{"product_id":"gateway-frederik-pohl-9780575094239","title":"Gateway: SF Masterworks | Frederik Pohl","description":"\u003cp\u003eHow far would you push your luck on an ancient, uncontrollable alien spacecraft just to escape a resource-starved Earth? \u003cstrong\u003eFrederik Pohl\u003c\/strong\u003e delivers in this classic novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore the universe in Frederik Pohl's legendary sci-fi classic, \u003cem\u003eGateway\u003c\/em\u003e. Read the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning masterpiece of alien technology.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNebula Award for Best Novel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHugo Award for Best Novel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbandoned alien ships, fatal interstellar gambles, and untold riches. Frederik Pohl explores the ultimate sci-fi survival lottery in the classic novel \u003cem\u003eGateway\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Book:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinner of the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, Frederik Pohl’s \u003cem\u003eGateway \u003c\/em\u003estands as an undisputed masterwork of hard science fiction and psychological suspense. This gripping novel introduces readers to the Heechee, an ancient, long-vanished alien civilization that left behind an abandoned space station packed with hundreds of fully functional starships. Humanity can pilot these vessels, but there is a terrifying catch: the Heechee technology is entirely misunderstood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one knows where a ship will go, how long the journey will take, or if the crew will ever return alive. Every launch is an absolute gamble between unimaginable wealth and a horrifying death in the vacuum of space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story follows Robinette Broadhead, a desperate, impoverished food-miner from Earth who risks everything on a one-way ticket to Gateway. Haunted by the crushing bleakness of his past, Bob takes the ultimate leap of faith into the cosmic unknown. Through a series of high-stakes voyages, he navigates the psychological meat-grinder of the station—a place fueled by gold-rush fever, desperate courage, and systemic dread. When Bob finally hits the ultimate jackpot, the material rewards come at a devastating emotional cost, leaving him rich, deeply traumatized, and trapped in an endless cycle of survivor's guilt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNarrated through a brilliant dual-timeline structure, the book seamlessly weaves Bob's terrifying deep-space missions with his deeply personal, post-voyage psychoanalysis sessions with an artificial intelligence therapist named Sigfrid von Shrink. As the layers of Bob's psyche are meticulously peeled back, readers are treated to a profound exploration of human greed, fear, love, and the crushing weight of cosmic existentialism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than just a space adventure, \u003cem\u003eGateway \u003c\/em\u003eis a brilliant character study that questions what we are willing to sacrifice for a chance at a better life, making it an essential, timeless cornerstone for any science fiction collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWealth or Death. Those were the choices Gateway offered. Humans had discovered this artificial spaceport, full of working interstellar ships left behind by the mysterious, vanished Heechee. Their destinations are preprogrammed. They are easy to operate, but impossible to control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About \u003cem\u003eGateway\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e Did this novel win any major science fiction awards?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eYes, remarkably so. Gateway achieved a rare, historic \"grand slam\" of the science fiction genre. It systematically swept the major honors of its era, winning the 1977 Nebula Award, the 1978 Hugo Award, the 1978 Locus Award, and the 1978 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Novel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eWhat is the main narrative hook and setting of the book?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e The story centers on an asteroid spaceport named \"Gateway,\" which was abandoned by an ancient, long-vanished alien civilization known as the Heechee. Inside the asteroid, humanity discovers hundreds of fully functional, pre-programmed interstellar starships. The catch is that humans cannot decode the navigational computer—meaning anyone who launches a ship is playing a high-stakes game of Russian roulette, traveling blindly to unknown coordinates that lead either to unfathomable alien wealth or violent death.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e How is the book structured and who guides the reader?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book uses a fascinating, alternating narrative layout. It shifts between the past experiences of Robinette \"Bob\" Broadhead—an impoverished miner who risks everything to become a Gateway prospector—and his present-day psychiatric sessions with an artificial intelligence therapist named Sigfrid von Shrink, slowly revealing the massive psychological trauma of his final voyage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e Is this an action-packed space battle novel or something deeper?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e It is a deeply psychological, character-driven sci-fi novel. While it explores hard science concepts and interstellar exploration, the emotional core maps Bob's inner battle with intense guilt, survival anxiety, greed, and deep psychological trauma, making it a definitive sci-fi masterwork.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e Is this a standalone story or the start of a larger series?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e It serves perfectly as a standalone masterpiece, but it is also the definitive first book in Frederik Pohl's legendary Heechee Saga. If your buyers wish to continue exploring the universe and decoding the mysteries of the vanished alien race, they can follow this up with the sequels: \u003cem\u003eBeyond the Blue Event Horizon\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHeechee Rendezvous\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Annals of the Heechee\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrederik Pohl: \u003c\/strong\u003eAmerican Fiction Writer \u0026amp; Editor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrederik Pohl \u003cstrong\u003e(1919-2013)\u003c\/strong\u003e had an extensive career as both a writer and editor spanning over seventy years. Using various pseudonyms, Pohl began writing in the late 1930s, his first published work being a poem titled \"Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna\", which appeared in the October 1937 issue of Amazing Stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePohl edited both Astonishing Stories and Super Science Stories between 1939 and 1943 and whilst many of his own stories appeared in these two pulp magazines they were never under his own name. After this period, from 1943 to 1945, Pohl served in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of sergeant as an air corps weatherman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween the end of the war and the early '50s, Pohl was active as a literary agent, representing many successful writers of the genre including \u003cstrong\u003eIsaac Asimov\u003c\/strong\u003e. The winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, Pohl became the SFWA Grand Master in 1993 and was inducted by the \u003cstrong\u003eScience Fiction Hall of Fame\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1998.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003eHe died in September 2013.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBibliographic Data:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFull Title:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gateway: SF Masterworks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor(s): \u003c\/strong\u003eFrederik Pohl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gollancz (An imprint of Orion Publishing Co.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 29, 2010\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBinding Format:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e B-Format Paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrint Length: \u003c\/strong\u003e288 Pages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/strong\u003e9780575094239\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-10: \u003c\/strong\u003e0575094230\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLibrary of Congress (LCCN):\u003c\/strong\u003e 76-052443\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC): \u003c\/strong\u003eFICTION \/ Science Fiction \/ Space Opera\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC): \u003c\/strong\u003eFICTION \/ Science Fiction \/ Hard Science Fiction; FICTION \/ Science Fiction \/ Adventure; FICTION \/ Psychological\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.12 x 0.79 x 7.80 inches (13.0 x 2.0 x 19.8 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7.8 oz (approx. 0.49 lbs \/ 221g)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGrab Your Copy!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore the multi-award-winning masterpiece of science fiction featuring the mysterious Heechee artifacts. Tap to discover Frederik Pohl's classic today!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51605862809915,"sku":"0575094230","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780575094239.jpg?v=1787832382","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/gateway-frederik-pohl-9780575094239","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}