''Heechee Rendezvous'' is a science fiction novel by the American writer

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satelli ...

, published in 1984 by the Del Rey

imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

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. It is a sequel to '' Gateway'' (1977) and ''

Beyond the Blue Event Horizon ''Beyond the Blue Event Horizon'' is a science fiction novel by the American writer Frederik Pohl, a sequel to his 1977 novel '' Gateway'' and the second book in the Heechee series. It was a finalist for two major annual awards, the 1981 Hugo Aw ...

'' (1981) and is set about three decades after ''Gateway''. It has been cataloged as the third book in a six-book series called

Heechee The Heechee Saga, also known as the Gateway series, is a series of science fiction novels and short stories by Frederik Pohl. The Heechee are an advanced alien race that visited the Solar System hundreds of millennia ago and then mysteriously d ...

or The Heechee Saga (the Heechee are a fictional alien race that use advanced technology, created by Pohl) but ''Kirkus'' reviewed it as completing a trilogy and a German-language edition of the three books was published as the Gateway trilogy (''Die Gateway-Trilogie'', Munich: Heyne Verlag, 2004) after all six were out.

Plot

Robinette Broadhead, a married millionaire with health problems, returns in this novel. Even with his need for medical care, Broadhead does not feel that he deserves transplants to keep him alive, as he is still feeling guilty about his horrible journey to a black hole many years ago. He still attempts to research more about the advanced alien

s and their star-travelling technology. At the same time, a madman named Wan attempts to search for his father within black holes, using stolen equipment and a Heechee ship. Wan's probing is noticed by a sentient race of slow-moving creatures who inform a Heechee patrol that is sent out of their black hole to observe the galaxy. Fearing that humans may alert a malevolent race of beings known as the Assassins, the Heechee patrol tries to find out more about human achievements in space flight and whether or not the damage done by them can be undone. Wan's probing also releases Gelle-Klara Moynlin from her two decade-long entrapment. Moynlin was a companion of Robinette on his journey to the black hole, which Moynlin experienced as only several elapsed days. The journeys of these past and future friends of Robinette begin to converge, and in the end, humans finally meet the Heechee race.

Reception

Dave Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...

reviewed ''Heechee Rendezvous'' for ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...

'' #57, and stated that "The ending's less than perfect, with some problems ignored rather than confronted, but '' Heechee Rendezvous'' completes a worthy trilogy." Readers of ''

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

'' ranked ''Heechee Rendezvous'' third in the 1985 poll to confer the annual Locus Award for Best SF Novel.

References

External links

* {{Frederik Pohl 1984 American novels 1984 science fiction novels Novels by Frederik Pohl Del Rey books