Gates of the Universe

by Robert Coulson, Gene DeWeese, Kelly Freas (Illustrator)

Operating a bulldozer may be exciting, but it's not normally exciting in the way that Ross Allen found it. The fact that he was a science fiction writer on the side had nothing to do with it. There was something strange about the rock he struck with his machine. Even stranger was what he found inside it. But that was only the beginning. It led him to Orl who was brilliant and likeable, even if a bit odd by human standards. It brought him to Kari who was beautiful, but far different from any woman he'd ever met before. It led him to a world he could never have dreamed up himself.

Cover art Kelly Freas

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun science fiction romance/adventure, one of the better ones from the Laser line. It's one of the good recursive books that employs a science fiction writer as the protagonist, but isn't top-heavy with "in" references... and besides, he also was a bulldozer operator, which was a cool departure from the norm. It's an enjoyable and entertaining read.

[Jon Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a scanned paperback on the Internet Archive. I am working my way through some of the Laser Books series. This particular title was #4 in the series. I'm hoping that Laser didn't put their "best" material into the early issues to build an audience; if this was an example of "good" in the series I'd hate to see the bad. The book gets off to an an awkward start: the protagonist Ross Allen is a nerdy writer of science fiction stories whose day job is operating a bulldozer at a construction site(!) While scraping dirt from a hillside he uncovers a slab of polished stone. This slab turns out to be a "gate" that instantaneously transports him (and his bulldozer) to an unknown planet. His coworkers back on Earth don't notice his disappearance and think the gate-stone is just an ordinary rock, which they proceed to blow up with dynamite. So now Allen is trapped on a strange world with no way home. His adventures begin when the first person he meets tries to kill him. He survives and falls into the company of a lizard man and a fierce she-warrior. Further silly events occur as the small team try to find other "gates" and get them working so they can return to their home worlds. Not to miss a single scifi trope, the author throws in an invisible alien force bent on destruction, and a malfunctioning artificial intelligence. The book is just plain goofy, and not in a good way. Three out of five stars.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading my way through the Laser books and this was my favorite so far. The mix of characters was fun (though it had the usual 'Earth man is unique' trope), as was the mystery of their predicament... and when the explanation/solution is found it all fits sensibly with what has gone on before.
The only weak bit, for me, was the very end. These 190 page stories tend to clean things up quickly in the last few pages, and the same goes here. But the last couple lines popped in a cliche that I felt the story had wisely avoided up until then, though at least it felt earned and didn't totally blindside me.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny, nice book. But I was disappointed in the ending.

[Egghead · Rating 4 out of 5]

bulldozer leads to
mad computer adventure
beats punching the clock

[James Dick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this last year and cannot remember a single thing about it beyond page 9. This has been the single most unmemorable book I have ever read. Take that for what it is.

[Adam Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pu pu platter of pulp tropes, and the best character in the book is a bulldozer. Still, the meta “Commander Freff” angle actually pays off, against all odds.