Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Hate to admit I really like this one. One of the most sexist books I've read and it's shocking that it got published in this state but its vibes are truly unparalleled. For those of us who wished the Hyperion Cantos was 2000 pages long.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one was definitely one of the most convoluted book I read in 2021. There were so many characters and so many interweaving plot lines. Many of them seemed kinda useless to the plot. The main story could've been told in half the page count. Most of the characters were very flat, and maybe one of them got any actual development. All the female characters were overly sexualized, except for that one badass complex woman who only thinks of her job.
But I really don't care about characters when reading a high concept sci-fi book like this. I'm here for the ideas, most of which are not anything new to the genre. We get memory storage and rejuvenation (Altered Carbon?), travel by warmholes, force shields etc. But the best part of the book was how all these have changed the society from the inside. Death has no real consequence anymore, since everyone is functionally immortal.
Also there were so many themes in this single book! You get a bit of high fantasy element, a bit of detective work, some courtroom drama, some politics, and of course alien encounter and star ship battles. Will definitely continue with the series.
But I really don't care about characters when reading a high concept sci-fi book like this. I'm here for the ideas, most of which are not anything new to the genre. We get memory storage and rejuvenation (Altered Carbon?), travel by warmholes, force shields etc. But the best part of the book was how all these have changed the society from the inside. Death has no real consequence anymore, since everyone is functionally immortal.
Also there were so many themes in this single book! You get a bit of high fantasy element, a bit of detective work, some courtroom drama, some politics, and of course alien encounter and star ship battles. Will definitely continue with the series.
Humans landed on Mars for the first time in 2050, which would've been a momentous occasion if weren't entirely overshadowed by the wormhole generators that allowed humanity to quickly and easily colonize planets 100s of light years away. In the present day of 2380, humanity has established itself on over 600 planets in a spherical volume 400 light years wide. All of the alien species humanity has come across have been peaceful. The sentient AI that humanity developed is a friend and ally. Rejuvenation allows the elderly to become young, over and over again. Even death has lost much of its sting, as memories can be backed up and implanted into clones. For many it is a golden age, but the discovery of a star that disappears in less than a second is an omen of the troubling times to come.
Dudley Bose, an astronomer, discovers the disappearing star and believes that it's his chance for fame and fortune. Adam Elvin is a revolutionary socialist trying to reform the Commonwealth, though his actions have become much more mercenary. Paula Myo is a senior investigator obsessed with a case she's been pursuing for nearly 150 years. Nigel Sheldon oversees the organization that controls interplanetary transit. Justine Burnelli is a member of one of the most powerful families and is deeply involved in politics. Wilson Kime landed on Mars and now all these centuries later his expertise is needed again. Oscar Monroe leads an exploratory team finding new planets to colonize. Ozzie Isaac created the wormhole generators and now lives an itinerant lifestyle throughout the Commonwealth. Mark Vernon has had enough of fast-paced urban life and moves his family to a frontier planet that guarantees a slow and cozy lifestyle. Kazimir McFoster is a teenage member of the Guardians of Selfhood who believe that a being called the Starflyer secretly controls humanity. Mellanie Rescorai begins as a teenage trophy girlfriend to an old wealthy man.
That's not all of the viewpoint characters. The narrative continually switches between perspectives, often several times per chapter. For much of the novel it seems like a mosaic of lives as they don't often intersect. Depending on your preferences this may present itself as a slog of seemingly endless filler or a detailed depiction of everyday life in the Commonwealth. For me, it was more the latter. I loved the setting.
Here are some things I found to be notable. There are literally dozens of neologisms that are only used once, as are many characters and specific details. This creates a veneer of very detailed worldbuilding. There are several LGBT and non-white characters. Heterosexual sex happens a few times. I was reminded of Dan Simmon's Endymion with one of the storylines. Hamilton is another author I didn't think I liked, but turns out I do. This is first novel I've read by him, though I'll be reading many more if they're like this.
Dudley Bose, an astronomer, discovers the disappearing star and believes that it's his chance for fame and fortune. Adam Elvin is a revolutionary socialist trying to reform the Commonwealth, though his actions have become much more mercenary. Paula Myo is a senior investigator obsessed with a case she's been pursuing for nearly 150 years. Nigel Sheldon oversees the organization that controls interplanetary transit. Justine Burnelli is a member of one of the most powerful families and is deeply involved in politics. Wilson Kime landed on Mars and now all these centuries later his expertise is needed again. Oscar Monroe leads an exploratory team finding new planets to colonize. Ozzie Isaac created the wormhole generators and now lives an itinerant lifestyle throughout the Commonwealth. Mark Vernon has had enough of fast-paced urban life and moves his family to a frontier planet that guarantees a slow and cozy lifestyle. Kazimir McFoster is a teenage member of the Guardians of Selfhood who believe that a being called the Starflyer secretly controls humanity. Mellanie Rescorai begins as a teenage trophy girlfriend to an old wealthy man.
That's not all of the viewpoint characters. The narrative continually switches between perspectives, often several times per chapter. For much of the novel it seems like a mosaic of lives as they don't often intersect. Depending on your preferences this may present itself as a slog of seemingly endless filler or a detailed depiction of everyday life in the Commonwealth. For me, it was more the latter. I loved the setting.
Here are some things I found to be notable. There are literally dozens of neologisms that are only used once, as are many characters and specific details. This creates a veneer of very detailed worldbuilding. There are several LGBT and non-white characters. Heterosexual sex happens a few times. I was reminded of Dan Simmon's Endymion with one of the storylines. Hamilton is another author I didn't think I liked, but turns out I do. This is first novel I've read by him, though I'll be reading many more if they're like this.
The author's ideas have potential but the novel is so badly paced it is hard to get through.
Excellent sci-fi, with lots of subgenre mixed in (mystery/spy thriller/heist/adventure/space opera). It is a massive novel, but it gets ripping quite quickly and the last third is quite the page-turner. Also, the many story threads were easy to follow and, for the most part, stayed interesting throughout. Easily read as a critique of consumption capitalism. Some really interesting aliens, and lots of fun extrapolation of where humans would be if technology advanced in certain ways.
Biggest critiques were the characters. Plot was great, but the characters were sort of placeholders. No one felt real. The women in particular felt like sexual objects with ambition (at least they had that). Some of the motivations made no sense (or were contrived). For 750 pages of excellent plot, you think the author could better develop his characters.
Biggest critiques were the characters. Plot was great, but the characters were sort of placeholders. No one felt real. The women in particular felt like sexual objects with ambition (at least they had that). Some of the motivations made no sense (or were contrived). For 750 pages of excellent plot, you think the author could better develop his characters.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Epic scifi in every meaning, Pandora's star explores a galaxy spanning human civilization and how it would react to both foreign and internal forces.