"Randevouz with the Heechee" by Frederik Pohl

The third book in the Heechee saga, and I must admit the most uninteresting so far, which is why it took me so long to finish it. It seems that the quality of the Heechee saga steadily declines after the first, and best, book 'Gateway'. Some critiques argue that this is because after the first one the books have become more and more about explaining the mysteries and unsaid things from the first book, than concentrating on new plots, interesting twists or character development, and I largely agree with it.

In this book we find Robinette already quite old (close to 100) but still in good health (and able to have and enjoy frequent sex with his wife) brought by the money he has to purchase 'Full Medical +'. However, since most medical advances in this universe seem to consist of transplanting organs from healthy people, Broadhead feels very guilty that somebody else had to die or become handicapped so he can have his organ.

Also people have started to understand Heechee technology and constructed their first ships, almost completely man-made, from the knowledge learned from the Heechee machinery, and especially the ubiquitous 'prayer fans' which turn out to be the Heechee equivalents of books and any other data storage device. Heechee Heaven is owned by Broadhead and renamed 'S.Ya.Lavarovna' after his wife, with most machinery removed it is used to transport human colonist to 'Peggie's Planet' which is the only inhabitable planet (M-class in Star Trek speak) that has been found so far.

The book also follows a scouting expedition from the Heechee lair, a block hole in the middle of the galaxy, who discovers the terrifying fact that humans are running around the galaxy in their ships, and almost certainly have awoken 'the assassins', a pure-energy lifeform, which have destroyed all other matter-based intelligent lifeforms in the known universe, and because of which the Heechee went into hiding in the black hole.

We see Wan/One, now a grown up man with severe psychosis, running around the universe, poking into black holes in search of his father who disappeared on a Gateway prospecting trip. Wan seduces Dolly, the wife of an old friend of Robin's, and takes her around the universe in his ship, using her as a cook, cleaning lady, and sex object. Terrorist are also introduced, as earth is overpopulated and most people are poor, they turn to terrorism, now using the 'bed' from the Heechees to transmit the thoughts and feelings of a clinically insane girl.

Albert the AI, becomes more of an independent being, with emotions, feelings, and even upsets. Near the end, Robinnette dies (his transplanted gut fails) and he is transferred to the Heechee machinery, to be stored as an 'analogue' which seemed to preserve all the memories and most of the self-consciousness of a living being. Klara, Robinette's first love, is rescued from the black hole by Wan, and becomes his substitute for Dolly for a while, to be eventually captured by the Heechee scout ship, who uses her to communicate with the earth.

When the Heechee arrive near Earth, the first earthling reaction is to attack them and prepare for war, which is completely non-understandable to the Heechee, but eventually things get smoothed out, and the earthlings learn of the 'Assassins' which they call 'The Foe' and start to get evacuated from earth into the Black Hole where the Heechee were hiding.

The book is enjoyable enough, mainly through continuation of the old characters and story devices, but brings really nothing new or exciting, and can be a tedious reading at time. The insistence on Robinnette and S.Ya. having sex all the time (both 90+ years old) gives a pretty silly impression. Recommended reading as a continuation of the Heechee Saga, but otherwise largely uninspiring.