them just fine all enigmatic and obtuse; over-explaining would make them just one more piece of technology, sans the risk associated with their use -- the drive to explore and discover new things that lights a fire under humanity. Well, that and greed. And I don't know if the narrator comes back (probably not) (EDIT: oh wait, I looked it up, and he does), but there's another reason to get out while the gettin's good (EDIT: indeed).
November 27, 2021
SF Masterworks (2010- series) #9: A hugely overpopulated human race is fully focused on the Gateway, an alien (a race that is now apparently extinct) spaceport with 1,000s of interstellar space craft, however they have no idea how they work, and no idea where they are programmed to go; they could go anywhere from an Earth-like planet to the middle of black hole! Now super wealthy Robinette in therapy recounts his time at the Gateway.
The basic concept around the Gateway is so compelling, in regards to 'prospectors' (Robin is one) having to pay for board, air, water etc. and the only real way of earning money is to get in one of the interstellar aircraft and see where it goes, and get rewarded for any data (or artefacts) on the destination and/or the extinct alien race that they can retrieve. Robin is a delightfully unreliable narrator with a number of neurosis, and also living in denial of not only maybe his sexuality but also his borderline unpleasant character. Seriously this is truly Masterwork science-fiction! 8.5 out of 12.
Easily the best Pohl book I've read which has aged really well, having multi-facetted gay, non-white and female characters, and a very inclusive (=realistic) approach to how homosexuality would be perceived in the future.
2021 read
The basic concept around the Gateway is so compelling, in regards to 'prospectors' (Robin is one) having to pay for board, air, water etc. and the only real way of earning money is to get in one of the interstellar aircraft and see where it goes, and get rewarded for any data (or artefacts) on the destination and/or the extinct alien race that they can retrieve. Robin is a delightfully unreliable narrator with a number of neurosis, and also living in denial of not only maybe his sexuality but also his borderline unpleasant character. Seriously this is truly Masterwork science-fiction! 8.5 out of 12.
Easily the best Pohl book I've read which has aged really well, having multi-facetted gay, non-white and female characters, and a very inclusive (=realistic) approach to how homosexuality would be perceived in the future.
2021 read
April 20, 2019
Gateway by Frederik Pohl is good science fiction, I can see why it won the Hugo.
Essentially the story is about a time in the distant future where overpopulation and over consumption of resources have left humans in a regrettable state, but not without some promise. Oil and minerals are mined and then somehow synthetically turned into food. Also interplanetary colonization has spread the burden out some, but life on (or rather in Venus) and Mars is no picnic.
One way out is to become a prospector on Gateway. Gateway (and Gateway two) is an ancient alien spaceport, complete with a fleet of ancient spaceships that are pre-programmed to go places. The trouble is that scientists cannot figure out the big picture on how or why the ships go where they go and whether or not they will come back. The prospecting comes from taking a ship out and seeing what they can find, the alien artifacts could be worth millions if they are useful for science, or a prospector could go out and come back with nothing, or they could not come back.
All this by itself would make a good sci-fi story but Pohl adds a psychological twist that makes it even better. Finally, science fiction writers often make the best visionary prophets and though he has done an admirable job with overpopulation and Malthusian ideas about food, Pohl has (in a book written in 1977) enunciated our society’s apprehension about health care as well. Good read.
Essentially the story is about a time in the distant future where overpopulation and over consumption of resources have left humans in a regrettable state, but not without some promise. Oil and minerals are mined and then somehow synthetically turned into food. Also interplanetary colonization has spread the burden out some, but life on (or rather in Venus) and Mars is no picnic.
One way out is to become a prospector on Gateway. Gateway (and Gateway two) is an ancient alien spaceport, complete with a fleet of ancient spaceships that are pre-programmed to go places. The trouble is that scientists cannot figure out the big picture on how or why the ships go where they go and whether or not they will come back. The prospecting comes from taking a ship out and seeing what they can find, the alien artifacts could be worth millions if they are useful for science, or a prospector could go out and come back with nothing, or they could not come back.
All this by itself would make a good sci-fi story but Pohl adds a psychological twist that makes it even better. Finally, science fiction writers often make the best visionary prophets and though he has done an admirable job with overpopulation and Malthusian ideas about food, Pohl has (in a book written in 1977) enunciated our society’s apprehension about health care as well. Good read.
February 19, 2019
One of the great classics of SF. On the surface, it seems to be mostly about prospecting for Alien tech and new discoveries about the missing Heechee, but in reality, it's all about psychology, and more than that, about Freudian therapy.
Say... what?
Yep! We've got ourselves something of an anti-hero written in mild shades of The Stars My Destination who we get to know very well on and off the AI therapist's couch as we learn about all the crap that turns him into a real mess. Sure, there's mommy issues, but then there are the things that go on with his girlfriend and the Black Hole that is particularly harrowing.
Survivor's guilt? Yeah, and so much more. It's like a gambler's addiction with missing body parts being the price. Save your mother and forgo the rest of your life in poverty or gamble for your future and probably not make it back. These Heechee left tons of inexplicable tech and no one around has found a way to understand it or get ahead except by dumb luck.
Kinda sounds like a metaphor for life, doesn't it? :)
The reveals are the best parts of this book. We're given all the pieces and as the mystery unfolds, I loved the details of the personal tragedy most. The fact that this reveal is a universal truth is only a bonus.
Great adventure, wonderful light but deep worldbuilding, and an even better psychological exploration. :)
Say... what?
Yep! We've got ourselves something of an anti-hero written in mild shades of The Stars My Destination who we get to know very well on and off the AI therapist's couch as we learn about all the crap that turns him into a real mess. Sure, there's mommy issues, but then there are the things that go on with his girlfriend and the Black Hole that is particularly harrowing.
Survivor's guilt? Yeah, and so much more. It's like a gambler's addiction with missing body parts being the price. Save your mother and forgo the rest of your life in poverty or gamble for your future and probably not make it back. These Heechee left tons of inexplicable tech and no one around has found a way to understand it or get ahead except by dumb luck.
Kinda sounds like a metaphor for life, doesn't it? :)
The reveals are the best parts of this book. We're given all the pieces and as the mystery unfolds, I loved the details of the personal tragedy most. The fact that this reveal is a universal truth is only a bonus.
Great adventure, wonderful light but deep worldbuilding, and an even better psychological exploration. :)
October 24, 2009
I have a theory, based on nothing more than a dirty mind and my own propensity for making silly bets, that Pohl wrote Gateway to win a bet he'd made while drunk. He and his friends have been talking about sex scenes in SF novels (a notoriously sensitive topic), and Pohl is criticizing them on the grounds that they aren't necessary to the plot.
"Oh yeah?" asks someone. "And just how would a sex scene be necessary to the plot?"
"Well," says Pohl. "There could be any number of reasons!"
"Sure!" says the other guy. "I bet you a bottle of single malt that you can't write a story featuring an oral sex scene which categorically and undeniably is necessary to the plot. There ain't no such animal!"
"Done!" says Pohl.
He's had an idea, you see. The hero has pushed the love of his life into a black hole, but the memory is so traumatic that he's blocked it. Years later, he's talking about having sex with his current girlfriend, and he says she goes down really well. And then it all comes back to him. Goes down... into a black hole... you see?
OK, it's more than a little contrived; but anyway, that's what happens in this book. Are you telling me he came up with it sober?
"Oh yeah?" asks someone. "And just how would a sex scene be necessary to the plot?"
"Well," says Pohl. "There could be any number of reasons!"
"Sure!" says the other guy. "I bet you a bottle of single malt that you can't write a story featuring an oral sex scene which categorically and undeniably is necessary to the plot. There ain't no such animal!"
"Done!" says Pohl.
He's had an idea, you see. The hero has pushed the love of his life into a black hole, but the memory is so traumatic that he's blocked it. Years later, he's talking about having sex with his current girlfriend, and he says she goes down really well. And then it all comes back to him. Goes down... into a black hole... you see?
OK, it's more than a little contrived; but anyway, that's what happens in this book. Are you telling me he came up with it sober?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2012
I remember reading this when I was 15 or so, I did not like it. I have no recollection of why I did not like it. Now it is years later and I am at the age of , having just re-read the book I can tell you why I did not like it then and why I do like it now. Like my 15 year old self I went in expect a Big Dumb Object fun times, something along the line of Rendezvous With Rama, what I ended up reading turn out to be a fairly slow moving character study within a sci-fi setting.
The story concerns one Robinette Broadhead who went to Gateway, an asteroid where fully functional mysterious alien spaceships with FTL capabilities are found. Each one pre-programmed to an unknown destination, some take the travelers to riches in the form alien technological artifacts, vehicles and devices, some go to unknown destinations never to return, or return with dead crews or even no crew.You would think such a setup would be concerned with the mystery of the aliens gradually unfolding and the aliens eventually showing up to say hello, you would be light-years from the truth.
The story is all about Robinette Broadhead and his experiences on Gateway and on his missions to the unknown. Whatever happened to him scarred him psychologically and he is a man with issues (or even more issues than before he even went on his first mission). The story is told in flashbacks with a present day frame story narrated in the first person present tense, taking place entirely within an A.I.-psychiatrist's office. Even though the book is character-centric a lot of world building actually goes on in the background. The Earth and its single colony on Venus are in a state of dystopia, food is scarce and population is overflowing. Life on the Gateway asteroid (actually a space station) is described in detail, together with some hard sf style discreet little infodumps. The aliens (Heechees) never show up and the the rate of return of the humans flying off in their ships is much less than 50%. The narration is also aided by little advertisements, letters and other types of notices interspersed through out the book.
Clearly what Pohl had in mind was to explore the psychological consequences of the circumstances surrounding his protagonist, who is not even written as a particularly amiable fellow. The amazing thing is it works very well, while Broadhead is more of an anti-hero by the end of the book I came to understand and sympathize with his issues. What makes the book remarkable is that it is an exploration of the human psyche rather than the sci-fi environment. The book reminds me of Algis Budrys' Rogue Moon, but the relentless psycho analyses that go on in that book make it almost unbearable for me, Gateway makes the BDO and the alien tech more relevant to the protagonist's personal problems, and is simply better written. Here is a relevant example passage from Gateway:
Gateway deservedly won both the Hugo and Nebula award in 1978 but it really is more of a psychological / emotional novel, this one is not for kids.
The story concerns one Robinette Broadhead who went to Gateway, an asteroid where fully functional mysterious alien spaceships with FTL capabilities are found. Each one pre-programmed to an unknown destination, some take the travelers to riches in the form alien technological artifacts, vehicles and devices, some go to unknown destinations never to return, or return with dead crews or even no crew.You would think such a setup would be concerned with the mystery of the aliens gradually unfolding and the aliens eventually showing up to say hello, you would be light-years from the truth.
The story is all about Robinette Broadhead and his experiences on Gateway and on his missions to the unknown. Whatever happened to him scarred him psychologically and he is a man with issues (or even more issues than before he even went on his first mission). The story is told in flashbacks with a present day frame story narrated in the first person present tense, taking place entirely within an A.I.-psychiatrist's office. Even though the book is character-centric a lot of world building actually goes on in the background. The Earth and its single colony on Venus are in a state of dystopia, food is scarce and population is overflowing. Life on the Gateway asteroid (actually a space station) is described in detail, together with some hard sf style discreet little infodumps. The aliens (Heechees) never show up and the the rate of return of the humans flying off in their ships is much less than 50%. The narration is also aided by little advertisements, letters and other types of notices interspersed through out the book.
Clearly what Pohl had in mind was to explore the psychological consequences of the circumstances surrounding his protagonist, who is not even written as a particularly amiable fellow. The amazing thing is it works very well, while Broadhead is more of an anti-hero by the end of the book I came to understand and sympathize with his issues. What makes the book remarkable is that it is an exploration of the human psyche rather than the sci-fi environment. The book reminds me of Algis Budrys' Rogue Moon, but the relentless psycho analyses that go on in that book make it almost unbearable for me, Gateway makes the BDO and the alien tech more relevant to the protagonist's personal problems, and is simply better written. Here is a relevant example passage from Gateway:
There are people who never pass a certain point in their emotional development. They cannot live a normal free-and-easy, give-and-take life with a sexual partner for more than a short time. Something inside them will not tolerate happiness. The better it gets, the more they have to destroy it.I did not expect that from a BDO adventure! This is a book that demands to be read slowly. I really did not like it because at the age of 15 I just wanted the damn Heechee to show up with some cool alien powers, gadgets and weird body parts, they never actually showed up at all (if that is a spoiler I'm sorry, but I consider it fair warning). Even today I found some description of day to day life on Gateway a little slow going.
Gateway deservedly won both the Hugo and Nebula award in 1978 but it really is more of a psychological / emotional novel, this one is not for kids.
May 19, 2014
Frederik Pohl is still alive? Wow. And won a Hugo as recently as last year, for his blog. That I will have to check out. This is a guy who has been around science fiction for a long time, as a writer and as an editor. And Gateway was my first introduction to his work. Let me just go add him to the list of authors I want to read more of.... (That's not rhetorical - it's on a Sticky on my desktop.) I will want to be reading more of his work.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
August 9, 2021
فکر کنم برای کتابخونا و خصوصاً اونایی که ژانری میخونن هیچی ناامیدکنندهتر از ایدههای حرومشده با پرداختِ ضعیف نباشه
این کتاب خوراکش اینه که یه فیلمنامهنویس ایدهی داستانیشو برداره و همهچیشو کاااااامل شخم بزنه که یه فیلم خوب ازش ساخته شه
این کتاب خوراکش اینه که یه فیلمنامهنویس ایدهی داستانیشو برداره و همهچیشو کاااااامل شخم بزنه که یه فیلم خوب ازش ساخته شه
October 8, 2017
4,5 / 5
Dos días me ha durado, y por que no tenía tiempo para leer. Pero es una novela que invita a leerla del tirón, que no te suelta, que te entretiene, y que probablemente es diferente de lo que esperaba.
Pohl nos cuenta la historia de un pionero espacial que se hace millonario. Robinette Broadhead, más conocido como Rob, habla con una IA que ejerce como su psicólogo. Allí habla de la culpa, del dolor o los remordimientos que lo reconcomen por dentro desde su infancia hasta su vida adulta pero que no deja salir. A lo largo del libro se intercalan estas consultas con los flashbacks sobre los acontecimientos que condujeron a Rob a su estado actual. Gracias a ellos conoceremos Pórtico, un asteroide reconvertido en un puerto interestelar explotado por una Corporación multimillonaria. Allí habitaron los Heechee, unos extraterrestres de los que poco se sabe, pero que dejaron sus naves interestelares. Exploraremos con ello su funcionamiento, su tecnología, sus viajes y, seguiremos de cerca la incógnita de donde estarán y que serán los Heechee.
Publicada en 1976 por Frederik Pohl, la novela fue la primera que obtuvo de forma conjunta los premios Hugo, Nébula y Jhon W. Campbell memorial, lo tres más importantes dentro de la ciencia ficción. Y no es para menos. Fuera quedan la aventura o una novela únicamente de naves espaciales. Pohl nos mete en una novela innovadora, con una estructura particular para su época y una ciencia ficción que nunca llega a ser hard. Esta es sencilla, coherente y explicada, pero sin profundizar en jerga científica ni nada por el estilo. Es mas por ello una novela que deja ideas, pero que su interés radica en otro apartado.
Pórtico es todo un estudio sobre la psicología humana ante situaciones extremas, y sus consecuencias. Sobre la interacción entre hombre y máquina, y nuestra necesidad de control. Una crítica sobre la sociedad extremadamente capitalista. Pero por encima de todo es un estudio sobre la culpa, sus consecuencias y las pesadas cargas que pone en nosotros mismos como seres humanos. No es que Pohl deje de lado el ritmo de la novela para esto. Es a través de diálogos plagados de matices, de monólogos internos o de las simples acciones a través de las que nos dibuja el perfil de Rob. Nunca se siente que el resto es un mero escenario para ello, si no que conjuga de forma perfecta ambas partes, sin dejar coja ninguna de las dos.
Encontrarse con Pórtico ha resultado una experiencia similar a Hyperion el año pasado. Piensas que es una novela de 1976 y casi no te lo crees, excepto por la aparición de cassettes. El resto, tanto la tecnología como los temas que llega a tratar son peculiarmente extrapolables a cualquier momento. Por eso creo que Pórtico es un clásico, y uno de los que va a perdurar en el tiempo. Nunca llegará a chirriar como otras novelas de CF con jerga científica que ya ha sido sobrepasada. Es su aparente sencillez lo que le da el beneplácito para el lector. Aparte de sus inserciones de texto (informes, conferencias y lo mejor, bizarros anuncios) que son maravillosas. Ojalá Nova siga reeditando clásicos en este formato para que los novatos como yo nos sigamos acercando a estos clásicos.
Reseña más extensa: http://boywithletters.blogspot.com.es...
Dos días me ha durado, y por que no tenía tiempo para leer. Pero es una novela que invita a leerla del tirón, que no te suelta, que te entretiene, y que probablemente es diferente de lo que esperaba.
Pohl nos cuenta la historia de un pionero espacial que se hace millonario. Robinette Broadhead, más conocido como Rob, habla con una IA que ejerce como su psicólogo. Allí habla de la culpa, del dolor o los remordimientos que lo reconcomen por dentro desde su infancia hasta su vida adulta pero que no deja salir. A lo largo del libro se intercalan estas consultas con los flashbacks sobre los acontecimientos que condujeron a Rob a su estado actual. Gracias a ellos conoceremos Pórtico, un asteroide reconvertido en un puerto interestelar explotado por una Corporación multimillonaria. Allí habitaron los Heechee, unos extraterrestres de los que poco se sabe, pero que dejaron sus naves interestelares. Exploraremos con ello su funcionamiento, su tecnología, sus viajes y, seguiremos de cerca la incógnita de donde estarán y que serán los Heechee.
Publicada en 1976 por Frederik Pohl, la novela fue la primera que obtuvo de forma conjunta los premios Hugo, Nébula y Jhon W. Campbell memorial, lo tres más importantes dentro de la ciencia ficción. Y no es para menos. Fuera quedan la aventura o una novela únicamente de naves espaciales. Pohl nos mete en una novela innovadora, con una estructura particular para su época y una ciencia ficción que nunca llega a ser hard. Esta es sencilla, coherente y explicada, pero sin profundizar en jerga científica ni nada por el estilo. Es mas por ello una novela que deja ideas, pero que su interés radica en otro apartado.
Pórtico es todo un estudio sobre la psicología humana ante situaciones extremas, y sus consecuencias. Sobre la interacción entre hombre y máquina, y nuestra necesidad de control. Una crítica sobre la sociedad extremadamente capitalista. Pero por encima de todo es un estudio sobre la culpa, sus consecuencias y las pesadas cargas que pone en nosotros mismos como seres humanos. No es que Pohl deje de lado el ritmo de la novela para esto. Es a través de diálogos plagados de matices, de monólogos internos o de las simples acciones a través de las que nos dibuja el perfil de Rob. Nunca se siente que el resto es un mero escenario para ello, si no que conjuga de forma perfecta ambas partes, sin dejar coja ninguna de las dos.
Encontrarse con Pórtico ha resultado una experiencia similar a Hyperion el año pasado. Piensas que es una novela de 1976 y casi no te lo crees, excepto por la aparición de cassettes. El resto, tanto la tecnología como los temas que llega a tratar son peculiarmente extrapolables a cualquier momento. Por eso creo que Pórtico es un clásico, y uno de los que va a perdurar en el tiempo. Nunca llegará a chirriar como otras novelas de CF con jerga científica que ya ha sido sobrepasada. Es su aparente sencillez lo que le da el beneplácito para el lector. Aparte de sus inserciones de texto (informes, conferencias y lo mejor, bizarros anuncios) que son maravillosas. Ojalá Nova siga reeditando clásicos en este formato para que los novatos como yo nos sigamos acercando a estos clásicos.
Reseña más extensa: http://boywithletters.blogspot.com.es...
April 5, 2012
At first I was so excited about this book. I mean think about it: a long gone race of super intelligent beings leave us with an inheritance of a gateway to 1000 locations where unspeakable riches, both financial and scientific, await their rediscovery. The premise sounds great, right? I mean who wouldn't wanna go on an adventure in outer space? To discover just what it is that we've inherited? (And we did, I mean the Heechees left everything in pristine condition, just waiting for us.)
So there I was all excited and quickly found out that at least half the book is all about psychotherapy of some guy who's been "traumatized". Hmmm... ok ok... no biggie, I thought to myself. I'll just, you know.. spend half the book discovering the secrets of a forgotten race, and spend the other half with some old guy on the couch reliving his life's regrets, but... perhaps, he'll have a meaningful epiphany? Perhaps it all will not be useless psychobable?
How wrong I was.
The book started off as a 4 stars for me, but about half way through it quickly regressed to a 1 star novel. What I wanted was an adventure of discovery, where, perhaps, some universal meaning is found, so universal that both the Heechee and humans would better understand their place in the cosmos. Hmmm. All I got is a washed up copy of Charlie Sheen. A guy so messed up that even all the Freudian pop-culture the author read up on could not help him.
It is hard to follow a character one completely does not care for, at least it is hard for me. I mean the guy is so screwed up! Half the time I found myself just practically poking my eyes out hoping he'll finally come out of the closet already and stop this "nonesense" of playing straight. I mean it's so obvious. He cannot form any attachment to any woman he sleeps with (and there's many!). The one he supposedly "loved" (HA!!) he confronts in his dreams. She is "man like" and smells "musky" which he likes. But even her he doesn't treat well... .
And what do you get in the end? I admit I persisted in this book, naively hoping it would improve. Hoping he'll have an epiphany and hoping I'll learn something remotely meaningful about the Heechees. Nope. First, the whole time Robbie (his childlish name) is fighting the very psychological help he's paying for which leads to no results. Second, you'll find out next to nothing about the heechees.
Yield the warning of all the reviewers so far. This book is at least 50% about a selfish asswipe of a man who struggles with issues he dares not face (primarily his attraction to men). The other 50% you'll read about him on Gateway beeing too chicken-poop to even get on a mission hence just walking around and doing nothing.. and sexing it up... hey, it was the 70s when this was written.
Complete utter waste of time. Don't do it, don't even think about it.
Having tried Pohl, (a 4 star novel!) I pretty much know I'll never read him again. If this is the best he can do, I shudder to think what he is like at his worst.
So there I was all excited and quickly found out that at least half the book is all about psychotherapy of some guy who's been "traumatized". Hmmm... ok ok... no biggie, I thought to myself. I'll just, you know.. spend half the book discovering the secrets of a forgotten race, and spend the other half with some old guy on the couch reliving his life's regrets, but... perhaps, he'll have a meaningful epiphany? Perhaps it all will not be useless psychobable?
How wrong I was.
The book started off as a 4 stars for me, but about half way through it quickly regressed to a 1 star novel. What I wanted was an adventure of discovery, where, perhaps, some universal meaning is found, so universal that both the Heechee and humans would better understand their place in the cosmos. Hmmm. All I got is a washed up copy of Charlie Sheen. A guy so messed up that even all the Freudian pop-culture the author read up on could not help him.
It is hard to follow a character one completely does not care for, at least it is hard for me. I mean the guy is so screwed up! Half the time I found myself just practically poking my eyes out hoping he'll finally come out of the closet already and stop this "nonesense" of playing straight. I mean it's so obvious. He cannot form any attachment to any woman he sleeps with (and there's many!). The one he supposedly "loved" (HA!!) he confronts in his dreams. She is "man like" and smells "musky" which he likes. But even her he doesn't treat well... .
And what do you get in the end? I admit I persisted in this book, naively hoping it would improve. Hoping he'll have an epiphany and hoping I'll learn something remotely meaningful about the Heechees. Nope. First, the whole time Robbie (his childlish name) is fighting the very psychological help he's paying for which leads to no results. Second, you'll find out next to nothing about the heechees.
Yield the warning of all the reviewers so far. This book is at least 50% about a selfish asswipe of a man who struggles with issues he dares not face (primarily his attraction to men). The other 50% you'll read about him on Gateway beeing too chicken-poop to even get on a mission hence just walking around and doing nothing.. and sexing it up... hey, it was the 70s when this was written.
Complete utter waste of time. Don't do it, don't even think about it.
Having tried Pohl, (a 4 star novel!) I pretty much know I'll never read him again. If this is the best he can do, I shudder to think what he is like at his worst.
April 26, 2019
Old science fiction, what is it, let’s see – 1976. Hmm, kind of quaint, no?
Oh but I like old stuff, new science fiction gives me a headache, all that sensory overload and made up words.
So you admit you can’t take the pace any more. Just settling down with a 43 year old Hugo ‘n’ Nebula winner, kids all grown up, maturing your annuities, undoing one more notch on your belt, I get the picture.
Well, that’s not exactly the way I’d have put it –
So what’s it about, this old classic?
Well, er… it’s kind of sad. Leaving aside the Heechees –
Heechees?
Yes, they are the long since vanished aliens who left stuff around on an asteroid including lots of their old spaceships….
Did they work still?
Oh yes, but no one could figure out how to work them except to be able to switch them on and off, and they only went to one pre-programmed destination (and back) and you never knew where you were going to end up, so you might come back dead, or you might come back rich, an intriguing idea.
Okay, but you were going to say something else.
I think what Gateway is really about is money, therapy and indecision.
Odd subjects for science fiction?
Yes, quite odd. And also quite dull. This narrator guy spends most of the book hanging about on Gateway (the asteroid) trying to get up the nerve to volunteer to go on one of these possibly-suicide missions. Otherwise we flash forward and he’s spending hours in therapy with an AI psychotherapist. The hanging around on a smelly asteroid part is dull and the analysis is extremely tiresome.
How come you didn’t bin this one then?
Well, I think the main idea is a good minor-chord variation on the usual SF-in-the-70s stuff. He had something going here. But he couldn’t quite get to it.
Could have used some of that therapy himself, then, old Fred Pohl, to unblock his writerly drains, so to speak?
Ah – yes – of course – that’s what Gateway is all about. The dilemma of a science fiction writer. You can’t decide if you really want to carry on writing sf because there’s no money in it, so you go to a shrink. Which costs money.
Case closed! Now you can get back to your rocking chair and your Brexit debates.
Thanks. I'm so glad you popped around for a chat.
Oh but I like old stuff, new science fiction gives me a headache, all that sensory overload and made up words.
So you admit you can’t take the pace any more. Just settling down with a 43 year old Hugo ‘n’ Nebula winner, kids all grown up, maturing your annuities, undoing one more notch on your belt, I get the picture.
Well, that’s not exactly the way I’d have put it –
So what’s it about, this old classic?
Well, er… it’s kind of sad. Leaving aside the Heechees –
Heechees?
Yes, they are the long since vanished aliens who left stuff around on an asteroid including lots of their old spaceships….
Did they work still?
Oh yes, but no one could figure out how to work them except to be able to switch them on and off, and they only went to one pre-programmed destination (and back) and you never knew where you were going to end up, so you might come back dead, or you might come back rich, an intriguing idea.
Okay, but you were going to say something else.
I think what Gateway is really about is money, therapy and indecision.
Odd subjects for science fiction?
Yes, quite odd. And also quite dull. This narrator guy spends most of the book hanging about on Gateway (the asteroid) trying to get up the nerve to volunteer to go on one of these possibly-suicide missions. Otherwise we flash forward and he’s spending hours in therapy with an AI psychotherapist. The hanging around on a smelly asteroid part is dull and the analysis is extremely tiresome.
How come you didn’t bin this one then?
Well, I think the main idea is a good minor-chord variation on the usual SF-in-the-70s stuff. He had something going here. But he couldn’t quite get to it.
Could have used some of that therapy himself, then, old Fred Pohl, to unblock his writerly drains, so to speak?
Ah – yes – of course – that’s what Gateway is all about. The dilemma of a science fiction writer. You can’t decide if you really want to carry on writing sf because there’s no money in it, so you go to a shrink. Which costs money.
Case closed! Now you can get back to your rocking chair and your Brexit debates.
Thanks. I'm so glad you popped around for a chat.
March 14, 2016
A warning: this novel's main plot is not about Big Dumb Object (BDO) or space opera. This novel is about psychological issue of the main protagonist. The protagonist get the psych problem due to the science-fiction setting.
This novel offers an idea of a psychological/mental problem that haven't happened to human in real-life yet. At final revelation, the author deliver the situation so well, I could imagine the psych (huge) impact to the protagonist. That's all I can say without spoiling anything important.
If you are interested with the BDO and the setting after reading this novel, don't worry. Gateway is the first novel of a series, Heechee Saga.
In my opinion, the characterization of main protagonist is perfect for this novel, if the author choose another characterization, the story could become less interesting.
This novel offers an idea of a psychological/mental problem that haven't happened to human in real-life yet. At final revelation, the author deliver the situation so well, I could imagine the psych (huge) impact to the protagonist. That's all I can say without spoiling anything important.
If you are interested with the BDO and the setting after reading this novel, don't worry. Gateway is the first novel of a series, Heechee Saga.
In my opinion, the characterization of main protagonist is perfect for this novel, if the author choose another characterization, the story could become less interesting.
December 30, 2010
"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 the "Heechee". They abandoned it long before mankind stopped throwing their feces at each other and invented the wheel.
The only thing left on Gateway are the Heechee ships. These ships can be programmed via 5 movable dials to automatically go to a destination and return. A huge multinational corporation pays intrepid "prospectors" to get aboard these ships, go to a destination, and then come back with any new discoveries. The prospectors then get paid a sum relative to any new discoveries they make. If they come back with nothing, they get nothing.
However, these missions have a very high failure rate. Sometimes the missions never return. Other times, the ships return on automatic with all hands lost due to an accident or some disaster met on the other end. Still others take too long and the crew dies of starvation due to their rations running out. Therefore the chances of hitting it big are rather remote.
When the book begins, we meet Robinette Broadhead; a man who has hit it big on Gateway and is living the life of luxury on Earth. He is also in voluntary therapy and on the edge of a massive mental breakdown.
The action switches in between Broadhead's past story of how he came to Gateway and struck it big and Broadhead's present therapy sessions. Also interspersed throughout the book are little snippets of Gateway trivia: fun facts, interviews with Heechee scholars, classified ads from the local Gateway paper, and mission summaries from prospectors who struck it big and from those who didn't do so well.
The Good
The plot itself is intriguing. The Gateway station has a kind of 1849 Gold Rush San Francisco feel to it. Everyone is there to strike it rich and improve their lot in life by taking the risk of a Gateway trip. I couldn't help but feel admiration towards these people and wonder if I would have the stones to put my neck on the line for that kind of a reward.
The characters in this book are what separates it from everything else. Each character introduced in the novel was distinct enough to be memorable. I never found myself reading a character's name and saying "who is this?". A lot of times, in any literature, there's a memorable protagonist and maybe a memorable antagonist if you're lucky. The rest of the characters just seem to meld into each other. Gateway doesn't have this problem: all the characters are memorable.
Robinette Broadhead, the main character, is the most complex character in the book. This becomes more apparent as the reader experiences more and more of his therapy sessions. Others here on GoodReads have been critical saying they didn't like Broadhead or they wanted to slap him. I heartily agree. However, I don't think pathos was Pohl's object in the way he wrote Broadhead: Robinette Broadhead simply is who he is and the reader gets to understand why he is who he is throughout the course of the book. I didn't like Broadhead, but I was definitely interested in him. This book is all about Broadhead's private face; his true face. His public, outwardly going face may have been completely charming, but the reader doesn't see that face very much because that's not what this book is about. I readily admit that I did not like Robinette Broadhead as a person; but the fact that I felt enough about him as a person to not like him was marvelous.
Another interesting character is Klara. She's another prospector on Gateway and she has a pretty complex relationship with Robinette Broadhead. A couple of incidents happen between her and Broadhead that made me question why she'd want to be with him. However, with two people in such a close context, these things were bound to happen. You can't be around someone constantly without getting on each other's nerves eventually. Also, the idea that a woman could desire a relationship with a man who's no good for her is, sadly, not unrealistic.
Other characters presented in the book are also done well; from the other prospectors on Gateway to Broadhead's computerized therapist on Earth.
The Not-So-Good
I can't think of anything that really detracts significantly enough from this book to not give it the full 5 stars.
I didn't really like the name "Heechee" for an alien race: it just sounds childish to me. The book didn't explain why they were called "Heechee". I suspect someone dared the author to use that name during a pot-infused booze-soaked bull session.
Being somewhat scientifically minded, I was very mildly annoyed that the book didn't explain how the Heechee ships were able to travel at massive speeds, yet no time dilation effect was observed. That is, the Heechee ships were able to move at the speed of light and even faster, but one month of time passing on the ship meant one month of time passing on Gateway when, in reality, one month passing on the ship would mean many years of time passing on Gateway. Admittedly, the book is narrated by a non-scientist, so it would have been out of character for him to know the reason for this. Also, the book itself states that the Heechee ship engine is a mystery because, whenever they try to disassemble it, it explodes with tremendous force.
The women of the book seemed to fall into bed with Robinette Broadhead a little too readily. This book was written in the 70s, so perhaps it has a little of that kind of sensibility to it. Also, we don't really see Broadhead's public, outgoing face in the novel so perhaps he's really handsome and charming in social situations: there are certainly hints to that effect interspersed throughout the novel.
Conclusion
Gateway is rightfully considered a classic of Science Fiction. If the premise sounds intriguing at all, please read it. You'll like it.
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 the "Heechee". They abandoned it long before mankind stopped throwing their feces at each other and invented the wheel.
The only thing left on Gateway are the Heechee ships. These ships can be programmed via 5 movable dials to automatically go to a destination and return. A huge multinational corporation pays intrepid "prospectors" to get aboard these ships, go to a destination, and then come back with any new discoveries. The prospectors then get paid a sum relative to any new discoveries they make. If they come back with nothing, they get nothing.
However, these missions have a very high failure rate. Sometimes the missions never return. Other times, the ships return on automatic with all hands lost due to an accident or some disaster met on the other end. Still others take too long and the crew dies of starvation due to their rations running out. Therefore the chances of hitting it big are rather remote.
When the book begins, we meet Robinette Broadhead; a man who has hit it big on Gateway and is living the life of luxury on Earth. He is also in voluntary therapy and on the edge of a massive mental breakdown.
The action switches in between Broadhead's past story of how he came to Gateway and struck it big and Broadhead's present therapy sessions. Also interspersed throughout the book are little snippets of Gateway trivia: fun facts, interviews with Heechee scholars, classified ads from the local Gateway paper, and mission summaries from prospectors who struck it big and from those who didn't do so well.
The Good
The plot itself is intriguing. The Gateway station has a kind of 1849 Gold Rush San Francisco feel to it. Everyone is there to strike it rich and improve their lot in life by taking the risk of a Gateway trip. I couldn't help but feel admiration towards these people and wonder if I would have the stones to put my neck on the line for that kind of a reward.
The characters in this book are what separates it from everything else. Each character introduced in the novel was distinct enough to be memorable. I never found myself reading a character's name and saying "who is this?". A lot of times, in any literature, there's a memorable protagonist and maybe a memorable antagonist if you're lucky. The rest of the characters just seem to meld into each other. Gateway doesn't have this problem: all the characters are memorable.
Robinette Broadhead, the main character, is the most complex character in the book. This becomes more apparent as the reader experiences more and more of his therapy sessions. Others here on GoodReads have been critical saying they didn't like Broadhead or they wanted to slap him. I heartily agree. However, I don't think pathos was Pohl's object in the way he wrote Broadhead: Robinette Broadhead simply is who he is and the reader gets to understand why he is who he is throughout the course of the book. I didn't like Broadhead, but I was definitely interested in him. This book is all about Broadhead's private face; his true face. His public, outwardly going face may have been completely charming, but the reader doesn't see that face very much because that's not what this book is about. I readily admit that I did not like Robinette Broadhead as a person; but the fact that I felt enough about him as a person to not like him was marvelous.
Another interesting character is Klara. She's another prospector on Gateway and she has a pretty complex relationship with Robinette Broadhead. A couple of incidents happen between her and Broadhead that made me question why she'd want to be with him. However, with two people in such a close context, these things were bound to happen. You can't be around someone constantly without getting on each other's nerves eventually. Also, the idea that a woman could desire a relationship with a man who's no good for her is, sadly, not unrealistic.
Other characters presented in the book are also done well; from the other prospectors on Gateway to Broadhead's computerized therapist on Earth.
The Not-So-Good
I can't think of anything that really detracts significantly enough from this book to not give it the full 5 stars.
I didn't really like the name "Heechee" for an alien race: it just sounds childish to me. The book didn't explain why they were called "Heechee". I suspect someone dared the author to use that name during a pot-infused booze-soaked bull session.
Being somewhat scientifically minded, I was very mildly annoyed that the book didn't explain how the Heechee ships were able to travel at massive speeds, yet no time dilation effect was observed. That is, the Heechee ships were able to move at the speed of light and even faster, but one month of time passing on the ship meant one month of time passing on Gateway when, in reality, one month passing on the ship would mean many years of time passing on Gateway. Admittedly, the book is narrated by a non-scientist, so it would have been out of character for him to know the reason for this. Also, the book itself states that the Heechee ship engine is a mystery because, whenever they try to disassemble it, it explodes with tremendous force.
The women of the book seemed to fall into bed with Robinette Broadhead a little too readily. This book was written in the 70s, so perhaps it has a little of that kind of sensibility to it. Also, we don't really see Broadhead's public, outgoing face in the novel so perhaps he's really handsome and charming in social situations: there are certainly hints to that effect interspersed throughout the novel.
Conclusion
Gateway is rightfully considered a classic of Science Fiction. If the premise sounds intriguing at all, please read it. You'll like it.
May 31, 2021
I didn't like this book.
Why?
A whiny jackass narrator spends half his time raging against a psychopathic punch card Freud machine during "therapy sessions".
The story is supposedly about a great trauma that happened to the main character, Rob, when he went off to a space station to go take prospecting trips on alien ships and hopefully make it rich.
Except I don't think anything really horrible happened to him, he turned out to be an absolute coward, and he inflicted more pain on those around him than he got in return.
He beat up his on-again off-again "girlfriend" because she slept with another man right after he had slept with another woman. HE BEAT A WOMAN UP. And then you just get the sense that he considers himself the victim of the whole thing, of his whole life, of other people's choices.
It also had some seriously effed up psychological concepts in it (primal screaming? Being forced to yell out euphemisms for oral sex during your therapy sessions? I think I am actually too young to know if this was considered a real medical treatment).
Bottom line for me: the main character you're supposed to sympathize with is a casual playboy mysognist.
I don't think I ever want to read another book by Pohl. Man Plus was really flawed, and Gateway just made me mad.
Why?
A whiny jackass narrator spends half his time raging against a psychopathic punch card Freud machine during "therapy sessions".
The story is supposedly about a great trauma that happened to the main character, Rob, when he went off to a space station to go take prospecting trips on alien ships and hopefully make it rich.
Except I don't think anything really horrible happened to him, he turned out to be an absolute coward, and he inflicted more pain on those around him than he got in return.
He beat up his on-again off-again "girlfriend" because she slept with another man right after he had slept with another woman. HE BEAT A WOMAN UP. And then you just get the sense that he considers himself the victim of the whole thing, of his whole life, of other people's choices.
It also had some seriously effed up psychological concepts in it (primal screaming? Being forced to yell out euphemisms for oral sex during your therapy sessions? I think I am actually too young to know if this was considered a real medical treatment).
Bottom line for me: the main character you're supposed to sympathize with is a casual playboy mysognist.
I don't think I ever want to read another book by Pohl. Man Plus was really flawed, and Gateway just made me mad.
February 18, 2019
I was told to read this book since I've already read Heinlein's Starship Troopers as well as Haldeman's The Forever War. Apparently, these three authors form a triangle of classic scifi views on humanity, space exploration, conflicts with aliens and how we could/would (or not) get through all that as a species.
As you can see from my very first update to this book, I wasn't too enthused. Maybe it had to do with the protocol from the sessions with the shrink bot or with the MC being a crybaby over everything (he actually said something along the lines of "you don't know what it's like having my kind of life" despite him being filthy rich and not needing to worry about food or even life-prolonging medical care *snorts*). However, my opinion drastically changed since then.
The titular Gateway is a station built into a hollow asteroid. No, we silly little humans did not achieve this technological feat. However, we've discovered artefacts throughout Sol. Apparently, there has been another race, named Heechee, and they left these structures behind (as well as thousands of ships at Gateway). We have no idea what happened to the Heechee and can hardly understand their tech at all. Here, as in so many other scifi books, Earth is overcrowded, impoverished, food is scarce, living conditions are ... let's put it politically correct: not ideal. Thus, despite there only being the dangerous method of trial and error with which to operate the Heechee ships, many humans pay one hell of a lot of money (or try their luck in a lottery) to get to Gateway and be allowed to hop to unknown coordinates with said ships. Most don't survive. One of the problems is that these ships have weird sizes: either one, three or five humans can be on board in addition to different gear used for landing on planets, which also limits the amount of supplies one can take on any journey so starvation is a real possibility on top of everything else.
One lucky winner of the lottery is our MC, Bob (or Rob or a number of other versions of Robinette). Maybe the name explains some of his psychological problems. *lol*
He started out as a food shale miner but then travels to Gateway, overcomes his fears and hops through the galaxy. Naturally, it's not exactly a scenic trip though I can't get into details. Suffice it to say that he was a douchebag on Gateway () but one of his trips, despite making him rich, really messes with his mind.
However, Bob being in such a state is exactly where the novel starts. Because he has therapy sessions with an AI Freudian therapist (of a very funny name), the reader gets a mosaic of events that slowly (but not boringly) come together. Moreover, this also means the reader gets a take on survivor's guilt and a number of other mental health issues.
No, I did not like the MC. However, the book really worked for me. It is, in my opinion at least, utterly realistic that we wouldn't stumble upon alien artifacts that magically did our bidding or came with a manual (and in a Terran language at that) so I liked how we were still stumbling about, utterly clueless. Of course it's tragic how many people got killed trying to unlock the secrets of the Heechee but that gave the whole endeavor a kinda frontier flair. Not to mention that space really is a dangerous place - even more so if you don't really know what you're doing.
Like I said, Bob, to me, was not likeable. Part of me . Why . I think I just like it when stupid people get punished. . Bwahahahahahaha!
Another interesting thing about this novel is its form. Not just that the narration is not in a straight line, adding to the mystery, but also that the story was interspersed with mission reports, technical bulletins and other files the MC probably read while he was taught on Gateway.
I know this is a trilogy and can imagine what comes next, but I'm not sure I'll read the other volumes. It's the same with the other scifi classics I mentioned (and linked to) above. For me, these are whole and therefore more than sufficient - and maybe I'm a little bit scared that the sequels would ruin the tale for me.
If you get a chance, read this. There are no space battles with lots of explosions or cool space weapons, no fascinating or revolting aliens, but there is a very intimate look at humanity and its psyche and that sort of tale often gets underestimated or even treated unkindly.
As you can see from my very first update to this book, I wasn't too enthused. Maybe it had to do with the protocol from the sessions with the shrink bot or with the MC being a crybaby over everything (he actually said something along the lines of "you don't know what it's like having my kind of life" despite him being filthy rich and not needing to worry about food or even life-prolonging medical care *snorts*). However, my opinion drastically changed since then.
The titular Gateway is a station built into a hollow asteroid. No, we silly little humans did not achieve this technological feat. However, we've discovered artefacts throughout Sol. Apparently, there has been another race, named Heechee, and they left these structures behind (as well as thousands of ships at Gateway). We have no idea what happened to the Heechee and can hardly understand their tech at all. Here, as in so many other scifi books, Earth is overcrowded, impoverished, food is scarce, living conditions are ... let's put it politically correct: not ideal. Thus, despite there only being the dangerous method of trial and error with which to operate the Heechee ships, many humans pay one hell of a lot of money (or try their luck in a lottery) to get to Gateway and be allowed to hop to unknown coordinates with said ships. Most don't survive. One of the problems is that these ships have weird sizes: either one, three or five humans can be on board in addition to different gear used for landing on planets, which also limits the amount of supplies one can take on any journey so starvation is a real possibility on top of everything else.
One lucky winner of the lottery is our MC, Bob (or Rob or a number of other versions of Robinette). Maybe the name explains some of his psychological problems. *lol*
He started out as a food shale miner but then travels to Gateway, overcomes his fears and hops through the galaxy. Naturally, it's not exactly a scenic trip though I can't get into details. Suffice it to say that he was a douchebag on Gateway () but one of his trips, despite making him rich, really messes with his mind.
However, Bob being in such a state is exactly where the novel starts. Because he has therapy sessions with an AI Freudian therapist (of a very funny name), the reader gets a mosaic of events that slowly (but not boringly) come together. Moreover, this also means the reader gets a take on survivor's guilt and a number of other mental health issues.
No, I did not like the MC. However, the book really worked for me. It is, in my opinion at least, utterly realistic that we wouldn't stumble upon alien artifacts that magically did our bidding or came with a manual (and in a Terran language at that) so I liked how we were still stumbling about, utterly clueless. Of course it's tragic how many people got killed trying to unlock the secrets of the Heechee but that gave the whole endeavor a kinda frontier flair. Not to mention that space really is a dangerous place - even more so if you don't really know what you're doing.
Like I said, Bob, to me, was not likeable. Part of me . Why . I think I just like it when stupid people get punished. . Bwahahahahahaha!
Another interesting thing about this novel is its form. Not just that the narration is not in a straight line, adding to the mystery, but also that the story was interspersed with mission reports, technical bulletins and other files the MC probably read while he was taught on Gateway.
I know this is a trilogy and can imagine what comes next, but I'm not sure I'll read the other volumes. It's the same with the other scifi classics I mentioned (and linked to) above. For me, these are whole and therefore more than sufficient - and maybe I'm a little bit scared that the sequels would ruin the tale for me.
If you get a chance, read this. There are no space battles with lots of explosions or cool space weapons, no fascinating or revolting aliens, but there is a very intimate look at humanity and its psyche and that sort of tale often gets underestimated or even treated unkindly.
November 7, 2016
As I work my way through the classics of Science Fiction I haven't read, I find most of the classics are considered classics for a reason.
For me, Gateway has a classic premise:
Humans of the future finds a hollowed out asteroid that contains a few hundred small, alien ships. The aliens, called the "Heechee" left the ships, ranging in size from 1 to 5 seaters, half a million years ago. Humanity has no idea how the ships work but they press the coloured buttons and are blasted off at light speed to some distant destination. No idea how to refuel, no idea how far/long it will take or if they have locked in the coordinates to a supernova. Many ships never come back.
Some make it back safely but find nothing, or find a planet to harsh for human life.
BUT some ships return with alien artefacts and technologies making them anywhere from slightly to filthy rich.
And thus begins the great Heechee Goldrush.....
So I was IN on this premise.
The part that interested me was the idea of a space gold rush to discover the Heechee and the archaeology to recover interesting artefacts. The element of high risk, all or nothing stakes while being charged extravagant daily fees ramped up the urgency to start the dangerous prospecting.
I couldn't WAIT to read this story....
Well...we actually spend half the book in a psychologist's office, as our "hero" vents his issues at Sigmund the Freudian robot shrink.
- Of the half that we spend on Gateway, almost the entire time is spent thinking about possibly taking one of the ships out on a mission.
Now I am all for book that is light on action and heavy on character and intrigue. The problem with "Gateway" is that if we were brainstorming ideas on ways to make the reader dislike a character, our protagonist Robinette really ticks a lot of the boxes.
"Rob" hates going to his Robot therapist. I hate Rob going to his robot therapist.
Rob gets frustrated with his robot therapist. I am frustrated reading about his frustrating time with the robot therapist.
Now obviously the idea is that in these therapy session we peel back the layers of Rob's personality and get to his deepest thoughts and fears and understand who he is as a person.
The only problem with this is that Rob is a giant douchebag
Spending so much time listening to Rob avoid his issues and yell at his therapist over and over is just not that interesting or fun.
When we switch to the past perspective on Gateway -
We learn that Rob went on 3 missions from Gateway. So THIS is clearly "the exciting part of the book". This is what I want to read about.
Instead when we are on Gateway, Rob just mills around being a self centered arsehole and worrying that he will soon run out of money.
So get on a ship Rob! Do the damn thing!
Pohl didn't bother with too much science, just a few interesting scientific details here and there to convince us he's, you know - scientific and stuff. And eventually we learn about the "real issues" facing Bob personally and what happened for him to get rich.
Narrator Oliver Wyman was a little below average. His narration and "aw shucks" persona was a good attempt at making Bob seem the tiniest bit NOT like an a-hole.
His voice acting was on the weaker side but not bad enough to ruin things. Thankfully his female characters didn't really have that many lines to say.
Gateway can best be summarised as "Freudian Therapy in Space". I loved the Heechee gold rush premise but was let down by this character drama about a character I didn't care about.
Possibly the other books in the series get into that aspect a bit more but this didn't exactly convince me to put more Pohl high up on the reading list.
SPOILERS
So while this book deals with some larger themes and issues it also comes off as a bit of hippy dippy psychology and I'm not really sure I got the message it was trying to send.
For me, Gateway has a classic premise:
Humans of the future finds a hollowed out asteroid that contains a few hundred small, alien ships. The aliens, called the "Heechee" left the ships, ranging in size from 1 to 5 seaters, half a million years ago. Humanity has no idea how the ships work but they press the coloured buttons and are blasted off at light speed to some distant destination. No idea how to refuel, no idea how far/long it will take or if they have locked in the coordinates to a supernova. Many ships never come back.
Some make it back safely but find nothing, or find a planet to harsh for human life.
BUT some ships return with alien artefacts and technologies making them anywhere from slightly to filthy rich.
And thus begins the great Heechee Goldrush.....
So I was IN on this premise.
The part that interested me was the idea of a space gold rush to discover the Heechee and the archaeology to recover interesting artefacts. The element of high risk, all or nothing stakes while being charged extravagant daily fees ramped up the urgency to start the dangerous prospecting.
I couldn't WAIT to read this story....
Well...we actually spend half the book in a psychologist's office, as our "hero" vents his issues at Sigmund the Freudian robot shrink.
- Of the half that we spend on Gateway, almost the entire time is spent thinking about possibly taking one of the ships out on a mission.
Now I am all for book that is light on action and heavy on character and intrigue. The problem with "Gateway" is that if we were brainstorming ideas on ways to make the reader dislike a character, our protagonist Robinette really ticks a lot of the boxes.
"Rob" hates going to his Robot therapist. I hate Rob going to his robot therapist.
Rob gets frustrated with his robot therapist. I am frustrated reading about his frustrating time with the robot therapist.
Now obviously the idea is that in these therapy session we peel back the layers of Rob's personality and get to his deepest thoughts and fears and understand who he is as a person.
The only problem with this is that Rob is a giant douchebag
Spending so much time listening to Rob avoid his issues and yell at his therapist over and over is just not that interesting or fun.
When we switch to the past perspective on Gateway -
We learn that Rob went on 3 missions from Gateway. So THIS is clearly "the exciting part of the book". This is what I want to read about.
Instead when we are on Gateway, Rob just mills around being a self centered arsehole and worrying that he will soon run out of money.
So get on a ship Rob! Do the damn thing!
Pohl didn't bother with too much science, just a few interesting scientific details here and there to convince us he's, you know - scientific and stuff. And eventually we learn about the "real issues" facing Bob personally and what happened for him to get rich.
Narrator Oliver Wyman was a little below average. His narration and "aw shucks" persona was a good attempt at making Bob seem the tiniest bit NOT like an a-hole.
His voice acting was on the weaker side but not bad enough to ruin things. Thankfully his female characters didn't really have that many lines to say.
Gateway can best be summarised as "Freudian Therapy in Space". I loved the Heechee gold rush premise but was let down by this character drama about a character I didn't care about.
Possibly the other books in the series get into that aspect a bit more but this didn't exactly convince me to put more Pohl high up on the reading list.
SPOILERS
So while this book deals with some larger themes and issues it also comes off as a bit of hippy dippy psychology and I'm not really sure I got the message it was trying to send.
July 24, 2022
علاقهمندان به داستانهای علمیتخیلی، بخصوص علاقهمندان به رمانهای مربوط به دوران طلایی علمیتخیلی، فردریک پل را بخوبی میشناسن و از موقعیت و شهرت این نویسنده در معرفی و پیشبرد این گونه از ادبیات آگاهی دارن.
باید بگم با توجه و انتظاری که از فردریک پل داشتم خواندن کتاب دروازه یا گیتوی، اولین کتاب از مجموعهی حماسهی هیچی، که بعنوان معروفترین کار فردریک پل هم در میان خوانندگان دوران طلایی شهرت داره، برای من یک نا امیدی غافلگیر کننده بود!
مجال دراز کردن صحبت نیست. تصمیم گرفتم برای دادن امتیاز به این کتاب چنین عمل کنم. ۵ امتیاز مورد نظر را به دو قسمت ۲.۵ امتیازی تقسیم کنم و هر کدام را به دو موضوع زیر اختصاص دهم.
بخش اول، ۲.۵ امتیاز را به یونیک و جذاب بودن ایدهی اصلی داستان که روایت حول محور اون شکل گرفته و خرده ایدههای مطرح شده در آن در جهت توصیفات علمیتخیلی، فناوریها، نژادهای بیگانه، تعاملات بشری با آنها، چگونگی سفرهای کیهانی و از این دست موضوعات که به بخش ایدههای علمی و تخیل داستان مربوط است، اختصاص دهم.
و بخش دوم، ۲.۵ امتیاز بعدی را برای پرداختن به نحوه روایت، پختگی داستان، پلات و پسینگ، شخصیتها و شخصیتپردازی، تعلیقها و پیچش داستان در نظر بگیرم.
در مورد بخش اول یعنی ایدههای علمیتخیلی داستان، کتاب شامل ایدهها و موضوعات بسیار زیبا و جذابی در ارتباط با کشف و تعامل و استفاده از فناوریهای بیگانگان میشه و به خوبی از عهده معرفی اونها در داستان بر میاد.
ایدهی اصلی کتاب، پیدا کردن اتفاقی یک شبکهی حمل و نقل کیهانی سالم و کارآمد با قدمتی بیش از نیم میلیون سال متعلق به یک نژاد بیگانه که در داستان به نام هیچی از اونها یاد میشه، توسط انسانهاست. این ایدهی باشکوه که به یکباره انسان این توانایی را پیدا میکنه تا گام به میان ستارگان بگذاره و از بند گهواره مادری خودش یعنی منظومهی شمسی آزاد بشه اون هم با قابلیت دست یافتن به سرعتهایی فراتر از سرعت نور.
داستان شامل ایدههای جالبی مربوط به کشف این فناوری و کارکردهاش، کشتیهای فضایی، بیگانگان رازآلود هیچی و آثار و نشانههای مرموز باقیمانده از اونها در سرتاسر کیهان و سفرهای انسانی به نقاط مختلف کهکشان و از این دست موضوعات میشه که بهخوبی مطرح و توسعه داده شدن.
پس پیروی این توضیح میتونم بی بروبرگرد و با کمال میل و علاقه ۲.۵ امتیاز مربوط به بخش ایدهی علمیتخیلی را برای این کتاب در نظر بگیرم.
در مورد بخش دوم، یعنی بخش روایت، چیزی که شامل پرداخت به داستان، جزییاتش، خرده روایتها، پلات و پسینگ داستان، شخصیتپردازی، تعلیق و پیچش داستان میشه، باید بگم که عملا چیزی وجود نداره و متاسفانه این بخش نقطه ضعف کتاب محسوب میشه بطوری که سهم اعظمی از اون درخشش و جذابیت ایدهها رو هم بخاطر ضعف خودش تلف میکنه.
طریقه روایت داستان به این شکل هست که ما از دو منظر داستان را از زبان شخصیت اصلی یعنی راب میشنویم. و کل فصول کتاب یکی در میان بین این دو منظر تغییر میکنن.
منظر اول روایتی که راب از حضورش در دروازه و سفرهای کیهانیش تعریف میکنه و منظر دیگر روایتی که از زبان راب و در حین شرکت در جلسات رواندرمانی با حضور ماشین رواندرمانگر هوشمندی ساخته شده از فناوری هیچیها به نام زیگفرید و در آیندهای نه چندان دور نسبت به منظر اول، گفته میشه.
بنظر میاد ایدهی نویسنده از بکار بردن چنین روش روایتی استفاده از منظر دوم برای عمیق تر و پختهتر کردن شخصیتپردازی کارکترها و ارایه یه بخش روانشناختی مفصلتر نسبت فردیت شخصیتها و جامعه انسانی مورد انتظارش در اون روایت هست، چیزی که به زعم من میتونست هیجانانگیزترین بخش داستان باشه ولی نویسنده در پرداخت بهش موفق عمل نکرده و به ضعیفترین بخش داستان تبدیل شده.
این بخش از روایت چنان ضعیف و خستهکننده هست که عملا میتوان تمام فصول مربوط به جلسات ماشین زیگفرید، به جز آخرین فصل که نویسنده پایانبندی داستان رو در اون قرار داده، از روایت حذف کرد بدون اینکه کوچکترین چیزی از داستان از دست بره. در واقع باید بگم به این شکل نیمی از کتاب بیهوده حرام شده :/
با توجه به موارد عنوان شده به سختی و با زور برای بخش پرداخت روایت کتاب میتونم امتیاز نیم را در نظر بگیرم.
با احتساب نمرهها، امتیاز من به این کتاب بسختی به
امتیاز ۳
خواهد رسید.
پ.ن: واقعا تعجب میکنم از اون ۳۷ درصدی که به این کتاب امتیاز ۵ دادن 🤷🏻
باید بگم با توجه و انتظاری که از فردریک پل داشتم خواندن کتاب دروازه یا گیتوی، اولین کتاب از مجموعهی حماسهی هیچی، که بعنوان معروفترین کار فردریک پل هم در میان خوانندگان دوران طلایی شهرت داره، برای من یک نا امیدی غافلگیر کننده بود!
مجال دراز کردن صحبت نیست. تصمیم گرفتم برای دادن امتیاز به این کتاب چنین عمل کنم. ۵ امتیاز مورد نظر را به دو قسمت ۲.۵ امتیازی تقسیم کنم و هر کدام را به دو موضوع زیر اختصاص دهم.
بخش اول، ۲.۵ امتیاز را به یونیک و جذاب بودن ایدهی اصلی داستان که روایت حول محور اون شکل گرفته و خرده ایدههای مطرح شده در آن در جهت توصیفات علمیتخیلی، فناوریها، نژادهای بیگانه، تعاملات بشری با آنها، چگونگی سفرهای کیهانی و از این دست موضوعات که به بخش ایدههای علمی و تخیل داستان مربوط است، اختصاص دهم.
و بخش دوم، ۲.۵ امتیاز بعدی را برای پرداختن به نحوه روایت، پختگی داستان، پلات و پسینگ، شخصیتها و شخصیتپردازی، تعلیقها و پیچش داستان در نظر بگیرم.
در مورد بخش اول یعنی ایدههای علمیتخیلی داستان، کتاب شامل ایدهها و موضوعات بسیار زیبا و جذابی در ارتباط با کشف و تعامل و استفاده از فناوریهای بیگانگان میشه و به خوبی از عهده معرفی اونها در داستان بر میاد.
ایدهی اصلی کتاب، پیدا کردن اتفاقی یک شبکهی حمل و نقل کیهانی سالم و کارآمد با قدمتی بیش از نیم میلیون سال متعلق به یک نژاد بیگانه که در داستان به نام هیچی از اونها یاد میشه، توسط انسانهاست. این ایدهی باشکوه که به یکباره انسان این توانایی را پیدا میکنه تا گام به میان ستارگان بگذاره و از بند گهواره مادری خودش یعنی منظومهی شمسی آزاد بشه اون هم با قابلیت دست یافتن به سرعتهایی فراتر از سرعت نور.
داستان شامل ایدههای جالبی مربوط به کشف این فناوری و کارکردهاش، کشتیهای فضایی، بیگانگان رازآلود هیچی و آثار و نشانههای مرموز باقیمانده از اونها در سرتاسر کیهان و سفرهای انسانی به نقاط مختلف کهکشان و از این دست موضوعات میشه که بهخوبی مطرح و توسعه داده شدن.
پس پیروی این توضیح میتونم بی بروبرگرد و با کمال میل و علاقه ۲.۵ امتیاز مربوط به بخش ایدهی علمیتخیلی را برای این کتاب در نظر بگیرم.
در مورد بخش دوم، یعنی بخش روایت، چیزی که شامل پرداخت به داستان، جزییاتش، خرده روایتها، پلات و پسینگ داستان، شخصیتپردازی، تعلیق و پیچش داستان میشه، باید بگم که عملا چیزی وجود نداره و متاسفانه این بخش نقطه ضعف کتاب محسوب میشه بطوری که سهم اعظمی از اون درخشش و جذابیت ایدهها رو هم بخاطر ضعف خودش تلف میکنه.
طریقه روایت داستان به این شکل هست که ما از دو منظر داستان را از زبان شخصیت اصلی یعنی راب میشنویم. و کل فصول کتاب یکی در میان بین این دو منظر تغییر میکنن.
منظر اول روایتی که راب از حضورش در دروازه و سفرهای کیهانیش تعریف میکنه و منظر دیگر روایتی که از زبان راب و در حین شرکت در جلسات رواندرمانی با حضور ماشین رواندرمانگر هوشمندی ساخته شده از فناوری هیچیها به نام زیگفرید و در آیندهای نه چندان دور نسبت به منظر اول، گفته میشه.
بنظر میاد ایدهی نویسنده از بکار بردن چنین روش روایتی استفاده از منظر دوم برای عمیق تر و پختهتر کردن شخصیتپردازی کارکترها و ارایه یه بخش روانشناختی مفصلتر نسبت فردیت شخصیتها و جامعه انسانی مورد انتظارش در اون روایت هست، چیزی که به زعم من میتونست هیجانانگیزترین بخش داستان باشه ولی نویسنده در پرداخت بهش موفق عمل نکرده و به ضعیفترین بخش داستان تبدیل شده.
این بخش از روایت چنان ضعیف و خستهکننده هست که عملا میتوان تمام فصول مربوط به جلسات ماشین زیگفرید، به جز آخرین فصل که نویسنده پایانبندی داستان رو در اون قرار داده، از روایت حذف کرد بدون اینکه کوچکترین چیزی از داستان از دست بره. در واقع باید بگم به این شکل نیمی از کتاب بیهوده حرام شده :/
با توجه به موارد عنوان شده به سختی و با زور برای بخش پرداخت روایت کتاب میتونم امتیاز نیم را در نظر بگیرم.
با احتساب نمرهها، امتیاز من به این کتاب بسختی به
امتیاز ۳
خواهد رسید.
پ.ن: واقعا تعجب میکنم از اون ۳۷ درصدی که به این کتاب امتیاز ۵ دادن 🤷🏻
September 1, 2016
This turned out to be a surprisingly good and entertaining sci-fi tale. When I picked up a copy of the novel I thought I was heading for an Edgar Rice Burroughs type pulp sci-fi story. I'll admit it was the name of the series, the Heechee Saga, that caught me out. It totally sounds like pulp sci-fi! I only realized this was a Hugo and Nebula award winner when it was mentioned by Robert.J.Sawyer in an introduction to the audiobook. That had me a little worried as I've a poor track record with critically acclaimed books, but within the first chapter I realized I had nothing to be concerned about with this particular story. Frederik Pohl story was filled with a ton of intriguing concepts and interesting themes but he had an engaging writing style and this was above all else a character driven sci-fi story.
The world Pohl created was an intriguing one. Earth is suffering from overpopulation and a lack of resources. Scientific advancement has led to some level of space travel and colonies have been set up on the nearby planets of Venus and Mars to limited success. The big chance for the humans comes when a human finds an alien mining facility in the depths of Venus. The Heechee are a long gone race who have lead little trace of their existence except from a few abandoned outposts. The most significant discovery is of a space station that has a weird orbit close to the sun. It is filled with almost a thousand ships. The problem is that no one understands the technology behind them. Luckily for the humans most of the ships are set with preprogrammed destinations. Unluckily for the humans the pre-set destinations are not always safe for humans! The ships are also very small. The largest are 5 man vessels and the smallest just fit just one person so are useless for things like colonisation of potential new worlds. The aim of the Gateway travellers is to seek out new Heechee outposts in order to discover more of their ancient technology and to search for anything else that might be useful. The rewards for finding something are huge, so are the risks as almost 2/3 of prospectors are killed or never return from their unknown missions.
We followed the story of Gateway prospector Robinette Broadhead. His story was told in two halves. In the present time through a series of therapy sessions with his AI therapist and through flashbacks to his time as a Gateway prospector. Both turned out to be fairly interesting though I did personally enjoy the space adventuring the most.
Robinette Broadhead was an interesting character. He was not all that likeable a guy but he was a fascinating character to follow.
I found this an incredibly engaging read from the very start and will definitely pick up the sequel as there is more stories to be told in this word for sure.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: The audio was narrated fantastically by Oliver Wyman.
The world Pohl created was an intriguing one. Earth is suffering from overpopulation and a lack of resources. Scientific advancement has led to some level of space travel and colonies have been set up on the nearby planets of Venus and Mars to limited success. The big chance for the humans comes when a human finds an alien mining facility in the depths of Venus. The Heechee are a long gone race who have lead little trace of their existence except from a few abandoned outposts. The most significant discovery is of a space station that has a weird orbit close to the sun. It is filled with almost a thousand ships. The problem is that no one understands the technology behind them. Luckily for the humans most of the ships are set with preprogrammed destinations. Unluckily for the humans the pre-set destinations are not always safe for humans! The ships are also very small. The largest are 5 man vessels and the smallest just fit just one person so are useless for things like colonisation of potential new worlds. The aim of the Gateway travellers is to seek out new Heechee outposts in order to discover more of their ancient technology and to search for anything else that might be useful. The rewards for finding something are huge, so are the risks as almost 2/3 of prospectors are killed or never return from their unknown missions.
We followed the story of Gateway prospector Robinette Broadhead. His story was told in two halves. In the present time through a series of therapy sessions with his AI therapist and through flashbacks to his time as a Gateway prospector. Both turned out to be fairly interesting though I did personally enjoy the space adventuring the most.
Robinette Broadhead was an interesting character. He was not all that likeable a guy but he was a fascinating character to follow.
I found this an incredibly engaging read from the very start and will definitely pick up the sequel as there is more stories to be told in this word for sure.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: The audio was narrated fantastically by Oliver Wyman.
August 7, 2015
This is a well structured sci fi novel, and I can see why it is considered an influential classic, but it has one major problem that I can't get around: the protagonist is a whining, self-absorbed shithead. Since the main story is told in flashback, and he is still a whining, self-absorbed shithead in the frame story, we spend the whole book knowing that he will not grow or change at any point through the adventure he is relating to us, and for all we know his whining self-absorbed shitheadedness will only get worse. It does, in both the frame story and the main story. I appreciated Pohl's critique of capitalism, as well as his willingness to depict a future teeming with gender/ethnic/sexual diversity, but most of those depictions are as stereotypical and unflattering as the arrested adolescent that passes for the novel's hero. Pohl's cynicism is a little too deep for my taste, and there's a lot of pseudo-Freudian hokum that passes for character motivation.
Trigger-warning: Scene of domestic violence is especially brutal and the book is ambivalent at best about the protagonist's justification for it.
Trigger-warning: Scene of domestic violence is especially brutal and the book is ambivalent at best about the protagonist's justification for it.
April 12, 2021
Вселената зове като сирена. Обещава богатства, чудеса и вечност, но често - като скрито огледало - връща само мъка и смърт. Фантастиката от старата школа експлоатира любопитството и емоциите на максимум. Пришпорва въображението и страниците сами се изчитат. Обещава звездни диаманти, за да примами неопитния ентусиаст в някоя черна дупка. И да разтегне законите на физиката отвъд хоризонта на възможното.
Боб Бродхед не е никакъв модерен протагонист, а нормално, прилично тъмно и измъчено човешко същество. За да избяга от мизерията на страдащата от пренаселване и изчерпани ресурси Земя и от собствените си демони, той поема към света на чудесата. А именно портал, оставен от неизвестна цивилизация с неизвестни (всъщност не особено високи) шансове за оцеляване в проучвателни мисии с непозната технология. Естествено, чудесата не са точно от сорта, който Боб е очаквал. А страховете и недостатъците му го следват по петите и в новите, некартографирани предели.
Използваната от автора технология е малко старичка на моменти, но тя съвсем не е ключова. Ключови са вечните въпроси къде е пределът на човечеството и на всеки отделен човек. Къде е точката на оттласкване на прогреса от страховете и предрасъдъците. И, о да, приключения до дупка. Щастливият край не е гарантиран. Никой не спасява света. Читателят чете на свой риск.
***
“Има хора, които никога не могат да превъзмогнат определен момент от своето емоционално развитие. Те не могат да водят нормален, безгрижен, приятен живот с половия си партньор по-дълго време. Нещо вътре в тях не може да понася щастието.”
“Когато бях дете, по панаирите продаваха една книжчица остроумно озаглавена: „Всичко, което знаем за хичиянците“. Беше със сто двайсет и осем страници — всичките празни.”
Боб Бродхед не е никакъв модерен протагонист, а нормално, прилично тъмно и измъчено човешко същество. За да избяга от мизерията на страдащата от пренаселване и изчерпани ресурси Земя и от собствените си демони, той поема към света на чудесата. А именно портал, оставен от неизвестна цивилизация с неизвестни (всъщност не особено високи) шансове за оцеляване в проучвателни мисии с непозната технология. Естествено, чудесата не са точно от сорта, който Боб е очаквал. А страховете и недостатъците му го следват по петите и в новите, некартографирани предели.
Използваната от автора технология е малко старичка на моменти, но тя съвсем не е ключова. Ключови са вечните въпроси къде е пределът на човечеството и на всеки отделен човек. Къде е точката на оттласкване на прогреса от страховете и предрасъдъците. И, о да, приключения до дупка. Щастливият край не е гарантиран. Никой не спасява света. Читателят чете на свой риск.
***
“Има хора, които никога не могат да превъзмогнат определен момент от своето емоционално развитие. Те не могат да водят нормален, безгрижен, приятен живот с половия си партньор по-дълго време. Нещо вътре в тях не може да понася щастието.”
“Когато бях дете, по панаирите продаваха една книжчица остроумно озаглавена: „Всичко, което знаем за хичиянците“. Беше със сто двайсет и осем страници — всичките празни.”
July 15, 2025
__________________________
“What were we doing here? Traveling hundreds or thousands of light-years, to break our hearts?” --Gateway
In 1985 when the world was young and so was I, I lived in the same Chicago suburb as Frederik Pohl, and I once attended a talk he was giving at our local library. After the session, I asked him to sign my dog-eared copy of Gateway and blurted out something to the effect that “Gateway” was my favorite book of all time. He raised a gray, bushy eyebrow, and gave me a sad, pitying look that implied that I must some kind of illiterate moron whose lips move when he reads. Pohl’s eyebrow was right. (Well, not about me being a moron--I’m not, you know, despite what my wife may have told you). But the truth is that Gateway doesn’t rank with Huckleberry Finn, Anna Karenina, or The Sound and the Fury in terms of literary merit; it is, however, a truly great sci-fi novel.
Gateway, which was written in 1976, is a novel about a future in which the global economy has collapsed and only the very wealthy can afford decent health care (Gee, this is supposed to be a book about the FUTURE, right). This leads some brave, desperate, or foolhardy souls to take part in an extremely dangerous technological gold rush by volunteering to ride one of the uncontrollable, derelict alien starships that are in orbit around our sun to unknown destinations in an effort to discover exotic "Heechee" technology that will make them rich.
Other reviewers have called Gateway a character study--and that is true--but to me it is also an important concept novel, one that presents new ideas and sets one imagination ablaze. I spent many a night fantasizing about what it would be like to take part in such a great adventure.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. Mr. Pohl is no longer with us. I expect he is currently racing across the Milky Way in a Heechee scout ship. You can follow him. All you have to do is read Gateway.
“What were we doing here? Traveling hundreds or thousands of light-years, to break our hearts?” --Gateway
In 1985 when the world was young and so was I, I lived in the same Chicago suburb as Frederik Pohl, and I once attended a talk he was giving at our local library. After the session, I asked him to sign my dog-eared copy of Gateway and blurted out something to the effect that “Gateway” was my favorite book of all time. He raised a gray, bushy eyebrow, and gave me a sad, pitying look that implied that I must some kind of illiterate moron whose lips move when he reads. Pohl’s eyebrow was right. (Well, not about me being a moron--I’m not, you know, despite what my wife may have told you). But the truth is that Gateway doesn’t rank with Huckleberry Finn, Anna Karenina, or The Sound and the Fury in terms of literary merit; it is, however, a truly great sci-fi novel.
Gateway, which was written in 1976, is a novel about a future in which the global economy has collapsed and only the very wealthy can afford decent health care (Gee, this is supposed to be a book about the FUTURE, right). This leads some brave, desperate, or foolhardy souls to take part in an extremely dangerous technological gold rush by volunteering to ride one of the uncontrollable, derelict alien starships that are in orbit around our sun to unknown destinations in an effort to discover exotic "Heechee" technology that will make them rich.
Other reviewers have called Gateway a character study--and that is true--but to me it is also an important concept novel, one that presents new ideas and sets one imagination ablaze. I spent many a night fantasizing about what it would be like to take part in such a great adventure.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. Mr. Pohl is no longer with us. I expect he is currently racing across the Milky Way in a Heechee scout ship. You can follow him. All you have to do is read Gateway.
April 5, 2021
Gateway was Pohl's most successful, popular, and best known novel, quite deservedly. He captured the nostalgic Golden Age sense-of-wonder feeling of the vastness and mystery of outer space, the grandiose and awesome passage of time with the artifacts of the ancient Heechee civilization, and blended it quite successfully with the more modern, New Wave characterization and exploration of the mind. One of the main characters is an A.I. therapist, Sigfrid von Shrink, and protagonist Robinette Broadhead is surely Pohl's best developed and most complex character. It's one of the best hard-sf novels ever printed.
April 23, 2020
4/5
Puedes leer mi reseña completa en Fabulantes: https://www.fabulantes.com/2020/04/po...
Pórtico abre La Saga de los Heeche compuesta en su totalidad por 4 libros y que se completa con un quinto, un libro de relatos. La idea de esta novela me parece magnífica y logra transmitir una sensación de desolación y confusión como pocas lo hacen. Los Heechee son unos seres extraterrestres que dejaron una serie de naves en una estación con destinos previamente establecidos. Ante esta situación de desconcierto que abre la puerta a exploraciones sin límites, surge la figura de los «prospectores», seres -en esta ocasión humanos- que se montan en las naves, lanzándose a un futuro prácticamente incierto, a un más que probable suicidio. Pero esto, dirá el lector interesado, carece de sentido. Pero el que escribe esta reseña le dirá que no, porque ahí aparece, una vez más, el factor económico que tanto lo mueve todo. Al no tratarse de una muerte segura cabe la posibilidad de sobrevivir y encontrar restos que estos seres tan peculiares dejaron dondequiera que las naves acaben llegando y recibir, de este modo, una cuantiosa recompensa que les permita vivir sin complicaciones en la Tierra.
Entre todos los prospectores Frederik Pohl elige a Robinette Broadhead como el protagonista de la novela. La historia alterna dos tipos de capítulos, los que narran los hechos acaecidos en Pórtico, la estación espacial que los Heechee dejaron para confundir y condenar -es una percepción personal- a los humanos, con las sesiones del protagonista con su psicoanalista, que es una máquina, bautizado como Sigfrid por él mismo.
Me ha gustado mucho la novela, a pesar de sus defectos y de algunos temas que trata que para alguien como yo, un aburrido y poco actual con algunas ideas, le chirrían. Pero aunque no comparta algunas cosas, tampoco me escandalizo tan pronto, así que el resultado me ha satisfecho. A ver qué me depara Tras el incierto horizonte.
Puedes leer mi reseña completa en Fabulantes: https://www.fabulantes.com/2020/04/po...
Pórtico abre La Saga de los Heeche compuesta en su totalidad por 4 libros y que se completa con un quinto, un libro de relatos. La idea de esta novela me parece magnífica y logra transmitir una sensación de desolación y confusión como pocas lo hacen. Los Heechee son unos seres extraterrestres que dejaron una serie de naves en una estación con destinos previamente establecidos. Ante esta situación de desconcierto que abre la puerta a exploraciones sin límites, surge la figura de los «prospectores», seres -en esta ocasión humanos- que se montan en las naves, lanzándose a un futuro prácticamente incierto, a un más que probable suicidio. Pero esto, dirá el lector interesado, carece de sentido. Pero el que escribe esta reseña le dirá que no, porque ahí aparece, una vez más, el factor económico que tanto lo mueve todo. Al no tratarse de una muerte segura cabe la posibilidad de sobrevivir y encontrar restos que estos seres tan peculiares dejaron dondequiera que las naves acaben llegando y recibir, de este modo, una cuantiosa recompensa que les permita vivir sin complicaciones en la Tierra.
Entre todos los prospectores Frederik Pohl elige a Robinette Broadhead como el protagonista de la novela. La historia alterna dos tipos de capítulos, los que narran los hechos acaecidos en Pórtico, la estación espacial que los Heechee dejaron para confundir y condenar -es una percepción personal- a los humanos, con las sesiones del protagonista con su psicoanalista, que es una máquina, bautizado como Sigfrid por él mismo.
Me ha gustado mucho la novela, a pesar de sus defectos y de algunos temas que trata que para alguien como yo, un aburrido y poco actual con algunas ideas, le chirrían. Pero aunque no comparta algunas cosas, tampoco me escandalizo tan pronto, así que el resultado me ha satisfecho. A ver qué me depara Tras el incierto horizonte.
April 28, 2015
Civilizaciones extraterrestres desaparecidas, expediciones suicidas, inteligencias artificiales diseñadas para el psicoanálisis, sexo intergaláctico... Aunque todos los elementos de la historia que encontramos en Pórtico resultan bastante atractivos de por sí, lo que convierte el clásico de Pohl en una novela tan sobresaliente es sin duda su trepidante ritmo narrativo, la inteligencia con que están hiladas las diferentes tramas y el certero perfil psicológico que hace Frederik Pohl de su personaje principal, quien poco a poco irá perdiendo el beneplácito del lector e irá revelando en su lugar una personalidad grotesca, repleta de inseguridades. Por si fuera poco, esa excelente ambientación capaz de saciar nuestro más sediento sentido de la maravilla, un excepcional reparto de secundarios y una apoteósica conclusión en forma de mazazo emocional completan una novela redonda que con toda probabilidad tardará muchísimo tiempo en salir de tu memoria.
March 29, 2017
On this dull, foggy, and cold day, I reluctantly finished this sixth re-read of "Gateway." It's still as fresh as when I first read it in a tent in the Orkney Islands 30 years ago, waiting for the rain to stop for just a moment, for the clouds to raise their petticoats before the hint of a horizon. Eyes-closed wonder.
February 24, 2023
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 intentionally anti-hero sorta way either). Bob is a selfish, sometimes violent, womanizing, homophobic prick. What's worse is there's no indication that Pohl is aware of this fact about his hero as no real attempt is made to redeem the lead character. In Pohl's Venus Inc. series the protagonist starts off as deplorable and goes through a redemption arch of disillusionment and discovery. In Gateway this doesn't happen, which is especially odd and vexing considering that a full half of the book is devoted to Bob's lengthy sessions with a computerized psychiatrist.
(Spoilers ahead)
About 2/3rds through the already self-obsessed, sexist and abominable protagonist viciously beats up his lover in a hypocritical fit of jealously and tops it off with a deeply homophobic self-hating crises. The horrific domestic violence incident passes with little comment and pathetically the writer tries to absolve the character of wrongdoing via some ridiculous and offensive Freudian psychobabble nonsense about the animalistic nature of wolves. Earth to Pohl - a simple "I'm really really sorry and want to marry you" does not adequately deal with serious domestic violence!
At this point I wanted to throw the book out the window but I held out hope for some form of redemption. It didn't happen and instead got even more offensive. Thankfully, in the real world, many of Freud's theories have been largely debunked as nonsensical and homophobic so its almost laughable when Pohl attempts to blame the protagonist's homosexual desire (and resulting homophobic reaction) on his mother's nurturing techniques and a rectal thermometer - I say "almost laughable" because its also a deeply oppressive and damaging world view that is sadly still prevalent today. Annoyingly these types of story points are typical when it comes to many straight white male class-privileged sci-fi writers. Sigh.
I'd recommend skipping this book and reading the Venus, Inc. series instead.
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 intentionally anti-hero sorta way either). Bob is a selfish, sometimes violent, womanizing, homophobic prick. What's worse is there's no indication that Pohl is aware of this fact about his hero as no real attempt is made to redeem the lead character. In Pohl's Venus Inc. series the protagonist starts off as deplorable and goes through a redemption arch of disillusionment and discovery. In Gateway this doesn't happen, which is especially odd and vexing considering that a full half of the book is devoted to Bob's lengthy sessions with a computerized psychiatrist.
(Spoilers ahead)
About 2/3rds through the already self-obsessed, sexist and abominable protagonist viciously beats up his lover in a hypocritical fit of jealously and tops it off with a deeply homophobic self-hating crises. The horrific domestic violence incident passes with little comment and pathetically the writer tries to absolve the character of wrongdoing via some ridiculous and offensive Freudian psychobabble nonsense about the animalistic nature of wolves. Earth to Pohl - a simple "I'm really really sorry and want to marry you" does not adequately deal with serious domestic violence!
At this point I wanted to throw the book out the window but I held out hope for some form of redemption. It didn't happen and instead got even more offensive. Thankfully, in the real world, many of Freud's theories have been largely debunked as nonsensical and homophobic so its almost laughable when Pohl attempts to blame the protagonist's homosexual desire (and resulting homophobic reaction) on his mother's nurturing techniques and a rectal thermometer - I say "almost laughable" because its also a deeply oppressive and damaging world view that is sadly still prevalent today. Annoyingly these types of story points are typical when it comes to many straight white male class-privileged sci-fi writers. Sigh.
I'd recommend skipping this book and reading the Venus, Inc. series instead.
May 14, 2010
4.0 stars. I just re-read this story on May 13, 2010 after having first read it back in 1998. The downgrade from 4.5 stars to 4.0 stars has less to do with the quality of this book (which I still think is excellent) and more to do with the quality of other books I have read since my first reading of Gateway which have caused me to rasie the bar somewhat.
This is still a "classic SF story" that is worthy of the title and one that I recommend to any fan of science fiction. It is not as dated as many of its contemporary novels and I thought the themes explored through the main character were deftly handled and well written. Also, the central idea of the novel (i.e., the Gateway and the Heechee technology which humans use but do not understand) was highly original when first written and has been copied (a clear sign of its brilliance) by many authors since.
Recommended!!
Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner: Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner: John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Listed on Locus List of "All Time Best" Science Fiction Novel
This is still a "classic SF story" that is worthy of the title and one that I recommend to any fan of science fiction. It is not as dated as many of its contemporary novels and I thought the themes explored through the main character were deftly handled and well written. Also, the central idea of the novel (i.e., the Gateway and the Heechee technology which humans use but do not understand) was highly original when first written and has been copied (a clear sign of its brilliance) by many authors since.
Recommended!!
Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner: Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner: John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Winner: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Listed on Locus List of "All Time Best" Science Fiction Novel
February 28, 2023
So you can either live out your days in a miserable overpopulated polluted world where nobody cares about you and nothing has any point or joy in it... or you can sell out everything you possess (possibly including every organ of a family member) for a chance at an elaborate suicide inside an alien spaceship that no one actually knows how to drive?
That's a lot better than us - at least they have a way out!
Life sucks and everything's going to shit.
Mindless nihilism aside, this is an odd duck. One part space prospecting, one part therapy, neither of them with much traditional narrative beats, neither of them seeming to have so much to do with one another, both filled with seemingly irrelevant downtime and at-time meandering bits that seemed to have little point - but they join together at the very end and at that point it all, for the most part, makes sense. Imagine being a coward your whole life, and the one time you stop being a coward you accidentally a huge disaster. Or maybe you were a coward the whole time after all. See, just because it makes sense doesn't mean everything's clear.
And if the story is esoteric, then the characters pull through. I got to like all of them and wanted to see where they ended up and whether any of them blow up in space. Even the robot was likeable. It was not just a jumble of stuff taken out of the internet and mixed together in a horrifying amalgamation of logic and patterns, like ours. Another way this world is better.
Didn't care as much for the romance, though. Too much telling, not enough showing, little chemistry. They bickered a lot and didn't seem to have much in common.
I may pick up another in the series. See if the aliens do show up or something.
That's a lot better than us - at least they have a way out!
Life sucks and everything's going to shit.
Mindless nihilism aside, this is an odd duck. One part space prospecting, one part therapy, neither of them with much traditional narrative beats, neither of them seeming to have so much to do with one another, both filled with seemingly irrelevant downtime and at-time meandering bits that seemed to have little point - but they join together at the very end and at that point it all, for the most part, makes sense. Imagine being a coward your whole life, and the one time you stop being a coward you accidentally a huge disaster. Or maybe you were a coward the whole time after all. See, just because it makes sense doesn't mean everything's clear.
And if the story is esoteric, then the characters pull through. I got to like all of them and wanted to see where they ended up and whether any of them blow up in space. Even the robot was likeable. It was not just a jumble of stuff taken out of the internet and mixed together in a horrifying amalgamation of logic and patterns, like ours. Another way this world is better.
Didn't care as much for the romance, though. Too much telling, not enough showing, little chemistry. They bickered a lot and didn't seem to have much in common.
I may pick up another in the series. See if the aliens do show up or something.
August 20, 2024
Check out my full, spoiler free, video review HERE. This novel won 4 different awards for best novel in 1978, and I can see why. Part space opera and part psychological science fiction. Our immoral, mostly unlikeable main character Rob wins the lottery which allows him to leave a bleak, dystopian earth and travel to Gateway where he becomes a prospector. Gateway is an ancient alien hollowed out asteroid with ~1000 faster than light spaceships that travel to unknown parts of the galaxy. Prospectors gamble with their lives to find artifacts or phenomena that will make them rich, and there is a lot of debauchery going down on the station. There are alternating chapters with Rob having psychological sessions with an AI phycologist he calls Sigfrid von Shrink. I loved the ideas and set up in this one as well as the way the novel’s narrative built the suspense and kept me engaged the whole way though. This is a classic that I’m glad I finally got around to reading.
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