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Rating: 
Summary: Slow Beginnings to a truly Great Sci Fi Story!
Review: As many other readers have noted, this book starts slow, is a difficult read, and implies some racy deviations where the Moral Majority is concerned. However, one must Keep in mind that this story is set way forward in the future, and appears quite believable as a possible direction of our society in general. Like all good books with a complicated plot, one must take the time to learn the players in the story, and Donaldson has his hands full developing a believable plot around:1: a Technologically Superior Alien Race bent on Destroying the Human Race, 2: a female who is primarily the victim, but plays a key role in the conclusion of the story. 3: a Weak Earth Government Ruling Class. 4: a corrupt Space Faring Police Force. 5: a Space Pirate Black Market Organization. 6: and many more characters as the Gap Series Develops. My point being that; like most good books you have to carefully read your way through the first 25-50 pages or so before the story starts to Really Get Good! Well, this story is REALLY GOOD! However, in this case: "The Real Story"(the whole first book of the Gap Series) is that hypothetical first 25-50 pages. Do youself a favor... If you like Donaldson's story telling style, plan on reading the whole Gap Series, and don't expect anything more than an introduction out of "The Real Story". It is the BEGINNING of a truly great story and is well worth the time to read it. I am currently reading the Gap Series for the third time and am still surprised at almost every turn of the page. The depth of plotting and interweaving of all the key players is truly a work of art on Mr. Donaldson's part. He has OUTDONE himself this time!
Rating: 
Summary: A mediocre first step to a great story
Review: I'm an avid reader of Stephen Donaldson and have read everything of his I can get my hands on. The Real Story was a big disappointment after the Covenenant Chronicles and his other works. It is worth reading, however, as the series becomes much better from the second book on. I hold the last four books in the series as very readable.
Rating:
Summary: A mediocre first step to a great story
Review: I'm an avid reader of Stephen Donaldson and have read everything of his I can get my hands on. The Real Story was a big disappointment after the Covenenant Chronicles and his other works. It is worth reading, however, as the series becomes much better from the second book on. I hold the last four books in the series as very readable.
Rating:
Summary: Slow Beginnings to a truly Great Sci Fi Story!
Review: Stephen R. Donaldson hooked me with the Covenant series, and when this book came out, I bought it because the blurb on the back intrigued me. The content is pretty strong stuff, and the book reads poorly as a stand alone. But, if one reads the rest of the Gap series, the events of the Real Story are explained, and the content more acceptable. The Gap series was one of the best pieces of fiction I have read. The most impressive thing about it was that each chapter was from a different person's perspective, skewing events previous covered in other chapters. It amazed me that Donaldson could keep it all sorted out. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes gritty sci-fi (Moorcock or Herbert, for example).
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, if read as part of the series
Review: Stephen R. Donaldson hooked me with the Covenant series, and when this book came out, I bought it because the blurb on the back intrigued me. The content is pretty strong stuff, and the book reads poorly as a stand alone. But, if one reads the rest of the Gap series, the events of the Real Story are explained, and the content more acceptable. The Gap series was one of the best pieces of fiction I have read. The most impressive thing about it was that each chapter was from a different person's perspective, skewing events previous covered in other chapters. It amazed me that Donaldson could keep it all sorted out. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes gritty sci-fi (Moorcock or Herbert, for example).
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