What do you think?
Rate this book
Stargate #0.5
Stargate
A renegade young Egyptologist and a miltary officer discover the secret of an Egyptian ring - the Stargate. Through it they enter into a strange country that is neigher the past nor the future - a country peopled by alien gods and an oppressed tribe. The book that inspired the film "Stargate".
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
27 people are currently reading
1123 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
June 29, 2016
Review: StarGate While I enjoyed this immensely, I cannot give a high rating to a book that was edited by a middle schooler. Wow, people. They got genders mixed up, there were dozens upon dozens of wrong words, and the grammar. So many sentences made zero sense. I cannot believe such a terrible manuscript made it thru the process to shelves.
February 20, 2021
I wish this was as good as the movie but the editor should have been fired and well, I'd like to learn something new about the whole new universe and whatnot but this is pretty much what it is, based on the movie.
The writing was so bad it's going to make you wanna build a Stargate and travel to a universe that has no books.
Just watch the movie!
The writing was so bad it's going to make you wanna build a Stargate and travel to a universe that has no books.
Just watch the movie!
October 28, 2014
Looking for the storyline of Stargate the movie? This book , based on the movie, gives you that. Unlike a book on which a movie is based, however, you don't get *more* than that. The writing style is descriptive and bland.
March 1, 2016
This is a pretty good adaptation of the film. As often happens with novelizations, there's some expansion on characters and background, which is what I enjoyed the most. There are brief glimpses of what Ra was like before he was possessed by a space alien, as well as a whole chapter from alien Ra's point of view about how he built his empire and how the rebellion on Earth happened. Colonel O'Neil and Daniel Jackson both get a bit more background, and more importantly, the other marines also get to have a bit more character so they become more than generic interchangeable guys with guns. I think the addition I most appreciated, however, was a full explanation of why they can't just wait for Earth to dial up Abydos and go home that way: the whole bunker complex is sealed off when they leave to prevent anything dangerous coming to Earth from the other side of the gate. The novel otherwise retains the same strengths and flaws as the film, and thus as with the film, I found the first half to be a bit slow, but felt that things really pick up once the language issue is worked out. All in all, this is a fun story whether you've seen the film or not, although I can't say I'm likely to reread it any time soon - watching the movie again is much easier.
August 17, 2025
I love Stargate so deeply and there’s a lot of value in this book, but it’s also unreasonably dense. I wanna be turning pages on a rollicking adventure, but trudging through sand, you know?
July 4, 2013
As a kid, my dad used to watch the show Stargate SG-1 all the time. I was totally infatuated, to the point where the theme song actually brings me to near tears from nostalgia and other such poignant emotions.
That being said, it was only recently that I learned that there was a film that inspired the show. And that an actor I really enjoy - James Spader - played my favorite character, Daniel.
I enjoyed the movie but not nearly as much as the television show. That being said, I still decided to read the novelization because I thought that perhaps there was insight into the characters that the movie had left out (like when people talk about "t'hy'la" from the Star Trek: The Motion Picture novelization that didn't make its way into the film).
Aesthetically, the novel could do with an edit job. There are constant misspellings and grammatical errors. Pronouns get switched around and apostrophes stuck in places they shouldn't be, and forgotten in places they should.
In terms of characterization, I found O'Neil and Daniel to not be nearly as likeable or sympathetic as they are in the film, at least in the beginning chapters before they gate to the planet (that will later be christened Abydos). However, I was glad I read the book for the added insight into Sha'uri's character. I absolutely adored her in the film, and the book paints her in an even lovelier light; the quiet but tough woman who, as she gets to know Daniel, is more willing to break out of the servile shell society has placed her in to become her own person. She's also described as "a natural leader" and, at one point, with a pistol in her hand, ready to fight.
The idea behind the novel, which is the same as the film, was still an interesting one. I liked it well enough, but I'm not sure if I would recommend it to anyone. Possibly only dedicated Stargate fans who want to watch and read all the material available, but as for those less interested, the movie might be a better choice.
That being said, it was only recently that I learned that there was a film that inspired the show. And that an actor I really enjoy - James Spader - played my favorite character, Daniel.
I enjoyed the movie but not nearly as much as the television show. That being said, I still decided to read the novelization because I thought that perhaps there was insight into the characters that the movie had left out (like when people talk about "t'hy'la" from the Star Trek: The Motion Picture novelization that didn't make its way into the film).
Aesthetically, the novel could do with an edit job. There are constant misspellings and grammatical errors. Pronouns get switched around and apostrophes stuck in places they shouldn't be, and forgotten in places they should.
In terms of characterization, I found O'Neil and Daniel to not be nearly as likeable or sympathetic as they are in the film, at least in the beginning chapters before they gate to the planet (that will later be christened Abydos). However, I was glad I read the book for the added insight into Sha'uri's character. I absolutely adored her in the film, and the book paints her in an even lovelier light; the quiet but tough woman who, as she gets to know Daniel, is more willing to break out of the servile shell society has placed her in to become her own person. She's also described as "a natural leader" and, at one point, with a pistol in her hand, ready to fight.
The idea behind the novel, which is the same as the film, was still an interesting one. I liked it well enough, but I'm not sure if I would recommend it to anyone. Possibly only dedicated Stargate fans who want to watch and read all the material available, but as for those less interested, the movie might be a better choice.
June 11, 2016
This sat in a stack of books for about a decade before I decided to finally read it. Stargate Sg-1 is my favorite show so I was hoping to save this one for last. I wish I would've just read it a long time ago.
I don't remember the movie so I have no idea what has been added. I did like getting more backstory on the characters I've grown to love. But the pacing was all over the place. For example, the penultimate chapter begins by telling us how good Ra is at playing this ancient Egyptian game. I don't know what bearing this had on the story because I skimmed it. That wasn't the last time that the story dragged when it should have been at the height of the action. A short paragraph about how someone learned this one fight move would be acceptable, but a page and a half dedicated to the bad guy's gaming skills slows the ending down. There's no point in it anyway because the reader skips it. The rest of the characters had good development but I still felt that there wasn't enough emotional resonance.
This type of writing usually includes graphic detail of the deaths, and this is something I've always disliked. That's typically what I remember about books I didn't enjoy.
I will hang onto it, though, if nothing more than a reference book for how to do communication between characters that don't speak the same language for my own book. The language was masterful and flowed very well, and that's another thing I can learn from. Otherwise it was just okay but seemed to take an enormous amount of time to wade through.
I don't remember the movie so I have no idea what has been added. I did like getting more backstory on the characters I've grown to love. But the pacing was all over the place. For example, the penultimate chapter begins by telling us how good Ra is at playing this ancient Egyptian game. I don't know what bearing this had on the story because I skimmed it. That wasn't the last time that the story dragged when it should have been at the height of the action. A short paragraph about how someone learned this one fight move would be acceptable, but a page and a half dedicated to the bad guy's gaming skills slows the ending down. There's no point in it anyway because the reader skips it. The rest of the characters had good development but I still felt that there wasn't enough emotional resonance.
This type of writing usually includes graphic detail of the deaths, and this is something I've always disliked. That's typically what I remember about books I didn't enjoy.
I will hang onto it, though, if nothing more than a reference book for how to do communication between characters that don't speak the same language for my own book. The language was masterful and flowed very well, and that's another thing I can learn from. Otherwise it was just okay but seemed to take an enormous amount of time to wade through.
December 23, 2012
Stargate, there is nothing more to write :o) Great story, great series and SG Atlantis is my favourite team. So, this book is soo thin, the story could be wider, sophisticated, lasts only for an hour of reading :o)
February 26, 2025
I hate to say it, but this just isn't a well written book. Countless spelling and grammatical errors; poor wording that leads to confusion in perspective; continuity errors; and so forth.
In all fairness, the last book I read was Clive Barker, so anything was going to pale in comparison, but still.
Plus, I think a lot of it also comes down to editing. The myriad errors should have been caught by someone.
A biggie for me is that the writer keeps referring to concepts that the team could not yet know about. This switching between character's perspectives and an omniscient, all-knowing storyteller isn't great. It's hard to immerse yourself in the mystery and put yourself in their place when you're suddenly told what's happening, even if the characters don't know this.
He says the Horus guards like that was ever explained, or the Great Hall. These aren't places or terms the characters have ever used.
I have to wonder who the target audience was for this book. It's a fun and wholesome adventure that has these jarring moments of extreme violence peppered in. Heads exploding, children being gunned down. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about it, but there's just such a strange disconnect.
The story is interesting, and I enjoy the rewriting of history and ancient Egypt. Revealing that ancient gods were actually real figures in history is a lot of fun. I think Stargate is a fantastic idea, but the execution in this book left a lot to be desired.
In all fairness, the last book I read was Clive Barker, so anything was going to pale in comparison, but still.
Plus, I think a lot of it also comes down to editing. The myriad errors should have been caught by someone.
A biggie for me is that the writer keeps referring to concepts that the team could not yet know about. This switching between character's perspectives and an omniscient, all-knowing storyteller isn't great. It's hard to immerse yourself in the mystery and put yourself in their place when you're suddenly told what's happening, even if the characters don't know this.
He says the Horus guards like that was ever explained, or the Great Hall. These aren't places or terms the characters have ever used.
I have to wonder who the target audience was for this book. It's a fun and wholesome adventure that has these jarring moments of extreme violence peppered in. Heads exploding, children being gunned down. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about it, but there's just such a strange disconnect.
The story is interesting, and I enjoy the rewriting of history and ancient Egypt. Revealing that ancient gods were actually real figures in history is a lot of fun. I think Stargate is a fantastic idea, but the execution in this book left a lot to be desired.
September 29, 2023
3 -
la storia è molto interessante e lo stile di scrittura permette di leggerlo abbastanza velocemente. Il problema è che lo trovato troppo ma troppo frettoloso e sbrigativo; non ci sono descrizioni dettagliati, succede tutto troppo presto. La parte finale sembrava completamente un altro libro ...peccato
la storia è molto interessante e lo stile di scrittura permette di leggerlo abbastanza velocemente. Il problema è che lo trovato troppo ma troppo frettoloso e sbrigativo; non ci sono descrizioni dettagliati, succede tutto troppo presto. La parte finale sembrava completamente un altro libro ...peccato
April 15, 2018
I had watched the movie prior to reading the book, but man what a picture that was painted! Both are great stories and I highly recommend this book to any Stargate fan.
September 13, 2024
It is what it is, y'know?
A solid recipe with core ingredients that I REALLY like...which unfortunately isn't cooked up into a very satisfying meal.
The action is kinda flat...
The adventure feels like it wanders in circles...
The villain doesn't "villain" hard enough...
But hey, I always thought the movie needed a remake and so I didn't think this novelization would do much to change my mind about that.
A solid recipe with core ingredients that I REALLY like...which unfortunately isn't cooked up into a very satisfying meal.
The action is kinda flat...
The adventure feels like it wanders in circles...
The villain doesn't "villain" hard enough...
But hey, I always thought the movie needed a remake and so I didn't think this novelization would do much to change my mind about that.
February 28, 2014
I have read a lot of books that have been turned into movies. And a few books that have been adapted from movies. Some good, some bad. This one goes into the bad column. Being a fan of the Stargate movie and the subsequent TV series, I was looking forward to reading the book based on the film. Unfortunately, the book is so loosely based on the film that I was mad at the changes. The marines ran the stargate?? It was the Air Force! Some scenes were so shortened as to be barely a mention in the book while the creature know as Little Bit became a star! I can understand how difficult it must be to watch a movie and then write a book about it, but how can you just ignore things from the movie and invent other ideas? I love the Star Wars series that take place around the movies, and I actually liked the books about the movies themselves. Maybe having writers with the pedigree of R A SAlvatorre or Terry Brooks is needed to make these adaptations work.
July 30, 2008
Don't know why it took me so long to get around to this book. I enjoyed the movie and love all the spin offs!
This book is very well written --- above average for a movie novelization. If there were no movie at all I would probably have enjoyed the book just as much. It stands well on its own.
There are differences from the final filmed version of course. Books don't translated exactly to film or vice versa. But what sets the novel a bit above the movie is the chance to hear the character's inner voices. To understand their motives and thoughts so much more clearly than on screen. Not much more to say to to say "READ THIS BOOK!" You won't regret it.
This book is very well written --- above average for a movie novelization. If there were no movie at all I would probably have enjoyed the book just as much. It stands well on its own.
There are differences from the final filmed version of course. Books don't translated exactly to film or vice versa. But what sets the novel a bit above the movie is the chance to hear the character's inner voices. To understand their motives and thoughts so much more clearly than on screen. Not much more to say to to say "READ THIS BOOK!" You won't regret it.
February 1, 2015
"AWESOME".
Loved the film, just a great idea, the Pyramids as alien landing pads, real Chariot of the Gods stuff but better!
When I heard about the TV series I thought "Here we go again" and that it would be crap, boy was I so wrong?
As you can tell I'm a big fan but have never read the book until now, my loss. This goes into so much more detail and backstory, it's not exactly as shown on screen, it's better.
"BRILL"
Loved the film, just a great idea, the Pyramids as alien landing pads, real Chariot of the Gods stuff but better!
When I heard about the TV series I thought "Here we go again" and that it would be crap, boy was I so wrong?
As you can tell I'm a big fan but have never read the book until now, my loss. This goes into so much more detail and backstory, it's not exactly as shown on screen, it's better.
"BRILL"
July 7, 2015
You have got to love anything that takes you outside of the box and really let's you use your imagination on the what if and could be's - there is a lot we as humans don''t know - we don't know our own past, our own origination - so many mysteries and secrets - and this is the kind of story that will leave you with that great sense of wonder. recommended to all!
November 21, 2016
although written off by many as a conspiracy theory, this story is compelling and believable. I have met some people in the service in 1943 who say this strange phenomenon was a true cover-up and just think what we could have accomplished if we could have expanded on the project. The author takes readers into the thrilling happening.
February 7, 2008
The awesome original novel that became the movie! It's a little different, because things were changed in the movie, as with any book-to-movie instance, but it is a wonderfully-written, action-packed novel and a great read for anyone--not just Stargate fans. ;)
November 6, 2008
It was pretty much exactly like the movie so no surprises at all. I actually remember borrowing this book from a friend and having my capri sun leaking all over it in my backpack. It was pretty intersting reading it after that.
January 13, 2011
This is not just a book about archaelogy, space travel, ancient Egypt, artefacts, great discoveries... It's also about the borders we put to our minds, the stupidity of the daily routine... or probably of the origin of gods too.
June 23, 2015
I really wasn't impressed with this at all. I like the story itself which was introduced to me by the movie. The concept is great hut I found the writing to be kind of dull. I certainly may be biased by my Kurt Russell portrait of O'Neil or something but it just didn't work for me.
August 17, 2015
Good plot, not great writing. More like young teen then adult fiction. A bit fantastic in places, in one part, most of the characters miraculously keep from getting shot. Overall, a good read, not great
February 17, 2017
Obviously I had seen the movie years before I even considered reading the book. And watched the TV shows. All of them. Twice (well, except SGU). The book was an extremely enjoyable read, with many little facts and details they either missed out of the movie, or I had just missed in the movie.
March 3, 2008
A really brilliant sci fi that mixes history with contemporary technology and ideas. I couldn't put this down.
January 17, 2011
Holy guacamole edit this book. An animal has a spontaneous change of gender. A dead character is resurrected, unnoticed. A bomb countdown counts up. EDIT.
November 18, 2015
I love the stargate series and the book was not to bad as well.
August 19, 2016
It wasn't a good book, but as a huge stargate fan I really enjoyed reading it and almost couldn't put it down.
June 18, 2018
Long ago, in the outer reaches of one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy, in a solar system centered on The Sun on the 3rd planet from that sun, two men - Dean Devlin and Roland Emerich wrote a novel that mixed Egyptian mythology, science, the US military, aliens, adventure, romance and what has become known as a stargate (StarGate in the novel). Later, the book would become a movie and the movie would spawn one of the most successful science fiction television series in the history of that genre. As novelizations go, this one isn't too bad. It has extra scenes in it and inner dialogue that adds much to the story told in the movie. Devlin and Emerich are decent writers. The novel is well paced and makes for great casual reading. And, if you're a stargate freak like me, you'll want to read it, even though it's not canon to the TV series.
June 9, 2021
Proving that movies can be better than books, this novelization fails to capture the energy and excitement of one of the more original SF films of the 1990s. The writing is oddly flat and episodical. Minor characters remain unfleshed out and mere ciphers on the page.
What this novel does, however, is fill in the background of Ra, the enigmatic boy-turned-godhead of primitive humans. There is also a tad more backstory about O’Neill and his psychological damage after the tragic death of his son. Those parts do make for interesting reading.
But it’s better if you just watch the film and witness its goofy explanation about exactly who built the pyramids.
What this novel does, however, is fill in the background of Ra, the enigmatic boy-turned-godhead of primitive humans. There is also a tad more backstory about O’Neill and his psychological damage after the tragic death of his son. Those parts do make for interesting reading.
But it’s better if you just watch the film and witness its goofy explanation about exactly who built the pyramids.
July 29, 2022
this was such a good book i finished it in like 2-3 days. was crazy fast paced but it makes so much sense that its a movie too.(edit: my dad told me it was based on the movie, but i knew there was a book first so i was confused, but this copy IS based on the movie) i wanna watch the movie now but i’ve been told the cgi is bad so i’m not sure if that would ruin how much i enjoy this… side note the editing in the book is so embarrassing like the amount of typos i found is impressive for it being based on a movie. that didn’t bother me tho bc i am obsessed with ancient Egypt and there isn’t any chance i wouldn’t like this book bc of a few typos.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews