After Orbitsville
Gateway by Frederik Pohl
Orbitsville gave you infinite living space and that brain-melting sense of cosmic scale—Gateway delivers the same jaw-dropping wonder through ancient alien tech no one understands, but swaps optimistic escape for a grittier gamble. Flawed prospectors risk oblivion chasing interstellar riches, societal implications cut deep, and the prose stays lean and merciless. Golden-age rigor meets psychological realism, zero heroes required.