duntemann.wbst@XEROX.ARPA (09/08/84)
That fellow's German aunt was reading GATEWAY by Frederick Pohl...but it boggles the mind to think that she (or anybody!) could think of it as a humorous work. It remains one of the grimmest tales I have ever read. Makes you wonder what those English-German translators smoke while they do their thing. Nonetheless, it is good readiing, and the two sequels are tolerable, as sequels go. BEYOND THE BLUE EVENT HORIZON & HEECHEE RONDEZVOUS I cannot, however, read the word "kugelblitz" without thinking of a German pastry. (It's actually a thoroughly nasty thing; black hole containing horrible monsters, from HEECHEE RONDEZVOUS.) Sort of adds fuel to my contention that translation is impossible without numerous unintentional giggles. --Jeff Duntemann duntemann.wbst@xerox