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From: a_vesper%advax.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Plot to title # 23
Message-ID: <13226@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Sep-84 08:36:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13226
Posted: Fri Sep  7 08:36:35 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Sep-84 03:15:08 EDT
Lines: 35

From:  a_vesper%advax.DEC@decwrl.ARPA  (Andy V)

> On an asteroid, some <thing> (machine, device, computer) directs
> adventurous individuals on a random expedition.  These expeditions
> are exploratory.  If a valuable astronomical body is found (like a
> double star), then the adventurers can claim overwhelming rewards.
> More often that not, however, the adventurers never return alive.

This is @i(Gateway) by Frederick Pohl, which came up recently in
SFL, but only by name and not description.  There are 3 novels in
the series now, plus a short story. 

> SF-LOVERS Digest         Monday, 27 Aug 1984      Volume 9 : Issue 164
>
>         1       Gateway  (paperback)
>         2       Beyond the Blue Event Horizon  (paperback)
>         3       HeeChee Rendezvous  (hardback , just out)
>  
> ==> Ephrayim J. Naiman @ AT&T Information Systems Laboratories
>     (201) 576-6259
> Paths: [ihnp4, allegra, hogpc, ...]!pegasus!naiman

The short story is "The Merchants of Venus":

> SF-LOVERS Digest          Monday, 3 Sep 1984      Volume 9 : Issue 167
>
> Yes, it's true. "The Merchants of Venus" is the first story about the
> Heechee.  It first appeared in the 8/72 issue of WORLDS OF IF
> magazine. It can also be found in, at least, THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION
> FOR 1973 (ed. by Forrest J Acker- man), THE FUTURE NOW (ed. by Robert
> Hoskins), and the Pohl story collection, THE GOLD AT STARBOW'S END.
>  
> --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA)

Andy V