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slowfoxPandora's Star and its sequel, Judas Unchained are, by far, Peter F Hamilton's best work to date - an excellent, intricate, smart story that has just about everything.
The set-up, from the outset, is smart: Dudley Bose, an astronomer on a remote planet of the Commonwealth (humans have spread across the galaxy, courtesy of Ozzie Isaacs and Nigel Sheldon's interstellar wormhole technology) notes, one night, two stars suddenly disappearing from view.
At this point, Hamilton demonstrates his committment to physics in these books: the observation of the stars' disappearance is light-based. However, the wormholes allow Bose to travel to the other side of the Commonwealth faster than the light waves will, so that he can set up a full recording rig to preserve this singular event for posterity. Clever.
Anyway, this event naturally generates a lot of speculation and the conclusion is drawn that the two stars have been contained within a Dyson sphere. But to what end? To keep everyone else out? Or to keep whatever was inside in?
Humans, being humans, can't resist sticking their nose in to find out, so an expedition is mounted to the Dyson Pair, as they get called, and they unleash a malovelent species known as The Primes upon a Commonwealth ill-prepared to defend itself.
That's not the only tale being told, though... Hamilton, as with The Night's Dawn Trilogy, deploys a huge array of characters (some do feel a little familiar to veterans of Hamilton's ouevre, I confess), all of whom are involved in their own stories, in addition to being caught up in the whole business with the Primes.
Hamilton's really taken care to think about what kind of infrastructure it would take to support the Commonwealth - how the wormholes would work. What people would do with extended lifespans. What kind of environments there would be, and what individual planets' roles might be in a Commonwealth.
Seriously, this not only stands head and shoulders over all of Hamilton's other stuff, but it stands comparison with the best SF out there at the moment, IMHO.
The set-up, from the outset, is smart: Dudley Bose, an astronomer on a remote planet of the Commonwealth (humans have spread across the galaxy, courtesy of Ozzie Isaacs and Nigel Sheldon's interstellar wormhole technology) notes, one night, two stars suddenly disappearing from view.
At this point, Hamilton demonstrates his committment to physics in these books: the observation of the stars' disappearance is light-based. However, the wormholes allow Bose to travel to the other side of the Commonwealth faster than the light waves will, so that he can set up a full recording rig to preserve this singular event for posterity. Clever.
Anyway, this event naturally generates a lot of speculation and the conclusion is drawn that the two stars have been contained within a Dyson sphere. But to what end? To keep everyone else out? Or to keep whatever was inside in?
Humans, being humans, can't resist sticking their nose in to find out, so an expedition is mounted to the Dyson Pair, as they get called, and they unleash a malovelent species known as The Primes upon a Commonwealth ill-prepared to defend itself.
That's not the only tale being told, though... Hamilton, as with The Night's Dawn Trilogy, deploys a huge array of characters (some do feel a little familiar to veterans of Hamilton's ouevre, I confess), all of whom are involved in their own stories, in addition to being caught up in the whole business with the Primes.
Hamilton's really taken care to think about what kind of infrastructure it would take to support the Commonwealth - how the wormholes would work. What people would do with extended lifespans. What kind of environments there would be, and what individual planets' roles might be in a Commonwealth.
Seriously, this not only stands head and shoulders over all of Hamilton's other stuff, but it stands comparison with the best SF out there at the moment, IMHO.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-19 07:12 pm (UTC)I also loved catching a train to go through a wormhole, an innovative take a well known theme. The use of journalists it strikes me is a popular theme of his. I can easily imagine re-reading Pandora's star sometime in the years to come.
Did you know that Pandora's star is set in the same universe as his earlier 'Misspent youth' books?
I'm curious to see how his new Void Trilogy pans out, it's getting good reviews so far but I'm staying clear until the final volume is out in paperback.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 07:34 am (UTC)I was not aware of that! Haven't read the 'misspent youth' books, though, and currently not desperately minded too. I will re-read Pandora's Star soon enough.
The Dreaming Void was decent, but the Temporal Void kinda lost pace a bit. The Sentient Void is the final instalment. Obviously I'll be procuring, but you're welcome to the first two in the interim (in the usual PFH GIGANTONORMOUS HARDBACK EDITIONs, as you'd expect of me).
Void trilogy
Date: 2009-08-20 11:35 am (UTC)Have you read his psychic detective Greg Mandel trilogy? I liked them but didn't looooove them.
Re: Void trilogy
Date: 2009-08-20 11:43 am (UTC)