An Introduction to Heechee

"Before Gateway came 'The Merchants of Venus'."
-Platinum Pohl

It turns out I'm reading about the Heechee in the same order that Frederik Pohl wrote about them- though not, interestingly enough, in fictional chronological order. The 1976 novel explains how human explorers discover ancient Heechee ruins on Venus. This 1972 short story takes place when treasure hunters long for the day when there were still Heechee tunnels left unexplored.

"The Merchants of Venus" (no pun on the Shakespeare play intended) portrays Audee Walthers struggle for survival. On Venus no money means no food, no water, no oxygen. Ouch. To make matters worse, Walthers has no Medicare, and if he doesn't get together money for medical treatment in a matter of months, he'll die.

Enter rich tourist Boyce Cochenour. He's a ninety-year-old from Earth who looks forty, and is running on more replacement parts than original organs. He looks good enough to attract the attention of a young and not unattractive companion, Dorotha.

Boyce's "been there done that" boredom makes him the perfect sponsor for a treasure hunt. Audee thinks he's got a map to buried treasure- which on Venus means an unexplored Heechee tunnel, hopefully laden with Heechee artefacts that will revolutionize human technology and make him rich enough to afford that liver transplant.

Of course, the chance of finding an unexplored Heechee tunnel is about equivalent to winning the lottery. But for Audee, it's his last chance to keep breathing.

Exciting, humorous, and gently cynical, "The Merchants of Venus" isn't Shakespeare, but it's an awfully fun read.