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The Gap Cycle #1-2
The Real Story and Forbidden Knowledge
In the far future, gap drives faster-than-light deep space travel, but sometimes this afflicts some with irreparable brain damage. A Zone Implant can turn such a person into a zombie, to protect his shipmates, but it's highly illegal.
Ensign Morn Hyland works for the United Mining Company, which is in charge of law enforcement throughout known space. She lives aboard a police ship, together with most of her family; their job is to chase down pirates and other illegals who prey on the weak, or smuggle goods into forbidden space. Her life is nothing out of the ordinary - until she falls in with the pirate Captain Nick Succorso. All of a sudden, the young, strong, beautiful police officer appears to be falling in love - well, lust at least - with the murdering pirate, or so it appears to the folk at the space station's bar.
But the real story was quite different ...
Ensign Morn Hyland works for the United Mining Company, which is in charge of law enforcement throughout known space. She lives aboard a police ship, together with most of her family; their job is to chase down pirates and other illegals who prey on the weak, or smuggle goods into forbidden space. Her life is nothing out of the ordinary - until she falls in with the pirate Captain Nick Succorso. All of a sudden, the young, strong, beautiful police officer appears to be falling in love - well, lust at least - with the murdering pirate, or so it appears to the folk at the space station's bar.
But the real story was quite different ...
544 pages, Paperback
Published September 11, 2008
65 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Stephen R. Donaldson
149 books2,726 followersStephen Reeder Donaldson is an American fantasy, science fiction, and mystery novelist; in the United Kingdom he is usually called "Stephen Donaldson" (without the "R"). He has also written non-fiction under the pen name Reed Stephens.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:
Stephen R. Donaldson was born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled in making or fitting prosthetic devices). Donaldson spent the years between the ages of 3 and 16 living in India, where his father was working as an orthopaedic surgeon. Donaldson earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University.
INSPIRATIONS:
Donaldson's work is heavily influenced by other fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and William Faulkner. The writers he most admires are Patricia A. McKillip, Steven Erikson, and Tim Powers.
It is believed that a speech his father made on leprosy (whilst working with lepers in India) led to Donaldson's creation of Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of his most famous work (Thomas Covenant). The first book in that series, Lord Foul's Bane, received 47 rejections before a publisher agreed to publish it.
PROMINENT WORK:
Stephen Donaldson came to prominence in 1977 with the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which is centred around a leper shunned by society and his trials and tribulations as his destiny unfolds. These books established Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy fiction.
PERSONAL LIFE:
He currently resides in New Mexico.
THE GRADUAL INTERVIEW
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:
Stephen R. Donaldson was born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled in making or fitting prosthetic devices). Donaldson spent the years between the ages of 3 and 16 living in India, where his father was working as an orthopaedic surgeon. Donaldson earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University.
INSPIRATIONS:
Donaldson's work is heavily influenced by other fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and William Faulkner. The writers he most admires are Patricia A. McKillip, Steven Erikson, and Tim Powers.
It is believed that a speech his father made on leprosy (whilst working with lepers in India) led to Donaldson's creation of Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of his most famous work (Thomas Covenant). The first book in that series, Lord Foul's Bane, received 47 rejections before a publisher agreed to publish it.
PROMINENT WORK:
Stephen Donaldson came to prominence in 1977 with the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which is centred around a leper shunned by society and his trials and tribulations as his destiny unfolds. These books established Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy fiction.
PERSONAL LIFE:
He currently resides in New Mexico.
THE GRADUAL INTERVIEW
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 1, 2021
Did not finish. Apart from being far too smugly rapey I also found the flow and style a tad too capricious for my liking. The writing starts out in a sort of high fantasy faerie tale style, a story being told by an unseen narrator with no direct viewpoints given. I thought this was an interesting approach for a sci fi novel, especially from a fantasy writer jumping into the sf genre so I was willing to go along. That switched to normal multiple viewpoint mode for no apparent reason that I could see and things got down and dirty from here. Maybe he pulled it all around later, maybe I missed out. I will never know. Once the many scenes of rape and degradation of a helpless woman became the 'norm' and it was clear there were no likeable characters (not even the victim) I cut my losses and made for the exit. Decent writing and the early scene setting clawed in an extra star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2018
I'm a big fan of Donaldson and his Thomas Covenant series so I was expecting great storytelling from this series. And I'm not at all disappointed in that sense - these are engaging books that make you think and bring you into a universe.
And here is the thing - this is a dark and harsh universe and while I found these books great sci-fi I also found them too harsh and too dark, hence the loss of 1 star.
After The Real Story, Donaldson has an afterword in which he addresses some of the motivation, disgust and shame of writing this book and some of the thematics behind it. I almost skipped that commentary and if I had done so I think I would have put the series down. It is that hard with themes of rape and depravation (but hey, not too distant from what we got with CofTC).
If you can get through that first story and reach into the Wagnerian depth of what follows there are all those elements that make great sci-if.
But frankly, I can only recommend it with the big warning label. Not for everyone.
And here is the thing - this is a dark and harsh universe and while I found these books great sci-fi I also found them too harsh and too dark, hence the loss of 1 star.
After The Real Story, Donaldson has an afterword in which he addresses some of the motivation, disgust and shame of writing this book and some of the thematics behind it. I almost skipped that commentary and if I had done so I think I would have put the series down. It is that hard with themes of rape and depravation (but hey, not too distant from what we got with CofTC).
If you can get through that first story and reach into the Wagnerian depth of what follows there are all those elements that make great sci-if.
But frankly, I can only recommend it with the big warning label. Not for everyone.
February 12, 2018
Stephen Donaldon's fiction is not easy to read. Apart from the disturbing content, unlikable characters, and subversive approach to genre, his style of writing focuses on character psychology in a way that gets bogged down in despair and fatalism. This book, which collects the first two entries in his science-fiction Gap sequence, is more extreme and disturbing even than The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The things that happen to the main character in these books and the terrible realisation that every character is vile, disturbed, or broken makes this a pretty draining read. At the same time those characters are complex, the world building is thoughtful and provocative, and the narrative is gripping. Read with caution.
September 6, 2010
I'll be honest, I only read the first book, the real story. My partner's review was that she hated everything about the book.
I won't got that far. but I find large parts of it disturbing for it's own sake without a reason. There is a plot in there, but it gives the feeling of being stretched out for no reason apart from an excuse to point out that there is yet another rape occuring.
As I summed it up to my partner when she borrowing it. "And while you're wondering as you read it...No, the raping never stops."
I won't got that far. but I find large parts of it disturbing for it's own sake without a reason. There is a plot in there, but it gives the feeling of being stretched out for no reason apart from an excuse to point out that there is yet another rape occuring.
As I summed it up to my partner when she borrowing it. "And while you're wondering as you read it...No, the raping never stops."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2019
Anyone who reads Stephen R. Donaldson's works expects real characters with explicit descriptions. This story has all of these characteristics and more. There is adventure, that holds the interest and twists ;you don't expect. It is a space story about space ships and far away places. With more than one special captain of a vessel to rival Hans Solo's reputation. And, of course, the female prize at the end of the rainbow. Enjoy.
July 28, 2019
Pretty good
Pretty good but not for the feint hearted . Strong story and world building with well defined but appalling characters. I'll probably read the next one
Pretty good but not for the feint hearted . Strong story and world building with well defined but appalling characters. I'll probably read the next one
March 25, 2019
I first read this back in my teenage years, for reasons of pure fandom buying each volume in hardback (long since lost/sold/given away) and waiting with baited breath for the next instalment. Stephen R Donaldson was something of a hero figure in those days, writing thoughtful fantasy fiction. This followed the two-part 'The Mirror of her Dreams' epic.
A lot further down the line and the story still reads quite well, but the detail is overwhelming, the lengthy paragraphs of descriptive writing and chronicling of characters' inner monologues exhaustive. It clouds the fact that not a lot actually happens in the book. Instead, what we get are endless passages about feelings, as though in this world the characters spend most of their time sitting and thinking through their plight, a little like no one does in real life. Throw in the technobabble, infodumps about various bits of science fiction paraphernalia, and getting through the book becomes a trawl.
And yet a not unrewarding trawl. While wishing for a good editor to red pen their way through the manuscript and drive the action forward, I enjoyed spending time with the characters, the growing nightmare of their existence. Once the initial plot point of getting them to where they're going to spend the rest of the novel is covered, the story becomes an effort to escape the clutches of a barely known alien race called the Amnion, an inscrutable force whose motives and dabbling in mutation experiments are the stuff of half-sketched horror. I think it's easy enough to imagine 'first contact' with intelligent aliens being like the Amnion, inspiring terror as they deal in pure logic - Donaldson's writing of their dialogue is beautiful, just beautiful, their mangling and over-complicating of the English language as they fail to get to grips with its nuances.
So, there is good stuff here, stuff that's worth working through the weighty text to reach. I would like to pick up the tale again at some point, though easy reading it is not. The ending of 'Forbidden Knowledge' leaves everything nicely poised. The only sad part is that I've read a lot more since first accessing this series, by writers better at sacrificing the endless, meandering text we get here for some modicum of pace. My hope is that in future episodes there's a little bit more action.
A lot further down the line and the story still reads quite well, but the detail is overwhelming, the lengthy paragraphs of descriptive writing and chronicling of characters' inner monologues exhaustive. It clouds the fact that not a lot actually happens in the book. Instead, what we get are endless passages about feelings, as though in this world the characters spend most of their time sitting and thinking through their plight, a little like no one does in real life. Throw in the technobabble, infodumps about various bits of science fiction paraphernalia, and getting through the book becomes a trawl.
And yet a not unrewarding trawl. While wishing for a good editor to red pen their way through the manuscript and drive the action forward, I enjoyed spending time with the characters, the growing nightmare of their existence. Once the initial plot point of getting them to where they're going to spend the rest of the novel is covered, the story becomes an effort to escape the clutches of a barely known alien race called the Amnion, an inscrutable force whose motives and dabbling in mutation experiments are the stuff of half-sketched horror. I think it's easy enough to imagine 'first contact' with intelligent aliens being like the Amnion, inspiring terror as they deal in pure logic - Donaldson's writing of their dialogue is beautiful, just beautiful, their mangling and over-complicating of the English language as they fail to get to grips with its nuances.
So, there is good stuff here, stuff that's worth working through the weighty text to reach. I would like to pick up the tale again at some point, though easy reading it is not. The ending of 'Forbidden Knowledge' leaves everything nicely poised. The only sad part is that I've read a lot more since first accessing this series, by writers better at sacrificing the endless, meandering text we get here for some modicum of pace. My hope is that in future episodes there's a little bit more action.
Read
January 20, 2021It's not often I don't finish a book. I started this because years ago I'd read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Couldn't finish it.
If you want to read about a bloke who is holding a woman hostage with a sci-fi mind/body control device and rapes her all too often then this is for you. If not don't both
If you want to read about a bloke who is holding a woman hostage with a sci-fi mind/body control device and rapes her all too often then this is for you. If not don't both
June 1, 2024
This is the first two books of The Gap Cycle series reprinted as one book. The series is fantastic. Currently reading for the second time. Even better this time because now I know there is some light after the dark dark dark DARK DARK... tunnel that is these first two books. I completely get why Donaldson wanted this combination reprint. These two books go together.
Read
November 20, 2020Morn, a heroine from a future time reminds me of Ayla, a survivor from Earth's distant past. Both are strong women.
I keep a dictionary nearby when reading Donaldson.
I can't recommend his writings to my bible thumping friends. They're missing one of my favorite series.
I keep a dictionary nearby when reading Donaldson.
I can't recommend his writings to my bible thumping friends. They're missing one of my favorite series.
October 14, 2019
Well written but so ugly a story, so depressing I didn’t finish it.
July 30, 2022
More morally challenging sci fi against the background of hyper space corporation meddling, introducing an alien threat.
March 9, 2023
The real story: 4 out of 5
Forbidden Knowledge: 4.5 out of 5.
Well written SF. Worth it. :)
Forbidden Knowledge: 4.5 out of 5.
Well written SF. Worth it. :)
April 23, 2017
It's the first time that I read anything from Stephen Donaldson and, apart from some suggestions, I knew nothing from this series. But as I started it I knew right away that this book was going to be, truly, an incredible unique experience.
The Real Story
The first story is a novella with Donaldson telling us the story of Angus Thermopyle; the real story.
Angus is an evil but unsuccessful pirate, who only lives for looting and without caring if he kills anyone on the way. But, after randomly discovering a woman in a ship, he will find himself against with some difficult situations and some conspiracies; and he will try, by any means necessary, to avoid his enemies - as the only thing they want is to get him out of their way.
Even though the story in itself is quite good, Donaldson has made his protagonist a bit more sadistic than it was, perhaps, needed - which is also the reason that some may find that a letdown - as he doesn't hesitate to show some pretty rough scenes, while he keeps playing with their mind and their psychology. However, when all this comes together it proves a much clever, although crude, story as Donaldson has done a very good job at handling the characters, and putting them in a constant cycle and turning them all the time from villain, to hero, to victim and back again.
With all that said I must say that, even thought the story can become quite rough, I really didn’t expect that I was going to like it that much and is definitely a story where Sci-Fi or Space Opera fans should check out. Fair warning though: it's a story like no other. 8/10
Forbidden Knowledge
The second story starts the novels and in this one we see things in a little different, with the protagonist being one of Angus’s most hated enemy; Nick Succorso.
Although he has a few scenes in the 'The Real Story' Succorso is, actually, a much weirder guy. Succorso likes to show that he will be, what matter the situation, always the one who'll win and that he'll always get everything he wants. But, what those that are close to him, his crew and his "friends", don’t know is that he can be a much cruel person than Angus himself.
The story follows Nick Succorso and his crew as they try to find a place to fix their ship, while in the meantime they get into their own adventures. However, on the way they will find themselves in a place they shouldn’t have gone; a place where it may well bring them and to their own deaths.
Morn, on the other hand, is in a worse position than before as, she’s trying to survive from Succorso's temper, she has also to keep her secrets hidden deep into herself - in a ship where she, really, doesn’t know who to trust.
While for Angus things, too, a much worse as he gone much deeper in UMCP's conspiracies and its corruption of the world, and the only thing that awaits him now is death or something much, much worse.
The novel proves, again, to be a fantastic read and and a great continuation to the series with Donaldson showing, yet again, his talent as an author , bringing a powerful, complex story and as awesome as in he did also with the first novella. So, to anyone interested, if you liked the first part don't miss the reast!. 8/10
The Real Story
The first story is a novella with Donaldson telling us the story of Angus Thermopyle; the real story.
Angus is an evil but unsuccessful pirate, who only lives for looting and without caring if he kills anyone on the way. But, after randomly discovering a woman in a ship, he will find himself against with some difficult situations and some conspiracies; and he will try, by any means necessary, to avoid his enemies - as the only thing they want is to get him out of their way.
Even though the story in itself is quite good, Donaldson has made his protagonist a bit more sadistic than it was, perhaps, needed - which is also the reason that some may find that a letdown - as he doesn't hesitate to show some pretty rough scenes, while he keeps playing with their mind and their psychology. However, when all this comes together it proves a much clever, although crude, story as Donaldson has done a very good job at handling the characters, and putting them in a constant cycle and turning them all the time from villain, to hero, to victim and back again.
With all that said I must say that, even thought the story can become quite rough, I really didn’t expect that I was going to like it that much and is definitely a story where Sci-Fi or Space Opera fans should check out. Fair warning though: it's a story like no other. 8/10
Forbidden Knowledge
The second story starts the novels and in this one we see things in a little different, with the protagonist being one of Angus’s most hated enemy; Nick Succorso.
Although he has a few scenes in the 'The Real Story' Succorso is, actually, a much weirder guy. Succorso likes to show that he will be, what matter the situation, always the one who'll win and that he'll always get everything he wants. But, what those that are close to him, his crew and his "friends", don’t know is that he can be a much cruel person than Angus himself.
The story follows Nick Succorso and his crew as they try to find a place to fix their ship, while in the meantime they get into their own adventures. However, on the way they will find themselves in a place they shouldn’t have gone; a place where it may well bring them and to their own deaths.
Morn, on the other hand, is in a worse position than before as, she’s trying to survive from Succorso's temper, she has also to keep her secrets hidden deep into herself - in a ship where she, really, doesn’t know who to trust.
While for Angus things, too, a much worse as he gone much deeper in UMCP's conspiracies and its corruption of the world, and the only thing that awaits him now is death or something much, much worse.
The novel proves, again, to be a fantastic read and and a great continuation to the series with Donaldson showing, yet again, his talent as an author , bringing a powerful, complex story and as awesome as in he did also with the first novella. So, to anyone interested, if you liked the first part don't miss the reast!. 8/10
July 9, 2013
I read it through to the end, only to discover there is more books. I won't be reading the rest.
I found the tone of the story or writing or something quite cold that I never sympathised with any character in the story, even the victim/protagonist.
The structure of the Real Story didn't work so well for me either. The same story is told twice but with different perspectives. The problem is the first version of the story isn't really that interesting and the second take is essentially a long rape scene. I should have been shocked, but wasn't at all.
The second story Forbidden, only made me dislike the characters more. Characters do continually stupid things, even when it makes "sense", didn't work for me this time. Ultimately I finished the books out of curiosity to see how ended, which it didn't of course.
I found the tone of the story or writing or something quite cold that I never sympathised with any character in the story, even the victim/protagonist.
The structure of the Real Story didn't work so well for me either. The same story is told twice but with different perspectives. The problem is the first version of the story isn't really that interesting and the second take is essentially a long rape scene. I should have been shocked, but wasn't at all.
The second story Forbidden, only made me dislike the characters more. Characters do continually stupid things, even when it makes "sense", didn't work for me this time. Ultimately I finished the books out of curiosity to see how ended, which it didn't of course.
September 16, 2014
Though I really like this series as a whole, I think it makes a weak start. The Real Story was, I found, difficult to read and though it presented a pretty cool new, dystopian world, it feels like a very long prelude.
Then comes the plot summary of the inspiring series of operas, which means characters can be identified and plot event foreseen. Though I usually do not enjoy this, I actually found it pretty neat for this story. The going is pretty slow anyways, events could still have been predicted, only now it can be done with admiration of how they tie in with the opera.
But this is not the best of the books - the plot moves too slowly, and is sort of drifting around without a real objective. Also, compared to later books, people are pretty nice.
Then comes the plot summary of the inspiring series of operas, which means characters can be identified and plot event foreseen. Though I usually do not enjoy this, I actually found it pretty neat for this story. The going is pretty slow anyways, events could still have been predicted, only now it can be done with admiration of how they tie in with the opera.
But this is not the best of the books - the plot moves too slowly, and is sort of drifting around without a real objective. Also, compared to later books, people are pretty nice.
May 23, 2015
Make no mistake: this might be the darkest, most brutal space opera you ever read. If you are after "long time ago, in a galaxy far far away" type of story, do not touch this.
This is a psychological study of how extreme a human can be - extreme beast, extreme survivor - and how much one can really endure and change to survive.
This book visits very dark corners of the human soul, and requires certain maturity and courage to read. If I was to name a space opera that was the farthest from nice&shiny star trek, this book would be it.
If you decide you want to read this book, be advised first chapter is to be endured until the real story begins.
This is a psychological study of how extreme a human can be - extreme beast, extreme survivor - and how much one can really endure and change to survive.
This book visits very dark corners of the human soul, and requires certain maturity and courage to read. If I was to name a space opera that was the farthest from nice&shiny star trek, this book would be it.
If you decide you want to read this book, be advised first chapter is to be endured until the real story begins.
January 24, 2015
Well...this was a brutal story...i actually got a bad taste in my mouth several times...and it's because of tha authors eminent writing i got through the book at all...Now i'm looking forward to the next 3 books in this epic story...Recommended for all sci-fi lovers out there :)
Read
July 19, 2010This is an HB copy, like new, which goodreads doesn't list.
July 31, 2010
Stephen Donaldson weaves in and out of the Real story adding new levels to the on going story.
September 5, 2010
I hate this book and everything about it and I never, ever want to read it again.
March 14, 2011
Full review on my podcast: SFBRP #123.
December 19, 2011
This is a must-read for anyone who is slightly into science fiction. The series is up there with the best books science fiction has ever produced.
March 24, 2009
Forbidden Knowledge is the second book but this one combines 1 and 2 in the gap series into 1 book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews