Gateway (7/22): roll call and first impressions (no spoilers!)

[Shel, Moderator]

Post here if you are reading or planning on reading Gateway by Frederik Pohl. No spoilers please!

I will post the spoiler thread tomorrow morning.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I will be starting this tomorrow!

[Ryan]

Hi everybody, new member here. I had Gateway on my shelf (as well as the next 4 in the series) and started it last night. My first Pohl!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Ryan wrote: "Hi everybody, new member here. I had Gateway on my shelf (as well as the next 4 in the series) and started it last night. My first Pohl!"

I also got the other books in the series, so maybe you'll join me in reading the rest of the series after we finish this first installment!

[Shel, Moderator]

I read the series years and years ago and liked it - I don't know that I remember enough to post to the spoiler thread without re-reading, but I'm sure all of your posts will jog my memory. I do remember the basic premise and how interesting I found it.

[Ryan]

Dammit, another Ryan.

I'll probably be joining in.

[Ryan]

Hmm, I've definitely read this before. Must've been as a teenager some decades ago. I remember the names and the therapy session in Chapter 1. Don't remember any plot details, though.

I'm finding the narration engaging so far.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Ryan wrote: "Hmm, I've definitely read this before. Must've been as a teenager some decades ago. I remember the names and the therapy session in Chapter 1. Don't remember any plot details, though."

I had the same feeling about the therapy sessions, but nothing else seemed familiar.

[Shel, Moderator]

Kathi wrote: "Ryan wrote: "Hmm, I've definitely read this before. Must've been as a teenager some decades ago. I remember the names and the therapy session in Chapter 1. Don't remember any plot details, though."..."

Kathi, if you were with the old Amazon/Delphi boards ages ago, we read Gateway then. You might have participated?

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Shel wrote: "Kathi, if you were with the old Amazon/Delphi boards ages ago, we read Gateway then. You might have participated?"

Yes, I was active on both those boards, so maybe that’s it.

[Ryan]

How long ago is ages ago? Is this like a precursor to goodreads? Online book clubs in the earliest stages of the internet? I'm intrigued.

[Shel, Moderator]

Ha! This was way back when Amazon used to have discussion boards - I think I started posting there around 2000...they moved the boards to Delphi forums after a while. I don't think that exists anymore either.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Yes, between 2000-2008 maybe? Some of us from there connected in Facebook starting in 2008, I think.

[Ryan]

Cool. It seems Goodreads book clubs really got going only about 2011 or so, and before that I imagine there weren't too many good options. Glad there's plenty of options for online book clubs nowadays.

[Ryan]

I did finish Gateway several days ago - I'll jump over to the other thread. I enjoyed it.

Kathi, I hadn't originally planned to continue the Heechee Saga straightaway - I still need to get back to Revelation Space, Culture, Wayfarers, etc., etc., but after a brief break with some Pat Murphy, I have indeed started Beyond the Blue Event Horizon. I might take some breaks again afterwards or not continue immediately, but I'm enjoying the 2nd and will continue Heechee at some point, possibly even later this month.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Ryan wrote: "I did finish Gateway several days ago - I'll jump over to the other thread. I enjoyed it.

Kathi, I hadn't originally planned to continue the Heechee Saga straightaway - I still need to get back to..."

Ryan, I am not reading the next book right away either, but I’ll be posting here as I work my way through the rest of the Heechee books, like you—interspersed with other things.