Rating: 
Summary: All good things to those who wait
Review: Having read both Covenant trilogies (thrice), Mordant's Need, and the Gap Cycle (twice) I can certainly say that, in light of some reviews listed here, a dose of patience is needed. The Real Story is the "overture" to the opera about to unfold--no plot may commence until the players are in their proper places, and The Real Story gets Angus, Morn, and Nick (oh, and Milos) where they need to be. Read the author's notes at the end of the book. Now re-read them. You might even buy Wagner's Ring operas and listen to them. After reading the entire Cycle, come back to this one--you will be suprised at how different it seems the second time around.
Rating: 
Summary: Short, dull and lightweight
Review: This book offers nothing new to those who enjoy Science Fiction. It's so lightweight that it almost defies gravity. The plot is tissue paper thin and the characterisation is very sketchy. It reads like a poor 1950s pulp novel and the ending is flatter than week old beer. I'm surprised that Dondaldson managed to pad this material out to a thin book. For good space opera see early Niven or Haldeman.
Rating: 
Summary: A series NOT for the impatient
Review: Fair warning, this series is, at times, sadistic to both characters and readers as both are forced through some hideous trials whose endings are unforeseen. But, if you are able (like the characters) to be shaped by these trials you will find by the end a marvelous story rich in detail and insight. Many reviewers are put off by the starkness of this first novel, but as you read on you will find that each novel will in turn open up more and more of the universe to you, like looking at a small detail of a picture and then pulling back a bit at a time to see the whole thing. Starting with the first novella, a theme of never knowing the full story begins and with each book more of the truth, the story, and the universe are seen. It will take some time to get there but the final picture is well worth the intial investment of time. Bravo, Mr. Donaldson!
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Summary: Read the Rest of the Series!
Review: This is a bit of a slow starter. Consider it a prelude to the other 4 books, which take this story to such mind-blowing depths that will have you reeling. The problem with this book is that it's horrific without a clear purpose or direction. Both become very apparent as the series progresses, but you must get to book two via The Real Story. Donaldson truly is a master, and does not disappoint (read the comments from the other books - almost universally 5 stars!). Read this book in 3 days, then dive into the rest of one of the best science fiction tales ever created.
Rating:
Summary: Too Boring to buy the second in the series
Review: I tend to give quite a bit of leeway to authors when I read their books (taking into account the time that they wrote it, the author's background, and if this is his or her first novel). But when I read 'The Real Story' I had trouble keeping my eyes awake. It was amateurish at best and I had to literally force myself to finish it (which I rarely ever do). Normally, even if I don't like a book, I will finish it just to make sure that I didn't miss something or find something prophetic in the last chapter. But none of these things materialized, even in the end. Don't waste your money or your time on this one (and I hate to say that because I am a staunch believer in literacy). This book doesn't even deserve one star. Sorry Mr. Donaldson.
Rating:
Summary: A facinating way to introduce an interesting series
Review: Maybe part of the problems that people would have with this book is the way it's structured. The first chapter, all of about 3 pages, tells the entire story of the book. Then, Chapter 2 tells 'the real story' and expands on it. As the book goes on, the story is told about 5 times, each time expanding on what went before, until we, the reader, finally get 'The Real Story.' I read the first chapter of this in a bookstore, and promptly bought it on the spot. What a joy to find out it was part of a series.
Rating: 
Summary: Brutal and one-dimensional, but engaging.
Review: This novella is a prelude to four subsequent volumes, and it tells a simple and one-dimensional story. An intergalactic setting in the far future revolves around two rival space pirates named Angus Thermopyle and Nick Succorso, and, between them, a UMCP (United Mining Companies Police) ensign named Morn Hyland. The story is told from Angus' point of view, and he is one of the most depraved and sorry figures ever depicted in a work of fiction. His repeated violations of Morn -- described in graphic detail -- have drawn hostile reviews and cries of misogyny, but Donaldson's purpose is to evoke a thoroughly dark and sordid mood in this series. As the books proceed, you'll understand why. In the meantime, be patient and bear with this novella. The saga really gets going in the next volume, "Forbidden Knowledge."
Rating:
Summary: Depressing but necessary beginning to an excellent series
Review: Donaldson sets the stage for the 'Gap Into Conflict' with this tiny novel, but it can also be read as a stand-alone. As a stand-alone it's depressing, as others have indicated, but as a series intro its darkness makes every victory of perseverence over evil in the later novels that more pronounced. A necessary if morose beginning to an overall excellent series.
Rating:
Summary: A strong foundation and a perfect beginning.
Review: I have been a avid reader of Donaldson since being turned onto his work in the early 1980's. I have always loved his method of creating envelopping journies and tales that let you into his worlds. This book is the begining and bare-bones plot by which Donaldson rockets you into the intense and complex future of three unlikely heroes. To be honest: it was a surprise. I did not expect such honest and "no frills" writing from Donaldson, but I found ,as the story unfolds, that I simply could not let it down. It ended far to quickly. My wait for the next book was nearly a year ( In which I read it a few more times). Lucky for anyone new: you do not have to wait. I would urge everyone to trust in this phenomenal writer and invest your time in this brilliant series.
Rating: 
Summary: Time Has Not Smiled Upon Stephen Donaldson
Review: Despite Stephen Donaldson's admitted writing talents, complemented with inventive and original concepts, the content of his work has progressively and dramatically declined since the writing of the classic fantasy sextet, "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant," almost two decades ago. Followed by the good but unmemorable fantasy "Mirror of Her Dreams," with the "Gap" series he has chosen to turn his talents instead to science fiction. It is hardly a success. I forced myself to read both the first and second books in this series, mainly, I suppose, out of loyalty to the memory of the earlier "Covenant" series. However, whereas there the protagonist possessed a dark side that enriched as well as leavened the realism and humanity of the tale, in the "Gap" Donaldson has chosen to revel in the singular immorality and depravity of his characters. The end result is an unrelentingly dark world totally devoid of humanity or an inkling of compassion, with protagonists obsessed solely with their own selfish purpose. There is a determined absence of the interplay between the potential for both good and evil that coexists in all humanity. Instead the world of the "Gap" is devoted to characters pathologically oblivious to anything outside their own primitive survival and, more often than not, perverse desires. There is not a single sympathetic character to which one can attach much response beyond disgust. While it is obvious from reading other reviews that Donaldson has found an audience for this work, his creation here reflects a unremitting cynicism and misanthropy that, while I recognize its existence in the world, I would prefer not to dwell in entirely. And this book is too preoccupied and single-minded in it's desire to explore the depths of human depravity for me to applaud the quality of it's writing. Conceptually without merit and one of the least engaging works I have read in some time.
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