Customer Reviews

The Real Story (Gap S.)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

'The Real Story' is simple and short - you will glean this much, at least, from the other reviews. And indeed, as a stand-alone novel, this book is lacking is depth, character development (with the exception of one character, and though we come to understand his decisions, his motives are largely unrevealed) and a satisfying conclusion, there are two points that are vital to note. These two points are apparently contradictory, but I'll attempt to explain:

1) This was written as a short novella. It wasn't intended to be the first in a series, and as such it doesn't bear many of the traits usually associated with the first book in a series, such as hints of larger plots or other elements designed to draw the reader back for book 2. As a stand-alone novel, Donaldson kept this in a drawer, unpublished, for some years. Only as part of a larger series does it work, yet it doesn't read like the beginning of a series. Once you understand this, the flaws are less glaring.

2) In apparent contradiction of point 1, above, please understand that it IS the first in a series. The series itself is probably the best science fiction I've ever read, but it really doesn't get going until mid-way through book 2. Again, once you accept that most of the "good stuff" comes after 'The Real Story, it's easier to bear to flaws.

Though I don't seek to excuse any form of weakness here (after all, whatever it was intended to be and however great the rest of the series, the first book should still be complete and engaging), I do seek to prevent people being deterred by the lukewarm reviews of this first installment. It's not bad by any means, merely incomplete. I would issue a couple of warnings though: Firstly, this book is grim and brutal; be prepared. And secondly, Donaldson tells character-based stories in fantastic settings - if you're looking for detailed high technology and hard science, this might not be your scene.

This is the first of five books centering around three central characters, each balanced and very well developed (with serious weaknesses, as all of Donaldson's characters seem to have). At times, you might find yourself sympathizing for the antagonist, and feeling unsure of who you want to "root" for. While each book is separate on its own (and each has a prologue summarizing prior books, like Covenant), it is best treated as a single story.

There is sexual content in the series that some may find offensive, especially in the first book. It definitely adds to the story, and the emotional ride Donaldson delivers. If you read the "Thomas Covenant" series, you know how his books sometimes make you feel like you were run over by a Mack-Truck, and this series will definitely do that to you - but there are highs as well as lows (compared to Covenant, which was mostly depressing to me).

The story line of the series is fascinating - much like Strachzynski's "Babylon 5" series, the characters are greatly influenced by political events, maneuvered like pawns until they move in unexpected manners. The first book is a "quickie", more of an introduction to the series. As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly complicated (in a delicious way). It's not hard-core sci-fi, in that the technology is not the focus of the story - it could take place in submarines or pirate ships in the ocean almost as easily.

I enjoyed this series a lot more than The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Another good read by Donaldson is his collection of short stories, "Daughter of the Regal", which I'd highly recommend.

This book should be considered as the first 272 pages of a 2004-page epic. A bit wordy for a preface, it doesn't fare well on its own (see other reviews). But both the Second Chronicles and the Mordant's Need series were the same way -- not really intended to be read as independent books.

If you don't mind spoilers, look at the reviews of the other 3 books -- standard Donaldson stuff (some people dislike his style, some prefer his fantasy work, etc.)

I am a fan of *both* sci-fi and fantasy. While I like good writing, a good story pleases me more (which is why I can enjoy Asimov).

Another reviewer compared the Gap series to the Babylon 5 TV series. I see these commonalities:
- a single main plot across the whole series
- humans are both the "good guys" and the "bad guys"
- the "good guys" aren't always that good

It's dark. It's full of violence. It's not for the squeamish.

If you have read Donaldson's second book of short stories (Reave the Just) and were put off by the violence and depravity there, you should probably skip this series. Otherwise, buy the set and read them straight through.

I approach this book from a different perspective than most of the readers here. I read it last, whereas it is supposed to be the first book in the series. The problem with this book is that it has very little to do with the central conflict of the rest of the series. You could say it resembles Tolkien's _the Hobbit_, a lightweight story that serves as an introduction to a more serious epic.

People seem to be commenting a lot on the supposed misogyny of the book. Unfortunately, this is merely pointing to a creative problem which Donaldson had with this book, which he notes in his afterword. In fact, he considered leaving this book unpublished because he recognized this flaw, though he corrected it in later books. Donaldson's problem was that he couldn't seem to flesh out his other characters in the context of this book, and concentrated on Angus (who is a much smaller character in the rest of the series.) I never have problems with books, plays or films in which the protagonists are evil. If I did, I'd have to dismiss most of Shakespeare (Othello is a good example of what I mean) and much other great literature. The real problem with this book is the fact that Morn Hyland, the central protagonist of the rest of the series, isn't very well developed in this book. The book focuses exclusively on Angus, an unpleasant and evil character. (Of course, some people feel that rape shouldn't be discussed in books at all. If so, they should stay far away from Donaldson who writes about depressing and taboo topics. He also writes them far differently than, say Heinlein, you could easily compare Morn in later books to Heinlein's Friday, but the way the author's handle rape is different. I wonder if the reaction to a male protagonist being raped would be similar? Of course, I've yet to see that taboo broken in a space opera...)

I honestly believe that if Donaldson had published this book later, after the rest of the gap books had been out for a while, people who are hostile to the series would probably only be hostile to this particular book. I think frankly people are more comfortable with rape when it is part of a characters past than when it is part of a current timeline in a story. The rape scenes are entirely unpleasant, but they don't try to glamorize it and indeed seem to try to make it unsexual. This is not an S&M book (indeed, the people angry at this book should note that the rape scenes are about as detailed as what you hear on the TV news, in which the crimes are described... but very little detail is given, just enough to convey the horror of the crimes.)

Stephen R. Donaldson is a masterful author of the highest calibre. Once again, he proves this with a magnificent start for a series that has captivated me and kept me re-reading it to the point of ignoring the books I still haven't gotten around to reading yet.

The story starts out slow, wrapped up in mundane details of life; even though some people may find it annoying, it is what makes the characters believable and human.

The main reason that this book is good (my middle-of-the-line rating is in comparison to the other four) is because it is not a typical speculative fiction novel with carbon-copy characters doing the same predictable things in every predictable scene. It is a human nature story that just happens to be set in the future. I particulartly like his peculiar way of describing the technology.

Donaldson's story telling is again the weak or "evil" characters ending up doing the right thing (sometimes) even if it is for the "wrong reasons." It's real, the characters are believable, because we can understand why they act like they do (once the background is provided in the rest of the series). If the characters turn you off in the first book, read at least the second, and understand the deapths of Donaldson's character development. He's a master.

This was not what I expected - a sorta soft porn adventure soap opera among the stars. In this case, the science fiction is only a backdrop to the "real" book, a study in characters. A dark and dreary mood permeates this story (and the following ones). Sure, you don't want a steady diet but for a change of pace...

I loved Morn and in a perverse way, came to feel something for Angus. Their relationship was more than master-slave, involving a deeply disturbing complexity. Actually, I had no trouble getting through the book although I admit that the following works were better.

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!

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.

Call this book a prologue.

The first chapter setup is simple: Morn Hyland, beautiful damsel in distress, is rescued from evil disreputable smuggler/pirate Angus Thermopyle by dashing hero Nick Succerso. But that's not The REAL Story. What REALLY happened is much more interesting.

The first (and shortest) book in the Gap series focuses on The Real Story. Donaldson has a lot of fun twisting expectations and unpeeling layers. It makes for a good book, but not a great one. The more important function of The Real Story is to get you ready for The BETTER Story, which is The Gap Cycle.

I believe Donaldson is one of the best world-builders out there. If you've read the incredible Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, you'll know what I'm talking about. This is what he is best at and I believe his writing fades a bit when he writes character studies. The world of The Gap Cycle is compelling and, in its own way, enchanting but you don't get to see a lot of it in this book. Donaldson is setting up some concepts (Gap Drive, Forbidden Space, Piracy and why it thrives), but most of this book is a character study of the vile Angus and the newly- orphaned Morn. There are huge scads of this book that are dialog free; Donaldson is doing a lot of telling, and not much showing.

And some of it is quite brutal. In his afterword (in my edition of this book) Donaldson admits that he thought for a long time before publishing the story because he didn't like to think about what people might think of him. While I'm glad he published it, the nastiness does go over the top in places and seems a bit gratuitous. I believe that following a less-is-more strategy and allowing our own nightmares to fill in the blanks would have been more effective.

But who am I to presume to tell SRD to write? I'm just glad he did. Stick with this book because the next one is much better.

The Gap Series has everything you could want in a Space Opera. Pick it up.

The Gap Series:

The Real Story: B+
Forbidden Knowledge: A+
A Dark And Hungry God Arises: A
Chaos and Order: A+
This Day All Gods Die: A+

It's amusing to note how the reviews of the Gap series change from the first book to the last. For The Real Story, you have a typical mix of ones and fives whereas, by the last book, there is an almost consistant level of fours and fives only. This disparity is due, of course, to the fact that most of the one-star-raters were put off by the brutality of the first book and so declined to proceed through to the fifth, where we get reviews from those, such as myself, who see the Gap series for what it is: a bleak, honest, and amazingly well developed, character-driven story that is largely atypical of the sci-fi genre which, a la Gene Rodenberry (God rest his soul), tends to paint the future in almost perfect rosy hues.

What I see in Donaldson's series is a story that utilizes the basic flaws in its central characters, lays them bare, and builds upon them to tell a story that does not rely upon the description of technology to get the message across. There are no noble, infallible captains ready to take the helm and save the universe. There are no transporters (the ultimate deus-ex-machina) with which to fashion the perfect solution. Every problem that arises is dealt with in a thoroghly human manner, not always (or often) with much success. We learn to accept the characters, flaws and all, for what they are, even when their actions make us cringe. For example, many reviewers note the sadistic treatment of Morn Hyland by the anti-hero Angus Thermopyle as a reason not to read the book. Granted this can be a bit unsettling. I even found myself hating Angus by the end of "The Real Story." But by the middle of the third book, I was strangely sympathetic, even felt compassion for this twisted rogue, forced to undure the remote whims of a power greater than himself, Hyland, and Succorso combined. It takes a collossal writer to make a character like Thermopyle sympathetic, but Donaldson does so admirably. The same can be said of the way he turns Nick Succorso from a hero icon into a selfish savage. This is indicative of the way Donaldson has mastered the art of character development. He honed it in the Thomas Covenant cycle (another brutal character who eventually becomes a hero,) and he has now polished it perfectly.

But I digress. I have to agree with those who say that the first book feels like a setup, like a mere prologue to a greater play. It is. The fact that it is so quickly read proves as much. It took me two and a half books to really sink into the story, but once I got there, I found the Gap series had taken its place on the top of my list of greatest sci-fi series, alongside Foundation and the Hyperion Cantos. I mention Hyperion as the another shining example of character-driven sci-fi. If you've read it, you should understand.

Properly reviewing this book, much less the series, in 1000 words is nearly impossible. Nevertheless- long story short: if you are a weekend sci-fi fan, more interested in the picture perfect futures and technology oriented epics of the Star Trek genre, stay away from the Gap. If you are a militant feminist, stay FAR away. If, however, you are a lover of character development, if you enjoy the theatre, and if you want a change of pace, you must read this series. And if you liked Dan Simmons' Hyperion, please, please, enter the Gap.