Stargate

No, it's not that Stargate - not the movie, or the TV series, which have now evolved into the Stargate franchise.

(Not that I'm opposed to franchises on principle. I'm really looking forward to the new Star Trek movie, and Star Trek, my friends, is the Borg queen of all franchises.)

Anyway. This Stargate is a 1976 novel by Stephen Robinett, who has published a few other novels, and a book of short stories - Projections - which I used to own and can no longer find. It's probably around the house somewhere.

Ironically, the novel involves a large ring which can teleport things, and I have to wonder if Robinett ever considered suing the movie people for stealing his idea, but--in truth--other than 'ring' and 'teleportation' the stories are nothing alike.

Stargate is 'near' science fiction; that is, it is set on Earth, with people who have lives a lot like yours or mine. There are cars. Lawyers. Old folks' homes. On the other hand, there is some advanced technology, notably the Jensen ring, which is basically a transporter. Cool. You walk into the ring in New York, and walk out in San Francisco.

The plot of the story involves our hero - a young engineer - building a huge Jensen ring in space, in order - no, no, not in order for humans to visit the stars - in order to . . . wait for it . . . mine other planets for metals.

Yeah, I know. Still, this is one of the novels I turn to when I want to read something fun and relaxing. The style is very breezy, written in a self-deprecating first-person by Bobby, our young engineer hero. The other characters, including Dolores, his lawyer girlfriend, and the 70-something 'old guy' who Bobby turns to for help - are well-drawn, and everybody banters alot. You know how I love banter.

It's a relatively short book, funny, and has a happy ending. Now if only transporters were real.