The Gateway Trip
The Gateway Trip is a collection of science fiction "tales and vignettes", including a novella, [1] by the American writer Frederik Pohl. It was published in 1990 by Del Rey Books. It involves one of Pohl's recurring creations, the Heechee universe. The Heechee are a fictional alien race which developed advanced technologies, including interstellar space travel, but then disappeared.
Contents[]
The book includes anecdotes and "...meditations on planetary and stellar physics, evolution, sociology, and the future of the human race" that "fill in the background of his Heechee novels".[1] The story The Merchants of Venus is about Audee Walthers, an "airbody driver and tour operator", who scams Earth tourists who visit Venus. He needs a new liver, so he is seeking a rich client to profit from. He is pleased to meet the seemingly well-off Boyce Cochenour. However, Walthers finds out that Cochenour also needs money.
Reception[]
Kirkus Reviews states that the book is "[m]ore history text than story", as the "...characters of the vignettes are barely seen shadows, a background for pure speculation."[1] Kirkus Reviews states that "[d]espite the one novella and interesting science, ...this is only the skeleton of something better".[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d "The Gateway Trip". www.kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Reviews. 24 November 1990. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
External links[]
- 1990 American novels
- 1990 science fiction novels
- Novels by Frederik Pohl
- Del Rey books