Six Gates From Limbo

by J.T. McIntosh

Three travelers find six very different worlds await their choice.

Genres: Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

J. T. McIntosh is a pseudonym used by Scottish writer and journalist James Murdoch MacGregor.

Living largely in Aberdeen, Scotland, MacGregor used the McIntosh pseudonym (along with its variants J. T. MacIntosh, and J. T. M'Intosh) as well as "H. J. Murdoch", "Gregory Francis" (with Frank H. Parnell), and "Stuart Winsor" (with Jeff Mason) for all his science fiction work, which was the majority of his output, though he did publish books under his own name. His first story, "The Curfew Tolls", appeared in Astounding Science Fiction during 1950, and his first novel, World Out of Mind, was published during 1953. He did not publish any work after 1980.

In 2010, following his death in 2008, the National Library of Scotland purchased his literary papers and correspondence.

Along with John Mather and Edith Dell, he is credited for the screenplay for the colour feature film Satellite in the Sky (1956).

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading and listening to every thing I can get my hands on from this author written so many decades ago.

I never know what's going to happen in these strangely unique stories written about a far future but in OUR far past. It creates a since of delightful dissonance and doesn't feel like any of the current Sci Fi being written.

I would recommend anything this author has written to people who like Phillip K Dick or people, like me, who DON'T. It seems like a more straight forward and understandable version of him.

[Shirley Lochhead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overly sexist and annoying to read. Especially how the relationship begins between the two lead characters. She doesn't like him much. They've been swimming in the lake, she dozes off, he cops a feel and she wakes,apparently pleased so they have sex. Skip to later he's forcing a conversation with her and she tried to end it and go to bed and he forces himself on her, pinning her down and he thinks that it won't be rape because they've already consummated the relationship and might as well be married! Total rage while reading! The plot itself is thin and lacking with huge gaps and the author neglecting to reveal basic information (like the name of a city they visit) then revealing it later causing confusion!

[Madison Swain-Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this book 3 stars, until the last 50 pages! Boy does it turn around. The start of this book is an interesting premise that grows in intrigue. The mystery of Twentymen doesn't get resolved until the very end, and kept me curious throughout.

McIntosh also brings up some good questions about drives a civilization, and a myriad different perspectives on hopelessness.

The book was still fairly sexist in places, but does have several strong female leads. I'd recommend this to people interested in sci-fi with a little bit of mystery.

[Lindsay Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this after a tidy - not read it for decades. Written by an author from Paisley!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story. Good characters and an original setting.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, a note about the tone of this book. To J. T. McIntosh the cultural, sexual and equality revolutions of the 1960s were just things that happened to other people. The protagonist Rex is by turns sexist, misogynistic and even prone to rape. He is not a likeable character and his supporting cast of two women - Regina and Venus - are cardboard cutouts designed to showcase Rex’s superiority. Now for the plot. Rex wakes up in a clear case under a transparent dome on a small bubbleworld. Two other cases are there. One marked Regina and the other marked Venus. Both beautiful, and both eventually woken to their plight. Around the dome are six exits, which they eventually discover are Gateways, using matter transmission, to other planets. The aim of the exercise seems to be to visit each world in turn and evaluate its progress, from a completely unbiased perspective. Part of a more sinister plan known as Project Supremo, Rex finds that his common-law wife Regina is a Twentyman (a person containing the essences of nineteen suicides), while Rex and Venus are Millionmen (you do the math). The true purpose of Project Supremo is both shocking and, by the end, of little interest to the reader. You can find better ways to spend a day.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as a teen, really enjoyed. Interesting concept of condensing a million people into a single human psyche.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six Gates From Limbo is a weird, otherworldly epic science fiction fantasy that definitely feels as if it were written in the late sixties by a Brit and it was. You might choose to put on some late sixties Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, or Jefferson Airplane while reading this. Part of it is a utopian dream world like a Garden of Eden with no crime, no savage beasts, -- just an Adam and Eve - well, actually two Eves - a blonde and a brunette, both of stunning beauty. Part of the story is waking up in this dreamlike paradise and coping with the ever-present battle of the sexes. Another part is the serpent's temptation - six gates from Limbo to other worlds - not easy journeys, but is paradise all it's cracked up to be or is there something more - and is it worth seeking out.

The first part of the book is a fantastic mysterious exposition of discovery and wonder. Waking up in in another world not knowing how you got there or who you are is generally quite interesting. The repartee between the only inhabitants of this world is also quite ingenious and fascinating. And, the exploration of the gateways is intriguing. My only complaint is that the ultimate resolution of all these issues didn't quite measure up to all the buildup.