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: A must read if you picked up Gateway
Review: If you read the first book you have to read this one.
Again, like the first book, these stories are not "action" packed but simply the drama of the lives of the people in the story which keep you interested.
Suspense comes from the characters exploring the unknown and the threat and dangers of simply being in space all by themeselves.In addition there is a nice splice of scientific theory thrown in for readers who like that kind of thing. Not everything is just "assumed" to be . . . the author actually does a little hypothisizing here and there. Yay! More Heechee technology. 'nuff said! I grew to like the character of Robin Broadhead even more than in the first book. Great imagination and a very easy read.
Rating:
Summary: out of print
Review: Irritating that this book is out of print. Murphy's law in effect (as usual) since I just discovered the first one in the series and want to read on. Thanks alot.
Rating: 
Summary: Masterly Sequel
Review: More plot driven and optimistic than Gateway, Pohl constructs an intricate plot that solves all the important questions about the Heechee. Pohl's ability to present complex scientific ideas in an easy to understand and awe-inspiring way is impressive. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: OUT OF PRINT?
Review: Now I've seen everything. How can Ballantine books defend the fact that while they still print books 1, 3, and 4 of the successfull Hechee saga, that they do not have this book in print? Beyond the Blue Event Horizon is the finest entry in this series, but more importantly it has many elements that help to create continuity within the saga. I wish I had more room to comment on the book itself, but the only thing I can say right now is BRING IT BACK!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent continuation of a block-buster series
Review: This book continues the excitement and suspense of "Robin" Robinette. I found that this book was one of the best of the series. The mysterious "HeeChee" were explored and our own fraility was examined. In all, I would rank this book one of the top 15 scifi books that I have ever read. I hope that Mr. Pohl can come close to matching the adventure and excitement that was generated by this book and series
Rating:
Summary: How can this be out of print?!
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is far superior to "Gateway." It pulls you along with each chapter and the mysteries are presented and cleared up in a quick and efficient manner, but by the time he's cleared up one thing about the story, there is another pulling you along. A great read!
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Gateway
Review: To begin with, "Beyond The Blue Event Horizon" is a very good continuation of the Gateway series (although this does confine the book at times). The book is "hard" science fiction (emphasis is placed on getting the science of the story correct, unlike Star Trek's "phazers" and "warp drives"), although there's never a real feeling that this overpowers the story. The only exception to this is the last chapter which is basically an epilogue that reads like a physics book. But otherwise, the story is what drives this novel, and what a story it is! The book continues the adventure of our returning heroes Robin Broadhead and S Ya, among several other very unique, interested and well-defined characters (such as Wan or the "Oldest One"). Pohl does an excellent job of making these characters real through their problems, traits, flaws and strengths.
However, the real reason I'd recommend this book is because of the way Pohl writes. He's very good at suspense, as shown in Gateway, and employs it better here. After every answer he gives you, he'll present two more questions. And EVERY chapter ends right when you're eager to find out more. In addition, the buildup for the story is brilliant, with pieces of the puzzle that are established early on in the book coming into play beautifully near the end.
Finally, the reason Beyond The Blue Event Horizon received only 4 stars is that, as almost any sequel, it builds upon what was set up in Gateway (which definitely deserves five stars). There are times that Pohl seems to lean too heavily on the previous book to fill in any gaps (unlike, for instance, "Speaker For The Dead" which, although it's a sequel to "Ender's Game," it never fails to astonish the reader with new concepts and ideas instead of simply being an expansion upon Ender's Game).
Overall, Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is an amazing book that is well worth the time. But not only that, it does something that only the best books can manage... it leaves you with a definite sense of satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Gateway
Review: To begin with, "Beyond The Blue Event Horizon" is a very good continuation of the Gateway series (although this does confine the book at times). The book is "hard" science fiction (emphasis is placed on getting the science of the story correct, unlike Star Trek's "phazers" and "warp drives"), although there's never a real feeling that this overpowers the story. The only exception to this is the last chapter which is basically an epilogue that reads like a physics book. But otherwise, the story is what drives this novel, and what a story it is! The book continues the adventure of our returning heroes Robin Broadhead and S Ya, among several other very unique, interested and well-defined characters (such as Wan or the "Oldest One"). Pohl does an excellent job of making these characters real through their problems, traits, flaws and strengths.
However, the real reason I'd recommend this book is because of the way Pohl writes. He's very good at suspense, as shown in Gateway, and employs it better here. After every answer he gives you, he'll present two more questions. And EVERY chapter ends right when you're eager to find out more. In addition, the buildup for the story is brilliant, with pieces of the puzzle that are established early on in the book coming into play beautifully near the end.
Finally, the reason Beyond The Blue Event Horizon received only 4 stars is that, as almost any sequel, it builds upon what was set up in Gateway (which definitely deserves five stars). There are times that Pohl seems to lean too heavily on the previous book to fill in any gaps (unlike, for instance, "Speaker For The Dead" which, although it's a sequel to "Ender's Game," it never fails to astonish the reader with new concepts and ideas instead of simply being an expansion upon Ender's Game).
Overall, Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is an amazing book that is well worth the time. But not only that, it does something that only the best books can manage... it leaves you with a definite sense of satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Gateway
Review: To begin with, "Beyond The Blue Event Horizon" is a very good continuation of the Gateway series (although this does confine the book at times). The book is "hard" science fiction (emphasis is placed on getting the science of the story correct, unlike Star Trek's "phazers" and "warp drives"), although there's never a real feeling that this overpowers the story. The only exception to this is the last chapter which is basically an epilogue that reads like a physics book. But otherwise, the story is what drives this novel, and what a story it is! The book continues the adventure of our returning heroes Robin Broadhead and S Ya, among several other very unique, interested and well-defined characters (such as Wan or the "Oldest One"). Pohl does an excellent job of making these characters real through their problems, traits, flaws and strengths.
However, the real reason I'd recommend this book is because of the way Pohl writes. He's very good at suspense, as shown in Gateway, and employs it better here. After every answer he gives you, he'll present two more questions. And EVERY chapter ends right when you're eager to find out more. In addition, the buildup for the story is brilliant, with pieces of the puzzle that are established early on in the book coming into play beautifully near the end.
Finally, the reason Beyond The Blue Event Horizon received only 4 stars is that, as almost any sequel, it builds upon what was set up in Gateway (which definitely deserves five stars). There are times that Pohl seems to lean too heavily on the previous book to fill in any gaps (unlike, for instance, "Speaker For The Dead" which, although it's a sequel to "Ender's Game," it never fails to astonish the reader with new concepts and ideas instead of simply being an expansion upon Ender's Game).
Overall, Beyond The Blue Event Horizon is an amazing book that is well worth the time. But not only that, it does something that only the best books can manage... it leaves you with a definite sense of satisfaction.
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