The Stonehenge Gate by jack williamson

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

So much potential, but ultimately disappointing.

There are four people who come across a 'gate' in the vast Sahara. Stepping through it, they embark on a series of thrilling adventures.

The story is narrated from the point of view of one character who is essentially an observer of the events unfolding in the story. As a result, it becomes difficult to develop any deep emotional attachment to the characters or the plot.

At one stage, there is a marriage between one of the characters and a woman he meets along the way. However, this relationship seems rather contrived and makes no logical sense.

I truly wish I could have found more to like about this book. It had so much promise with its unique setting and the idea of a mysterious gate leading to adventures. But unfortunately, the execution fell short in several aspects, leaving me feeling rather disappointed.

Perhaps with a different narrative approach or more developed character relationships, this book could have been a much more engaging and enjoyable read. As it stands, it remains a missed opportunity.

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Revisionary

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

The Stonehenge Gate by Jack Williamson brings to mind the classic "Golden Age" science fiction stories. It features four college professors at Eastern New Mexico University: Derek Ironcraft, a physicist and astronomer; Lupe Vargas, an archaeologist; Ram Chenji, an African linguist; and Will Stone, an English literature professor. One night, Derek shows them NASA images of a buried structure in the Sahara Desert that resembles Stonehenge. Despite Lupe's initial skepticism, they travel to the site and discover that the satellite image was correct. They also learn that Ram has an unusual background, having been raised by his grandmother who came from another world.

Soon, they find that the megalithic structures are gates to other worlds. They hop from world to world, encountering various challenges and mysteries. The first world they visit is deadly, but they manage to overcome the difficulties and reach an Earth-like world. However, the tone of the book changes when they journey to another world called Delta, which is inhabited by two races of humans. The main characters become involved in the conflict between the two groups, which doesn't seem to fit well with the rest of the story.
The best-developed characters are Will and Ram. Will is sometimes timid and passive, but is willing to risk everything to save a friend. Ram is a complex character, constantly struggling with his preordained destiny and the life he wants to lead. Derek and Lupe are less well-drawn and are mainly focused on solving the mystery of the gates. Overall, The Stonehenge Gate is a fast-paced read that is not without its flaws, but is still an enjoyable science fiction novel.

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Autastic

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I truly wish that I could assign a rating of 0 to this.

I initially read the first approximately 100 pages. It seemed to bear a resemblance to Stargate, yet it was nowhere near as captivating.

Subsequently, I skimmed through the next around 150 pages, which consisted of some rather pointless and uninteresting battles among a group of aliens. It was kind of similar to Stargate in that regard.

Finally, I read the remainder of the book. Overall, it was all quite dull and lacking in purpose.

In hindsight, I should have listened to my initial impulse to abandon the book.

It's a real disappointment as I had hoped for something more engaging and exciting.

The story just didn't seem to go anywhere or have any real substance.

Maybe if the author had focused more on character development or added some unique twists and turns, it might have been a better read.

As it stands, I would not recommend this book to others.

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Flavio_Palmieri

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Jack Williamson is an incredibly awesome figure for several reasons.

As a young boy, he journeyed to New Mexico with his family in a covered wagon.

At just 17, he began writing and publishing science fiction and continued this remarkable pursuit for the next eighty years.

During this time, he envisioned many modern conveniences we now take for granted, coined the term "terraforming," and was the first to write about a space station that simulated gravity by spinning.

His literary merits include decades of speculation about the future. He spent his life imagining what the future would be like and adapted to it, allowing him to remain relevant.

His works have a unique sense-of-wonder quality that shines through every word.

Starting out writing for the pulps, he entered a tradition that catered mainly to teenage boys.

The Stonehenge Gate harks back to the early twentieth century pulp fiction, taking readers on an adventure that spans the galaxy.

The characters are an interesting mix, with the narrator often taking a backseat and allowing others to shine.

However, there are some extreme coincidences in the story.

Despite this, Williamson does a good job of exploring themes such as slavery, ethics, history, and evolution.

The book is a blend of old-school wonder, social commentary, and a somewhat slow plot development.

Overall, it's a nostalgic trip back to the early days of science fiction, and I would recommend it to anyone longing for that kind of experience.

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Animexgirl22194

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This was truly a remarkable adventure, and I had a certain fondness for the novel.

However, there was a problem that I couldn't ignore. It failed to firmly grab hold of me and draw me in completely.

In fact, the pace of the novel seemed almost too rapid. I found myself longing to spend a bit more time visiting some of the places that the characters went to.

I felt that a more leisurely exploration of those locations would have added depth and richness to the story.

Despite this drawback, I still recognized the overall value and excitement of the adventure presented in the novel.

Perhaps with a slower pace in certain sections, it could have had an even greater impact on me as a reader.

Nonetheless, it was an experience that I will remember and consider when evaluating future works of fiction.

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Shara-d

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

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JosephSaber40

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I stopped reading on page 228.

It simply wasn't engaging enough to make me want to go back and complete the book.

I really liked the initial idea of the story.

However, this particular Williamson story seemed to lose its momentum and just petered out.

It started off with great promise, but somewhere along the way, it failed to maintain my interest.

The characters didn't develop as I had hoped, and the plot became rather predictable.

Maybe if the author had taken a different approach or added more depth to the story, it would have been more enjoyable.

As it stands, I'm left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this book to others based on my experience.

It's a shame because the concept had so much potential.

But unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

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Kaggy-Chii

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Oddly progressive and backward. It seems like an attempt at old school HG Wells(?) style science fiction, but with a politicized twist, set in an age of ancient “laptops”. And it's trying to say something profound about race? I really don't know.

The narrator is supposed to be good and is an author in his own right, Harlan Ellison. There's something there too, in the imprecision of different accents smashed together with sudden changes in tone—changes that are just too quick for this narrator to keep up with.

Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me, and I had many temptations to stop reading. Maybe at 80 percent through, I still will. It's a shame really, as there were some interesting ideas here, but they just weren't executed well enough to hold my attention. I was left feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Perhaps with a different narrator or a more polished writing style, this story could have been a lot better. But as it stands, it's just not something that I would recommend to others.

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The Stonehenge Gate

jack williamson

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