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

Entertains

worth the time to listen, wished it was longer, wanting to hear the next in the series !!

Guess Classic SF isn't for me

This is considered a classic...but I found it extremely boring. Cool concepts, but so much happens off-page. It's more about people getting together and *talking* about what just happened (which I guess is a lot like Scalzi and many of the other Hard SF writers). I do enjoy SF but maybe it's more of the soft stuff (Altered Carbon, the Expanse, etc). I felt like I was missing something.

The main character was so unlikable but maybe that was the point. The narration was good. I just didn't like the story.

Definitely award worthy, but...

Too short for my taste. I prefer books in the 12+ hour hour range, but read this because it won the sci-fi triple crown back in the day. Anyway I'm not sure the science has held up to the decades.

I probably will read the rest of the series, but they aren't high on my priority list.

If you like sci-fi, try Gateway.

At times the story moves slow, so it only deserves a 4. However it has a very interesting premise and is both unique and creative. The plot builds up towards the end, but the story actually ends unlike so many other series. I recommend it.

not that good

it was very short, the main character was completely unlikable, the story itself had no substance and almost nothing happened.

it must have been a really slow year it won the Hugo and nebula because this book was borderline bad.

Once again into the Heechee

I haven't looked at the Heechee books since they were new. But I have thought about them. Various images have been in my mind all along. Now I can go through them again in Audible. I'm a lot older now and I very much appreciate Audible letting me review books that eye strain and other physical issues make very difficult. The recording is very good. The performances are real and easy to hear and understand. The story is involving me at least as much as it did all those years ago.

Superior story - would give an 11 if I could

Be warned, you don't have all the clues you need to figure out the big questions as you go. So sit right back and just enjoy the ride!

Excellent story and naration!

Would you listen to Gateway again? Why?

Yes, I would listen to Gateway again. I liked this book very much. It is a good combination of human complexity and compelling story line with a smattering of actual science. The story is presented in a matter-of-fact way and never seems forced. Since it was written in the 77 there are the usual anachronisms, but that's the way it is with sci fi. Overall, the story holds up well and it is easy to see why it won so many awards.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gateway?

The whole concept of how they get around in space.

Which scene was your favorite?

The joining of the two story threads.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Hard to put down.

A masterpiece

I loved this book as a child and I loved it even more now. The real beauty of the book is that the protagonist really is just as horrible a person as he thinks he is. For most of the book, the reader is compelled to support him, despite his crippling emotional problems -- even pity him for them. The final reveal at the end of the book changes your view of him completely. It's very unexpected to the reader, but not unanticipated by the story. And when you're still reeling from that, Sigfrid von Shrink closes the book with one of the most powerful scenes I've read/heard.

The narration of this book is solid, each character has a distinct voice without resorting to silly accents. The scenes with Sigfrid are extremely well acted, without too much melodrama, but enough trembling and emotion in the voice of the main character (and their complete absence in the voice of Sigfrid) to really convey the story effectively.

One of the things I'd really like to see is a revised edition where they include the sidebars with contextual fragments (letters, quotes from magazines, corporation regulations) that were in the original text, but are missing here. Perhaps use a separate narrator for those.

Apart from that, this was a thoroughly enjoyable listen for me. One of the only bugbears I have is that Pohl's original characters seem sometimes to be racial caricatures. (Bakin is a name basically reserved for a famous japanese novelist. No one is called Bakin anymore. Shikitei isn't a name, and Ituno isn't even a name that can be pronounced in Japanese. Dane isn't a russian name, etc.). Many sci-fi authors are guilty of this, though (I'm looking at you, Orson Scott Card).

Worth Reading Managing Expectations

The performance is excellent. The story holds together but seems somewhat contrived and really challenges believability. Also the personality of the hero would never pass screening tests for any space flight assignment.