Rating: 
Summary: A good next chapter in the Heechee Saga
Review: Beyond The Blue Event Horizon chronicles the adventures of Robinette Broadhead (from the first book), as well as some of his associates. In the book, we learn that Broadhead is now a pretty successful businessman and is married. Though he is happily married to S Ya (whom we learn about in the previous book), he still has longings for his long lost love, Gelle-Klara Moynlin. Further insight into the Heechee is gained, particularly from the introduction of a huge spaceship that can produce a huge amount of food, and thus satisfy humankind's hunger indefinitely. Pohl introduces some ideas that make this book an example of hard science fiction. As in the previous book, artificial intelligence is dealt with, though the artificial Sigrid von Shrink is abandoned for a new 'friend' for Broadhead. The plot is interesting, dealing with none other than the origins and fate of the universe, based on cosmological theories. The ending leaves some to be desired, but overall, the book must be read in the context that it is the second chapter in an ongoing series. If you are interested in the world created by Pohl that is Gateway, Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: A good next chapter in the Heechee Saga
Review: Beyond The Blue Event Horizon chronicles the adventures of Robinette Broadhead (from the first book), as well as some of his associates. In the book, we learn that Broadhead is now a pretty successful businessman and is married. Though he is happily married to S Ya (whom we learn about in the previous book), he still has longings for his long lost love, Gelle-Klara Moynlin. Further insight into the Heechee is gained, particularly from the introduction of a huge spaceship that can produce a huge amount of food, and thus satisfy humankind's hunger indefinitely. Pohl introduces some ideas that make this book an example of hard science fiction. As in the previous book, artificial intelligence is dealt with, though the artificial Sigrid von Shrink is abandoned for a new 'friend' for Broadhead. The plot is interesting, dealing with none other than the origins and fate of the universe, based on cosmological theories. The ending leaves some to be desired, but overall, the book must be read in the context that it is the second chapter in an ongoing series. If you are interested in the world created by Pohl that is Gateway, Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Beyond a disappointment
Review: Frederick Pohl disappoints us with this tiring bland SF sequel to his utterly transcendant "Gateway". In Beyond, Pohl goes to such great lengths to make his science accurate, his descriptions full, that he forgets the most important element: Story. The relevance of his exhausting scientific details kill the flow and are not justified by their importance. This is most true with his constant in depth explanation of the operation of the various anthropomorphized computer programs that help our heroes. These computer programs are neither interesting nor important, and Pohl gives no time to the most compelling plot developments and almost ignores he components that made Gateway such a triumph: The mysterious Heechee. Instead we are forced to contend with characters we don't have much reason to care about. Also, major plot developments occur that are completely implausable or glossed over. Pohl makes no attempt to explain them intead choosing to waste an entire chapter telling us how many megabits Broadhead's personal secretary allocates to serve him coffee. Reading this book is frustrating, irritating, especially for those of you thirsting for a fitting follow up to Pohl's self-proclaimed best book of his career, Gateway. If Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is as good as his other books can get, that's an understatement.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond a disappointment
Review: Frederick Pohl disappoints us with this tiring bland SF sequel to his utterly transcendant "Gateway". In Beyond, Pohl goes to such great lengths to make his science accurate, his descriptions full, that he forgets the most important element: Story. The relevance of his exhausting scientific details kill the flow and are not justified by their importance. This is most true with his constant in depth explanation of the operation of the various anthropomorphized computer programs that help our heroes. These computer programs are neither interesting nor important, and Pohl gives no time to the most compelling plot developments and almost ignores he components that made Gateway such a triumph: The mysterious Heechee. Instead we are forced to contend with characters we don't have much reason to care about. Also, major plot developments occur that are completely implausable or glossed over. Pohl makes no attempt to explain them intead choosing to waste an entire chapter telling us how many megabits Broadhead's personal secretary allocates to serve him coffee. Reading this book is frustrating, irritating, especially for those of you thirsting for a fitting follow up to Pohl's self-proclaimed best book of his career, Gateway. If Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is as good as his other books can get, that's an understatement.
Rating:
Summary: This is why I read science fiction
Review: I don't know how Mr. Pohl feels about this book, but in my opinion it is one of the top ten science fiction books of all time. As you read the book you realize that it starts at the end of the story, and proceeds to retell itself from the beginning, the end of the book is actually the middle point, but only chronologically. If that sentence seems confusing, it is because I am not Fred Pohl. He can write what I just described in a way that keeps you reading page after page long after you should have gone to sleep. Thank you Mr. Pohl
Rating:
Summary: Unavailable?
Review: I read this wonderful series 15 to 20 years ago and was hoping to pick it up again. Alas, book two is not available. Oh well. I'll try the "out-of-print" locater service. If I find one, I'll sell it on-line here for somebody else to read after I finish reading it. How dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: Unavailable?
Review: I read this wonderful series 15 to 20 years ago and was hoping to pick it up again. Alas, book two is not available. Oh well. I'll try the "out-of-print" locater service. If I find one, I'll sell it on-line here for somebody else to read after I finish reading it. How dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: F.Pohl did it again !
Review: If you don't want to be late for the job in the morning do not read this book !
If you begin this one after reading the first book "Gateway"
you are a little confused at the beginning. But after a few 20-25 pages it comes out to be so unexpected that you begin to feel the taste of being pulled in a labyrinth with all corridors connected to the ones you have been before.
As you think you are at the end, seing that it is only the
beginning of another labyrinth...that's why I read this book from 9:00pm till 4:00am without any break...
Rating: 
Summary: WARNING!!!
Review: If you loved the first book in the series, stop, and look for another book by another author. This is nowhere near the level of the acclaimed "Gateway." I was expecting a continuance of the Gateway-enigma, but what I recieved were too many answers to too few questions. What irks me about science fiction writers is the traditional attitude they have about writing a series of books extending from a usually excellent first novel. Larry Niven and his "Ringworld" novels, comes to mind. Another is Arthur C. Clarke and his "Rama" series. There must be a deep-seeded fear of failure for these men, or maybe they have become too comfortable in their genre to really challenge themselves anymore. Whatever the reason, this book is another example of an author playing it safe by branching out from a singularly brilliant novel. The result for me was, for the most part, a thoroughly bland experience. Mr. Pohl is a good writer, so I won't slash this book too much, but it was a disappointment. There are many other books out there, most of which are much better than this.
Rating:
Summary: WARNING!!!
Review: If you loved the first book in the series, stop, and look for another book by another author. This is nowhere near the level of the acclaimed "Gateway." I was expecting a continuance of the Gateway-enigma, but what I recieved were too many answers to too few questions. What irks me about science fiction writers is the traditional attitude they have about writing a series of books extending from a usually excellent first novel. Larry Niven and his "Ringworld" novels, comes to mind. Another is Arthur C. Clarke and his "Rama" series. There must be a deep-seeded fear of failure for these men, or maybe they have become too comfortable in their genre to really challenge themselves anymore. Whatever the reason, this book is another example of an author playing it safe by branching out from a singularly brilliant novel. The result for me was, for the most part, a thoroughly bland experience. Mr. Pohl is a good writer, so I won't slash this book too much, but it was a disappointment. There are many other books out there, most of which are much better than this.
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