Stargate

by Pauline Gedge

Book Overview

In the earliest years of the history of the universe, the Worldmaker has turned against his creations with unaccountable malice. One by one the ruling sun lords of each solar system have fallen,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014006639X
• ISBN13: 9780140066395
• Release Date: March 1984
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 341 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.0" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Not What I expected

I ordered this book because I had enjoyed several novels by this author. Unfortunately, "Stargate" is altogether different. At first I thought the story would be the same or similar to the movie of the same name. It is not. At least the dust cover gave some indication of the story otherwise I may have been hopelessly mystified by the names and terms used to tell a tale that I'm convinced only the author really knows. While I understood the basic concept of the book, the details and descriptions were highly esoteric. I read for pleasure and do not care to work at decyphering the incomprehensible. I could hardly wait to finish this most disappointing work. At least it was a rather short one.

A Science-Fiction Fantasy Unlike Any Other!

While continuing my mission to read all of Gedge’s work, I knew Stargate had to be on my list. I’m a big fan of the TV show. When I started reading Gedge’s Ancient Egyptian novels, I made the connection between Stargate and the Stargate TV show, assuming that the book would therefore mirror the plot of the show. It seemed natural since most of Gedge’s popular novels are about Ancient Egypt, and the show’s world has many ancient religion’s gods and goddesses as the lords governing Earth and other planets. If, like me, you watched the TV show before knowing of the book, you might have expected something similar. You will be sorely disappointed if that’s the case. Stargate the novel has very little to do with Stargate the television series. It is its own universe. The television series takes many of the ideals and themes from this novel (i.e. the Gate of course, and the idea of ultimate superhuman beings ruling planets), but it has a completely different plot. While the Stargate television series has to do with Earth and a select few humans traversing the galaxy through the “star gate,” Stargate the novel revolves around the “sun-lords,” extraterrestrial immortals who have ruled over their own planet and the mortals within since the dawn of time. Spoken into existence by the Worldmaker, a once benevolent creature, the sun-lords devote their immortal lives to supporting their worlds. They do this with the help and power of their suns (as in literally the suns revolving around their planet). The Lawmaker, who coexists with the Worldmaker, hands down the sacred laws that the sun-lords must follow. These sun-lords and the mortals they guide live without rancor, murder, jealously, hate, all of the harsh emotions that human beings as we know innately have. But a dark stain has spread among the sun-lords. The Worldmaker has become the Unmaker and is on a murderous rampage to destroy the sun-lords one by one. And as the sun-lords fall, so does their Gates. Once corrupted by the Unmaker, the sun-lords must close their Gate. No more can their mortals wander other worlds; they must live and die within their own planets. Then, the sun-lords must make a choice: stand before the Lawmaker for judgment, or face eternity on their planet without the comfort of other sun-lords. Among the sun-lords, anxiety tightens its noose. Where is the Lawmaker? Has the Lawmaker abandoned the sun-lords? Distrust and uncertainty plague the sun-lords. None of them know how to defeat the Unmaker. None of them can guess as to how he is leading astray their fellow sun-lords. How is the corruption not noticeable until the very last second before they are forced to close their Gate? The only sign of their downfall is a black substance that drains the sun-lord’s golden aura, the Unmaker’s stamp. It replaces their once beautiful features with pain, wrinkles and unhappiness. Is it the whisper of ultimate power the likes of which a sun-lord has never known? Is it the unnatural desire for mastery over their mortals? Is it the all-encompassing fear of judgement? How are the sun-lords failing and what can be done to stop it? The stories of Danarion, Sholia, Ghakazian, and Ixelion are intricately woven together to reveal the answer. Gedge creates a breathtakingly beautiful world that is vivid from the first sentence. Gedge’s world building is truly astonishing. Her sun-lords have vitality and depth. Their struggles are painfully clear to the reader. Their worlds, and the mortals who inhabit it, are brilliantly described with astounding detail. While this novel is truly different from the TV show, you will not regret reading it. Although galaxies away, the beings that encompass Gedge’s Stargate share a striking similarity to us as humans. Like the sun-lords, we grabble with time and what is meaningful. Read Stargate for an epic science-fiction odyssey that will not disappoint. And if you love Ancient Egyptian literature, read her other novels as well.

Fantastic book. Wish she would write more like this

I was actually hoping the movie Stargate would be based on this book, and although I enjoyed the movie and series, would have enjoyed it much more if it *had* been based on this great book.I read this back in the 80s when I received it as a selection of the Science Fiction Book Club. Very engaging story. It draws you into the characters and they stay with you many, many years afterwards.Good story of just what is good, what is evil and how do we go about living our lives with what we learn about good and evil.Would love to reread this one, if I could find it.

Excellent! Top of my list.

At first I thought by the title that it might have to do with the T.V. series "Stargate SG-1". But right from the beginning I was wrong. However, as I read on, I began to gate travel too, into the hearts of each charater and their love for each other. Their worlds and fear of falling into corruption was over whelming. The ending was to me a beginning of new hopes. I read this book non-stop. Ms. Gedge's gate traveling has certainly left me wanting more.

Read Stargate! DO IT!

Stargate is an awesome book. It is definatly one of my favourite books of all time. In my opinion, it ought to be used in highschool english classes because of its literary value. It covers the topic of corruption so well and the characters are so very well defined, I'd suggest you take notes reading it to get more out of it.

Fantastic!

An interesting twist on the doctrine of Original Sin. Amazingly fresh concepts and characters with a Götterdämmerung feel to it. I have read it and reread it, enjoying it every time

it's great

I love sci-fi, fantasy, humor, everything. I read a lot, and out of all of the books I have read, this is my favorite. I took it out of the library several years ago because it sounded neat. It was fantastic. Some aspects of it are kind of out of the ordinary. For example: humans are not a character in this book. This does not hurt the story line, it helps it! This book is a sci-fi/fantasy mix. It includes the best of both genres. Anybody who is looking for a book that once you start, you can't put down, this is a great one.