Storyline: 5/5 
 Characters: 3/5 
 Writing Style: 3/5 
 World: 5/5 
 --Below information added approximately one year after original reading-- 
 My favorite type of science fiction is the exploration and discovery variety. Gateway isn't simply a classic exploration and discovery story, it is a timeless one. It excels in putting you in that, "What would you do if...?" or "How would you feel if...?" position where you can vicariously enjoy the story and drama through one of the characters. Few science fiction novels have put me where I so intensely felt anticipation and fear. This will remain one of my favorite and most enjoyed books. 
 That is not to say that it is not without problems. I wholeheartedly agree with those that find the second storyline - the counseling sessions - a chore and a bore. They were bad. I think Pohl was going for character development, but it never really worked. It ultimately read as filler, which you never want any of in a great book. Still, it served a role in that it provided some relief from the energy that was the main storyline. This could have been a great book, rather than simply one of my favorites, had Pohl managed to effectively use that other half of the story. As it is, I simply shunt our Freudian sidestory to the back of my mind and favorably recall the rest of it.