Gateway

By: Frederik Pohl

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Robert J. Sawyer

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Gateway opened on all the wealth of the Universe...and on reaches of unimaginable horror.

When prospector Bob Broadhead went out to Gateway on the Heechee spacecraft, he decided he would know which was the right mission to make him his fortune. Three missions later, now famous and permanently rich, Robinette Broadhead has to face what happened to him and what he is...in a journey into himself as perilous and even more horrifying than the nightmare trip through the interstellar void that he drove himself to take!

BONUS AUDIO: In an exclusive introduction, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer explains why Gateway is one of science fiction's all-time greatest novels.

PLEASE NOTE: Some changes were made to the original text with the permission of the author.

©1977 Frederik Pohl (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1978
• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1978
• John W. Campbell Memorial Award, Best Novel, 1978

A Great Premise

I read Gateway back in the '70s and remembered it as a book that sounded cool but disappointed me. Looking back, I wondered if perhaps it was just too mature or too difficult for me to relate to at a young age so I decided to give the audiobook a try. Oliver Wyman's reading is excellent and author Frederick Pohl's basic premise of abandoned alien ships that launch to pre-programmed, but unknown, destinations is one of the better ideas in science fiction. The book never quite delivers on the evocative promise of it's central idea, never quite evokes the sense of wonder, or horror, that you might expect from it. Instead, it focuses on it's flawed central character, Robinet Broadhead, as he faces both his fear of the unknown and the psychological after effects of a journey in one of the alien vessels. It makes for an interesting story but there's so little exploration of the intriguing concept that it's ultimately disappointing. We get a feel for Broadhead's experience but not enough of a feel for what humanity is finding out there, what the alien ships (and alien constructed setting of Gateway itself) are like. The author almost seems disinterested in them. They're a means of exploring Broadhead's character but as a character, he's not fully developed enough for that goal to make Gateway a completely satisfying read.

In the end, while Gateway is a good book and I can recommend it, my second experience with it was as disappointing as the first. If you choose to listen, just go in knowing this book is primarily a character study. Armed with that information, you may enjoy it much more than I did.

should be in everybody's top five

what are the best science fiction stories I've ever read I've listened to this book at least 7 times

Classic Sci-Fi...

A little dated, but a pretty good representation of classic science fiction. Will download the next in the series and to see what happens!

A fan classic I'm not to impressed with...

This was my first audiobook, I choose it since it was a classic I had never read and looked forward to the entertainment value of having a story read to me. As far as the production was concerned - it was great. The narrator, Oliver Wyman, has quickly become one of my favorites. However, the story...well...not so much. The premise is good enough, the dialog between the main protagonist and his computer-psychiatrist is good enough, but the story just drags on longer than I would have liked. Don't get me wrong, the book is amazing, Pohl does a great job with putting the real science into science fiction, it's just that it's too long winded.

Painful

This resonated with me as a combat veteran. The pain and guilt he worked through was complex and something I could relate to. We all try to see ourselves as the protagonist but this man was human, flawed, angry, and real.

Hell is other people ... on Gateway

For a SciFi novel written in the late 1970s, it has held up surprisingly well. Earned props go to Frederik Pohl for his superb story. In fact, it has been one of the most poly-scientifically packed novels I believe I've ever read. There are sections that discuss astrophysics, cosmology, astronomy as well as covering a significant amount psychiatry, a humanistic medicine. Then, as if that weren't enough, the author throws in some astrology, just for funzies.

The primary protagonist, Bob, is not a very likeable person and, at times, seems even a bit psychotic. He is self-centered, somewhat of a sponge, untrustworthy, indecisive with any situation that causes any type of conflict, among other shortcomings. While part of me mostly wanted to give it him the benefit of the doubt, considering that everyone on Gateway had more than their share of neuroses. Considering that they all spent an enormous amount of money just to get to Gateway with no guarantee of finding riches (and very few do), cramped living spaces, and very little in terms of entertainment, no internet, no cat memes, one could imagine it would drive most people over the edge after a time.

However, the thing that settled it for me as to Bob's inherent instability was when he snapped and got physical with Clara and then, after returning to earth a very rich man, never displayed any altruism toward others.

I have to give specially credit to the narrators, Oliver Wyman and Robert J. Sawyer for the voice performance of the story. I particularly found Sigfrid performance noteworthy.

a great story

He is a master story teller. this was a lot of fun and now I understand why it won so many awards.

Gateway got Hugo and Nebula awards. ..

I found it interesting but didn't fully get why the SciFi authors rated it one of the best in the field. I felt it would have been groundbreaking for the '70s. A worthwhile read.

Pretty Good Story

Science fiction was my favorite genre growing up as a teen - Isaac Asimov, especially the Foundation trilogy, Frank Herbert, etc. Though I've ready very little Sci-Fi as an adult, mostly consumed just through movies since then.

I just joined Audible a few months ago and was using it to consume only non-fiction, "self Improvement" books while I walked my dog. Then this book was on sale for $2 or whatever so I tried it. Very, very good - now I am back into Sci-Fi after all these years!

Give it a listen, you won't be sorry. Characters & story are an "A", narrator is a "B+".

A little bit of a let down.

I had heard many good things about the HeeChee Saga from my friends. This book was high on my list as a classic sci-fi book. I found it a let down. I enjoyed the concept, "prospectors for alien tech". Many of the characters were intriguing. The narrative back and forth in time, with foreshadowing of tragedy was interesting. The narration was great. It is just that Robinette Broadhead is a real shit. I thought I'd grow to like him the further along I went. Nope, the more I learned about him, the more I disliked him. Most of the characters of this novel had flaws, but they seemed far more sympathetic. I emphasized more with the computer, Siegfried. Pohl did a good job of describing the filth and claustrophobia of Gateway and the mushroom-like ships, I could almost smell the human funk. I get the impression that he has a low opinion of humanity. I'm not sure, but I wonder if Robbie mirrors his views of his on self. I have no way of knowing. He is a good enough author to keep going full steam through the 1st 4/5th of the story, hoping to find out something that will make me like a protagonist. Probably, never was in the cards. I will read other novels by Pohl, to get a further feel of his views, though. Hopefully I will find something to make me like his writing style.