Was surprised at these books since they are so highly regarded I was expecting more. They were decent stories but nothing overly so. The sections in Gateway where he talks to his computerized therapists were pretty boring and only slightly useful in setting up some of the plot points in future novels. I think Beyond the blue event horizon was better paced and getting to the point where you cared about the characters a little more. Just started reading Heechee Rendezvous and haven’t formed too much of an impression yet, but it appears these books get stronger as the series progressed.