Good, way better than the first book

First book kinda sucked. This one was good. Better character development. It started out a little bad, but came around at the end. it veered away from the initial pedophilia it seemed to be leading up to, and I was gonna have to turn it off, if it went any further. But, it took a direction towards scifi instead of grown man fantasies of a 14 year old. This book was sci-fi, unlike the first one. That one was just a terrible story inside of a sci fi setting. This book actually deals with sci-fi themes, time travel, aliens, warmholes, spaceships, telepathy... It still goes into personal emotional struggles, like the first, but significantly more palatable.

2 people found this helpful

SHE SURPRIZES ME MOST WHEN I LEAST EXPECT IT

I give this five stars, but it is not as a strong five star as Gateway. You want to read Gateway first.
SHANTY TOWNS NEVER DISAPPEAR THEY BECOME INSTITUTIONALIZED.
I read Gateway when I was in my 20's and then I read this. At the time I could not understand it enough to enjoy it. I don't know if it is because I am older or because I listened on audible, but I found I really liked it this time around. I like Sci-Fi and I like reading about space travel. It is amazing how little Sci-Fi actually has space travel. When they have space travel it usually involves the military. This has a family in space, making it easier for me to picture myself in space.

This kept my attention. Toward the end there was some heavy math and physics. I had a little problem staying with Pohl on that, but as a whole I enjoyed the read and want to go on to the third book. As I grow older I seem to appreciate Pohl's ability to look into the future and write about it.

21 people found this helpful

This book feels very dated

After enjoying the first book in this series, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon was quite a let down. I believe that part of the problem here is Pohl broke the story into segments following different characters. Instead of focusing on a single narrative, this time Pohl jumps from one point of view to another. This tempo isn't always a bad thing, but here its stopping somewhat interesting story lines in there tracks and its a little jarring. The ideas of what a computer could be is dated. Sort of like the computer on original Star Trek. Makes for some hard reading when a computer plays such an integral role. Dumb characters. I really got to hating the family that is on a several year mission to an artifact. They are supposed to be the brightest of humanity, but they come off as petty and idiots. The decisions they make are awkward. And speaking of awkward, the heavy sexual narrative of a girl on her first period written by an old man... yikes. Stay away from this book. Its not good.

1 person found this helpful

Another Winner

It may just be because I'm rereading a series I really enjoyed in my youth, but I just can't stop listening to this series. I'm picking up on stuff I missed the last time I read this series and the story is keeping me very focused. Must get some sleep tonight!!! No more marathon listening sessions. I may need Sigmund to help me through this problem.

3 people found this helpful

Terrific Extension of Gateway

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! Pohl is an underrated author. He comes out of the classic Sci Era of Asimov and Clarke and I think compares favorably to both. This is big concept Sci Fi, without a lot of action relative to fighting or horror. Much of the narrative is similar to Asimov (logic and plot conveyance) but with a significant amount of hard science. Astrophysics is at the heart of this second novel in the series and I thought it was terrific. I do not understand why Pohl is to regarded more highly, maybe because the novel format moved away from these internally driven narratives to more outward, action based stories at home in the movies or TV.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well Robin is the star here but honestly I thought Albert Einstein was just as engaging as Siegfried Von Shrink in Gateway. This is not as heavy of a novel and Albert adds some coif relief and is a great device to explain astophysics. Very clever of Pohl.

Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Well his work in Gateway was tremendous, this is just as good. His voice for Robin shows his advanced age and the other characters are great.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Hope you paid attention in high school physics"!

Any additional comments?

This is a solid series. Because Gateway was such a classic book, some readers might be put off by this second installment. It is a much different narrative and style. Don't compare the two, Pohl is moving the story forward and to do that he needed to tell the story differently. After a bit I got used to it and I was rewarded a story that I very much enjoyed. I plan on finishing the remaining books in the series. If you like Asimov, Clarke and Bradbury you will enjoy this book. Its clever, a little corny and educational.

2 people found this helpful

It depends on what the definition of "beyond" is

Would you listen to Beyond the Blue Event Horizon again? Why?

Chock full of spoilers (generalized). In this book, which is a sequel to Gateway, you've got new characters, you've got new aliens. Pohl zooms in on various characters, light years away from one another, and follows specific individuals. Wyman's vocalizations are distinct. One of them is very annoying--a young character that he feels compelled to always have shouting as if they are trying to prevent someone from yanking their shorts up their ass-crack.

Pohl gloriously zooms out in the book's latter part, allowing three major aspects of the Heechee phenomenon to be told. Just when you think the telescope has brought you to a logical end view of the picture, Pohl either backs away to a whole new extensions, or directs you to a microscope or CAT Scan of the subject at hand.

My big problem--which may or may not be cleared up in later installments--is that there is no action regarding Clara's plight. I thought "beyond" meant into, past, pioneering, discovering--as in "into." Instead, it's about dismissing, "getting over with," setting aside.
In that sense, I was really disappointed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beyond the Blue Event Horizon?

Finding the cause of the madness that recurred on earth on a regular basis--and how that madness changed according to the specific transmitter. Finding the purpose of the ubiquitous Heechee artifacts.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

The variety of voices--except the hysterical one mentioned above. Boy, did that grate on my nerves.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The meeting of the travelers and the young castaway. The description of the activity of "first contact" was outrageous, pathetic, natural, shocking, and liberating!

2 people found this helpful

Gateway was great this is awful

I couldn’t make it past the 4th chapter, it is mean spirited, crude, just awful. There is not one person that is likable at all in the story that I could stand to listen to. Maybe I will listen to gateway again and try to figure out why I liked it in the first place. No way I will listen to the third book.

Not as good as Gateway

I got thru the book. I'm a huge fan of the Heechee but this one isn't written as well as the first. It moves the story along and is the weakest of the three in my opinion.

Follow-on to Gateway with more Heechee

Beyond the Blue Event Horizon is Frederik Pohl's sequel to Gateway. Robin Broadhean has sponsored an expedition to a recently discovered Heechee food factory at the edge of the solar system. A small crew of four makes the four year journey and not only find the food factory, but a young human who migrates between the food factory and another Heechee ship called Heechee Heaven. On Heaven are the Dead Men who turn out to be simulacras of lost Gateway pilots as well as old ones who appear to be degenerated Heechees. The crew is captured and Robin, after dealing with multiple business issues makes his way out there in a Gateway vessel and rescues the the crew, brings the food factory home, and solves the mystery of Heechee controls. The ending suggests the mysterious Heechee have been toying with humanity in order to create a buffer between them and something even more powerful. Pohl throws quite a bit of science into the story with much discussion about black holes. He creates AI avatars that provide legal and accounting services as well as a digital Albert Einstein. The Heechee prayer fans turn out to be information storage devices as well as another Heechee technology to digitize a person. A 'dream chamber' has been used to direct human evolution. The last chapter is from the perspective of the Heechee captain who oversaw the Earth project with the idea that the Heechee are on the run from an entity with the power to rearrange the fundamental constants of the universe and they were hoping to set up humans and other intelligent species as a buffer. The narration is well done with excellent character distinction and overall quick pacing. The Albert Einstein accent is nicely done, but can get a bit annoying.

Great addition to the Hechee saga

If you liked gateway, you’ll either love or hate this one. It is a little different than Gateway, but continues the story of Robinette Broadhead beyond gateway and toward the Hechee. Give it a shot! I promise it is worth it.