Portal [Paperback]

Rob Swigart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2005

Originally published as an interactive novel on computer disk in 1986, Portal is the story of an astronaut who returns to earth from a mysteriously aborted mission prematurely awakened from suspended animation. One hundred years have passed; animals and plants thrive, cities stand intact. Every human being, however, has disappeared.

With the help of a slowly reviving computer network, the astronaut begins to piece together the events of the last century. He learns of the child prodigy Peter Devore, of a world orchestrated by stunning new technologies, and of Peter’s race against time to unlock the secrets of the Portal.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rob Swigart writes stories and scenarios for the Institute For The Future and other organizations, teaches creative writing at San Jose State University, and is on the board of the Electronic Literature Organization. He is the author or co-author of nine books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: Backinprint.com (January 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595344135
• ISBN-13: 978-0595344130
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,557,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved the Interactive Story version, January 22, 2007

By 

Philip Wheat (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Portal (Paperback)

I loved the original version which I had on my old Commodore 64 growing up. I later worked very hard to find the updated Amiga version, but never did find a copy. Eventially the story was released online during the early version of the web, but that too has passed away. I'm thrilled to see that the story made it into print and is availible for purchase. I would have given it a 5 star rating, but without Homer blinking away in the corner letting me know that I've uncovered enough information for him to expand the story a bit more I just couldn't do it. This isn't an epic story, but the first time I personally read a Singularity tale and between that and the revolutionary style of the original format, this has remained one of my favorite story over the years.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stick with it, November 11, 2008

By 

Pastor of Disaster (Wexford, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portal (Paperback)

If you made it as far as the review, well done. I had no idea so many books called Portal existed. This one apparently was based on a computer game, and boy would I have loved to play it. The story involves a lone space chap arriving back at a deserted earth wondering where everyone has gone. The story is told via computer flashbacks via an operating system called "Homer". The actual format of the story is quite confusing on first reading with some time at the crease needed before you "get your eye in". It reminded me a little of Frederik Pohls' "Gateway" a little in its style, but despite the fact that its genesis was a game, this really is a quite wonderful piece of twisting and turning sci-fi. It also throws up some nice little characters, one of my favourite being "Jimmy Radix", a war veteran disabled by a futuristic weapon that destroyed his ability to relate to time. Sounds a bit mad, but on the page, it is realistic and really quite sad. I suspect that this book would not be easy to get hold of, but it is really worth the effort. Well, I hope you agree it is, its really all about opinions isnt