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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Leaning on giving this a 2 star but it has a lot of artistic merit and the ideas it presents are awesome, just wish it wasn’t so fucking boring to read
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For the most part I enjoyed this book, but it could have used editing. There are too many characters, especially throw away characters that never come back into play in this book, and events and episodes that cause the overall story to drag. Saying that, I will point out that many of the seemingly unconnected events in the story do begin to come together in the end. However there are some that still haven't been connected to the overall story. This book is 758 pages long and there are still holes in the plot and subplots that really haven't been ironed out. That's insane!
I also found the sheer number of characters overwhelming. And I honestly cared about very few of them. Part of my apathy is that I find the future society described in this book repellent. It's capitalism and imperialism run amuck. It's a depressing future with values I find hard to relate too. I'd honestly have been perfectly fine with the Commonwealth being wiped out by the end of the story.
Lastly. while I usually don't mind a cliffhanger ending, I will say I mind one at the end of a book as long as this one. So many things are left unanswered and while I assume it's answered in the second book I'm not sure the answers are worth wading through another 750 page book.
All that being said, Peter F. Hamilton is an engaging writer and there are some stand out characters that make up for my disinterest in the majority of them. The overall story arc and mystery surrounding the events is also interesting.
If you don't get easily frustrated with lengthy books that end in a cliffhanger, and you like a lot of details with lots of characters then this book is for you.
I also found the sheer number of characters overwhelming. And I honestly cared about very few of them. Part of my apathy is that I find the future society described in this book repellent. It's capitalism and imperialism run amuck. It's a depressing future with values I find hard to relate too. I'd honestly have been perfectly fine with the Commonwealth being wiped out by the end of the story.
Lastly. while I usually don't mind a cliffhanger ending, I will say I mind one at the end of a book as long as this one. So many things are left unanswered and while I assume it's answered in the second book I'm not sure the answers are worth wading through another 750 page book.
All that being said, Peter F. Hamilton is an engaging writer and there are some stand out characters that make up for my disinterest in the majority of them. The overall story arc and mystery surrounding the events is also interesting.
If you don't get easily frustrated with lengthy books that end in a cliffhanger, and you like a lot of details with lots of characters then this book is for you.
It was long. Very long. I almost want to say it could have been shorter, but then, every bit of its immense length was part of the spectacular world-building storytelling. Yes I got bored in parts, but I still loved the story.
It's a weird feeling I have from it - long and difficult to get through at times, but fantastic writing. It's exciting and wondrous, and it's a sci-fi universe I can believe in, if that makes sense.
Would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys big epic space operas - if they think they can get through the length. Especially when you find out page 1144 leaves you with a damned cliffhanger for the next book!
It's a weird feeling I have from it - long and difficult to get through at times, but fantastic writing. It's exciting and wondrous, and it's a sci-fi universe I can believe in, if that makes sense.
Would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys big epic space operas - if they think they can get through the length. Especially when you find out page 1144 leaves you with a damned cliffhanger for the next book!
Very interesting science fiction world, I found myself very interested in the plausible-with-some-leaps version of near-future humanity portrayed in the book. I very much liked that it wasn't overly distopian or utopian, but life in the book was still significantly different from what it is in today's world.
Some chapters were slower than others, and a few are just... strange, but overall it was a great book. Can't wait to read the sequel!
Some chapters were slower than others, and a few are just... strange, but overall it was a great book. Can't wait to read the sequel!
Pandora’s Star has all the hallmarks of Peter F. Hamilton. Huge cast of characters, galaxy spanning civilizations, technologically advanced societies, some form of immortality, complex plot, told from a wide variety of angles and strata of society. In other words, everything a space opera is meant to be.
Normally, when reading a long novel, I feel as if some parts of it could have been removed or shortened and the novel would not suffer. I hardly ever got that feeling reading this novel. Peter F. Hamilton has a way of using his massive cast to tell a story from almost all possible points of view that would be of interest to a reader. From a lowly peasant on his field in a valley facing the sudden onslaught of war to the average citizen far away barely effected by the war to the leaders of worlds. He creates an elegant tableau of the world which forms the backdrop of the story he is trying to tell. On many occasions I have read a novel and wished I could see more of the world; live the adventure from another perspective, know the full extent of another character’s journey during events of the novel. Peter F. Hamilton can perfectly satiate that craving for me.
Another of Peter F. Hamilton’s hallmarks is telling a single plot over multiple novels. As with the Night’s Dawn trilogy, this is another plot that will wind through multiple novels before it ends. This results in endings of first and/or second novels that are non-endings. He just splits the story at a major reveal or plot twist to create a bit of a cliffhanger effect; from which point the next novel picks up. This novel is no different. There is no completion of any character or story-arcs, no closure of any kind. The end of the novel just feels slightly more dramatic then the end of any other chapter.
Character development is quite good throughout the novel. Considering the extremely large cast, there are very few one-dimensional characters. Peter F. Hamilton places his characters strategically to give us a very complete picture of the story. In a subplot for example, we get the story from the murderer’s, the victims’, the investigators’ and the bystander’s (in relation to this subplot) point of view. And this is true of nearly all major story-arcs. He goes into details of each character’s thinking and the changes they go through as a result of specific plot points. Some may feel that this is too much detail, but he makes it work. He also has a very positive outlook of humans in general, which is refreshing and pleasant but somewhat unrealistic.
For such a long novel and quite a few over-long descriptions, there’s very little exposition here. Peter F. Hamilton just drops you into the fray and you have to pick things up as you go along. There are of course some very advanced technology that enables the Commonwealth to exist in the form it does. Most of these are variations of the technology seen in Night’s Dawn series, so I won’t describe them too deeply here. There’s Rejuvenation, Wormholes, storing one’s memories on another site, Organic Circuit tattoos and did I mention humanity’s massive computer systems had gained sentience and allied itself with humanity and one can even upload one’s memories with them? Rather than going too deep into how all the technology works, the authour focuses on how the technology would shape society. One thing I must point out as an IT professional is that at one point Mr. Hamilton describes an attack over the Commonwealth’s version of the Internet where everyone is targeted. That sort of attack is simply not possible anymore, too many security systems are in place. So it’s unlikely such a thing would be possible in the future.
There are only a few elements of the novel that held it back. One was the aliens. The aliens in Pandora’s Star suffer from their lack of being truly ‘alien’; that is to say, they are too close to being human. Most seemed derived for human communities. The Silfen walk the worlds to experience life and live peacefully with nature. The High Angel is an aloof observer and collector. Even the antagonist alien could be a more xenophobic collective of humans. The other was the extremely slow start of the novel. Almost a fourth of the novel was spent setting up the characters and the many different plotlines; that’s around 200 pages. It wasn’t bad, but it was getting tedious.
Peter F. Hamilton continues to showcase the breadth of his imagination in telling a story of such massive scale. Being a huge fan of the Night’s Dawn trilogy, I loved getting back into his works. I believe I have uncovered a few things about Mr. Peter F. Hamilton’s preferences hidden in his writing. He seems to like breakfast tea and British sports cars. Both of which I am myself quite a fan of. Looking forward to the sequel.
Normally, when reading a long novel, I feel as if some parts of it could have been removed or shortened and the novel would not suffer. I hardly ever got that feeling reading this novel. Peter F. Hamilton has a way of using his massive cast to tell a story from almost all possible points of view that would be of interest to a reader. From a lowly peasant on his field in a valley facing the sudden onslaught of war to the average citizen far away barely effected by the war to the leaders of worlds. He creates an elegant tableau of the world which forms the backdrop of the story he is trying to tell. On many occasions I have read a novel and wished I could see more of the world; live the adventure from another perspective, know the full extent of another character’s journey during events of the novel. Peter F. Hamilton can perfectly satiate that craving for me.
Another of Peter F. Hamilton’s hallmarks is telling a single plot over multiple novels. As with the Night’s Dawn trilogy, this is another plot that will wind through multiple novels before it ends. This results in endings of first and/or second novels that are non-endings. He just splits the story at a major reveal or plot twist to create a bit of a cliffhanger effect; from which point the next novel picks up. This novel is no different. There is no completion of any character or story-arcs, no closure of any kind. The end of the novel just feels slightly more dramatic then the end of any other chapter.
Character development is quite good throughout the novel. Considering the extremely large cast, there are very few one-dimensional characters. Peter F. Hamilton places his characters strategically to give us a very complete picture of the story. In a subplot for example, we get the story from the murderer’s, the victims’, the investigators’ and the bystander’s (in relation to this subplot) point of view. And this is true of nearly all major story-arcs. He goes into details of each character’s thinking and the changes they go through as a result of specific plot points. Some may feel that this is too much detail, but he makes it work. He also has a very positive outlook of humans in general, which is refreshing and pleasant but somewhat unrealistic.
For such a long novel and quite a few over-long descriptions, there’s very little exposition here. Peter F. Hamilton just drops you into the fray and you have to pick things up as you go along. There are of course some very advanced technology that enables the Commonwealth to exist in the form it does. Most of these are variations of the technology seen in Night’s Dawn series, so I won’t describe them too deeply here. There’s Rejuvenation, Wormholes, storing one’s memories on another site, Organic Circuit tattoos and did I mention humanity’s massive computer systems had gained sentience and allied itself with humanity and one can even upload one’s memories with them? Rather than going too deep into how all the technology works, the authour focuses on how the technology would shape society. One thing I must point out as an IT professional is that at one point Mr. Hamilton describes an attack over the Commonwealth’s version of the Internet where everyone is targeted. That sort of attack is simply not possible anymore, too many security systems are in place. So it’s unlikely such a thing would be possible in the future.
There are only a few elements of the novel that held it back. One was the aliens. The aliens in Pandora’s Star suffer from their lack of being truly ‘alien’; that is to say, they are too close to being human. Most seemed derived for human communities. The Silfen walk the worlds to experience life and live peacefully with nature. The High Angel is an aloof observer and collector. Even the antagonist alien could be a more xenophobic collective of humans. The other was the extremely slow start of the novel. Almost a fourth of the novel was spent setting up the characters and the many different plotlines; that’s around 200 pages. It wasn’t bad, but it was getting tedious.
Peter F. Hamilton continues to showcase the breadth of his imagination in telling a story of such massive scale. Being a huge fan of the Night’s Dawn trilogy, I loved getting back into his works. I believe I have uncovered a few things about Mr. Peter F. Hamilton’s preferences hidden in his writing. He seems to like breakfast tea and British sports cars. Both of which I am myself quite a fan of. Looking forward to the sequel.
I waited until I finished Judas Unchained before reviewing the first of the saga.
Wow. Just wow. I can't even imagine the amount of planning that went into this series. It's masterfully built. It doesn't all make sense at first. You often have the thought of "wait another character what??" but I promise the saga all comes together. I feel infinitely satisfied having just finished Judas Unchained and I don't want to leave this massive cast of characters behind.
I think what I find most impressive about the book is the world. You genuinely feel like "yeah, this is believable as our future." It's crazy and futuristic, but you can see how it's all rooted in what humans do/want/enjoy now (probably with a heavy western slant). All the characters are informed by this world in ways that make sense. No one feels out of character within the context of the world and the characterization Hamilton builds for them. Sure, it can feel sci-fi word heavy at times and you need to reread a couple paragraphs to get your brain back on board, but it's just so rewarding that it's fully worth the extra few minutes here and there.
BRB immediately buying physical copies of this saga
Wow. Just wow. I can't even imagine the amount of planning that went into this series. It's masterfully built. It doesn't all make sense at first. You often have the thought of "wait another character what??" but I promise the saga all comes together. I feel infinitely satisfied having just finished Judas Unchained and I don't want to leave this massive cast of characters behind.
I think what I find most impressive about the book is the world. You genuinely feel like "yeah, this is believable as our future." It's crazy and futuristic, but you can see how it's all rooted in what humans do/want/enjoy now (probably with a heavy western slant). All the characters are informed by this world in ways that make sense. No one feels out of character within the context of the world and the characterization Hamilton builds for them. Sure, it can feel sci-fi word heavy at times and you need to reread a couple paragraphs to get your brain back on board, but it's just so rewarding that it's fully worth the extra few minutes here and there.
BRB immediately buying physical copies of this saga
interesting concept
I want to emphasize that I’m not a fan of multiple plots in a single story. It seems to be the author’s writing style. The major part of this story is a good pace, but I can see some fillers that seem to be unnecessary. I enjoyed the mysteries that finally connected later on. I do have some issues with earlier in the book like Toyota and diesel still existed 300 years later sort of...that put me out a lit bit. As for the large part, the ending surprised me with how much disinvestment in the military in space. We will see the next book in this series.
I want to emphasize that I’m not a fan of multiple plots in a single story. It seems to be the author’s writing style. The major part of this story is a good pace, but I can see some fillers that seem to be unnecessary. I enjoyed the mysteries that finally connected later on. I do have some issues with earlier in the book like Toyota and diesel still existed 300 years later sort of...that put me out a lit bit. As for the large part, the ending surprised me with how much disinvestment in the military in space. We will see the next book in this series.
There is only one place to start when talking about Pandora’s Star. It’s size. At 1152 pages of big. But it’s not only the time that you invest reading a big book it’s the mental capacity you end up using so it all makes sense.. You have to absorb it and live and breathe it for the duration. If you don’t then you might lose your way or worse lose interest.
Luckily Peter F. Hamilton is telling a story that has easily filled those pages and then some. I’m not saying he’s filled them all with the right things but on the final page I was more than ready, and indeed did, start Judas Unchained, the concluding half of The Commonwealth Saga, and about 100 pages bigger.
Pandora’s Star starts with a mystery. Astronomer Dudley Bose obverses a star over a thousand light years away vanish, though it doesn’t really vanish, instead it’s sealed inside a force field of immense size. He doesn’t see it from earth but one of the other 600 colonised planets that makes up the Interstellar Commonwealth, which are all linked by wormholes rather than spaceships. So in order to see what’s happened beyond the reach of their wormholes they build their first faster-than-light starship, Second Chance, and that’s where everything really gets complicated.
And it does get complicated for humanity in general but for the main characters and their threads the whole tale is complicated. Hamiliton really does have a good sense of how to pitch everything so it seems on a vast scale but also a human everyday level at the same time.
You have a detective, Paula Mayo, who has spent several lifetimes trying to stop a terrorist threat. There is Ozzie who seems to be a bit of a hippy but is trying to get a handle on the Silfen, friendly aliens who don’t seem to be technologically advanced but can literally walk between worlds. And then we have Captain Wilson Kime whose task to see what’s out at the disappearing star and whose arrival there sets in motion events that will change everything.
I’m not sure if the above is helpful or not. To give more away would spoil the momentum that keeps you reading. Hamilton is building layer upon layer as you find out more until you get to slowly see a bigger picture though I’m not sure even that it isn’t really part of a larger puzzle.
What you do get is an understanding of the Commonwealth from several perspectives. You get to see things from the top and near the bottom. This is a place where you don’t have to die. You can be rejuvenated or if needed regrown with all your memories reinserted into your new body. You can have your DNA altered to remove worrying traits and receive enhancements. Not forgetting all the technology at their disposal including advanced artificial intelligence. There is little danger of dying or fear of total death. That is until these events unfold.
The journey you follow with the characters really does make the 1152 pages worth the investment. Not everything flows, there are points that give understanding don’t really enhance the overall story but then in a multithreaded story everyone is going to latch on to their own favourites and want to get back to them as soon as possible.
He does get the overall pacing right, though there is a section where, in my opinion, the focus stays to long on one character and his endeavours. It is a pay off moment as things have been building up to it but from the chop/change pace up until then it feels wrong to be in the same place for so long. But that was my only moment of fatigue where I truly flagged.
It’s not only the changes in viewpoint that keeps everything going but it’s those layers I mentioned. Nothing is what it first appears. And that’s a really big payoff moment when things click and you see that the next part has got to have as many more questions as it has to have answers.
You have to admire a storyteller that does have the confidence to do a story like this that can only be done in SF. You can need to see how humanity could evolve and what dangers, as well as pleasures, there are in our potential future. It’s a rare gift and that’s what makes him a star of SF. There are very few people who could do this and make it feel like a spring rather than a marathon.
What you have in Pandora’s Star is a superior slice of SF. One that has 600 planet plus chessboard with billions of potential pieces to be moved around but at the hands of the master craftsman Peter F. Hamilton only requires a few dozen to give you a sense of interstellar events that have been hundreds of years in the making.
Luckily Peter F. Hamilton is telling a story that has easily filled those pages and then some. I’m not saying he’s filled them all with the right things but on the final page I was more than ready, and indeed did, start Judas Unchained, the concluding half of The Commonwealth Saga, and about 100 pages bigger.
Pandora’s Star starts with a mystery. Astronomer Dudley Bose obverses a star over a thousand light years away vanish, though it doesn’t really vanish, instead it’s sealed inside a force field of immense size. He doesn’t see it from earth but one of the other 600 colonised planets that makes up the Interstellar Commonwealth, which are all linked by wormholes rather than spaceships. So in order to see what’s happened beyond the reach of their wormholes they build their first faster-than-light starship, Second Chance, and that’s where everything really gets complicated.
And it does get complicated for humanity in general but for the main characters and their threads the whole tale is complicated. Hamiliton really does have a good sense of how to pitch everything so it seems on a vast scale but also a human everyday level at the same time.
You have a detective, Paula Mayo, who has spent several lifetimes trying to stop a terrorist threat. There is Ozzie who seems to be a bit of a hippy but is trying to get a handle on the Silfen, friendly aliens who don’t seem to be technologically advanced but can literally walk between worlds. And then we have Captain Wilson Kime whose task to see what’s out at the disappearing star and whose arrival there sets in motion events that will change everything.
I’m not sure if the above is helpful or not. To give more away would spoil the momentum that keeps you reading. Hamilton is building layer upon layer as you find out more until you get to slowly see a bigger picture though I’m not sure even that it isn’t really part of a larger puzzle.
What you do get is an understanding of the Commonwealth from several perspectives. You get to see things from the top and near the bottom. This is a place where you don’t have to die. You can be rejuvenated or if needed regrown with all your memories reinserted into your new body. You can have your DNA altered to remove worrying traits and receive enhancements. Not forgetting all the technology at their disposal including advanced artificial intelligence. There is little danger of dying or fear of total death. That is until these events unfold.
The journey you follow with the characters really does make the 1152 pages worth the investment. Not everything flows, there are points that give understanding don’t really enhance the overall story but then in a multithreaded story everyone is going to latch on to their own favourites and want to get back to them as soon as possible.
He does get the overall pacing right, though there is a section where, in my opinion, the focus stays to long on one character and his endeavours. It is a pay off moment as things have been building up to it but from the chop/change pace up until then it feels wrong to be in the same place for so long. But that was my only moment of fatigue where I truly flagged.
It’s not only the changes in viewpoint that keeps everything going but it’s those layers I mentioned. Nothing is what it first appears. And that’s a really big payoff moment when things click and you see that the next part has got to have as many more questions as it has to have answers.
You have to admire a storyteller that does have the confidence to do a story like this that can only be done in SF. You can need to see how humanity could evolve and what dangers, as well as pleasures, there are in our potential future. It’s a rare gift and that’s what makes him a star of SF. There are very few people who could do this and make it feel like a spring rather than a marathon.
What you have in Pandora’s Star is a superior slice of SF. One that has 600 planet plus chessboard with billions of potential pieces to be moved around but at the hands of the master craftsman Peter F. Hamilton only requires a few dozen to give you a sense of interstellar events that have been hundreds of years in the making.
I had a hard time getting along this audiobook. regarding one of my favourite narrator; John Lee