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the_smoking_gnu's review against another edition
3.0
It seems that Peter F. Hamilton hasn't changed his style very much over the years.
I'm not very fond of detective fiction in general, therefore 3 stars.
I'm not very fond of detective fiction in general, therefore 3 stars.
clendorie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Mindstar Rising was...okay. I was in the mood for some cyberpunk story, and that's exactly what I got. A straightforward techno-thriller with scheming corporations, hackers, street gangs and some psychic powers to spice it up. Except that the corporations are the good guys, fighting against the evils of a far-left party that ruined the economy trying to establish kolkhozes in the UK.
I had to check the publication date because Hamilton's worldbuilding looks like some kind of Reaganian speculative fiction with hamfisted metaphors about the greatness of unchecked capitalism. I'm supposed to believe that a far-left party used the global warming emergency to overthrow the British government, abolish private property and turn the UK in a soviet nightmare in a mere fifteen years without anyone giving a shit. Maybe if the timeline was longer but you can't squash a half-century of soviet history in a decade and expect me to say: "yeah, that sounds right to me!"
If you don't think too much about it, it's an enjoyable read. Not a great one but at least I got my cyberpunk novel.
I had to check the publication date because Hamilton's worldbuilding looks like some kind of Reaganian speculative fiction with hamfisted metaphors about the greatness of unchecked capitalism. I'm supposed to believe that a far-left party used the global warming emergency to overthrow the British government, abolish private property and turn the UK in a soviet nightmare in a mere fifteen years without anyone giving a shit. Maybe if the timeline was longer but you can't squash a half-century of soviet history in a decade and expect me to say: "yeah, that sounds right to me!"
If you don't think too much about it, it's an enjoyable read. Not a great one but at least I got my cyberpunk novel.
ghostmuppet's review
3.0
After enjoying my first Peter F Hamilton book - Great North Road, i thought i would try some more out.
This book reminded me of a futuristic version of Morse or Lewis - a detective working out whodunit - with extra PSI ability. This is not a bad thing as i really enjoyed those series. This changes a little part way through the book and turns into a hunter/prey piece.
OK, some of the techno babble was a little off putting, and a couple of the scenes were a little slow. Some characters were a bit weak/one dimensional.
The hardest part for me was the landscape (both physical and political). As i live in the UK, i knew a lot of the places, but of course it all sounded different.
The narrator (Toby Longworth) did a great job of portraying the main players in the book.
This book reminded me of a futuristic version of Morse or Lewis - a detective working out whodunit - with extra PSI ability. This is not a bad thing as i really enjoyed those series. This changes a little part way through the book and turns into a hunter/prey piece.
OK, some of the techno babble was a little off putting, and a couple of the scenes were a little slow. Some characters were a bit weak/one dimensional.
The hardest part for me was the landscape (both physical and political). As i live in the UK, i knew a lot of the places, but of course it all sounded different.
The narrator (Toby Longworth) did a great job of portraying the main players in the book.
taueret's review
1.0
Horrible. Like a 17 year old boy wrote it. Characters change personality halfway through, for no apparent reason. Just dumb.
zivan's review
3.0
Minstar Rising is a bit clunky, but you can see Hamilton's potential shining through.
Hamilton is a bit of a Soap Space Opera writer, but he pulls it off so well I don't mind.
I'm going to continue reading this trology in anticipation of improved writing as the series progresses.
Hamilton is a bit of a Soap Space Opera writer, but he pulls it off so well I don't mind.
I'm going to continue reading this trology in anticipation of improved writing as the series progresses.
smcleish's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog here in October 2000.
Peter Hamilton's first novel introduces his psychic detective Greg Mandel (named of course, though rather oddly, after the monk who founded the science of genetics). It has a rich background, even though it is set only fifty years or so in the future. Global warming has changed the climate, and destroyed low lying country as the polar ice caps have melted. At the same time, an inept Socialist dictatorship has destroyed the British economy before being swept away in a revolution. Mandel was part of an experimental army corps (known as Mindstar) with a special gland which enhances latent telepathy. When this expensive unit was disbanded, he became part of the revolution, helping organise guerillas in Peterborough housing estates swamped by refugees from the flooding of the fens.
Now, he has become a private investigator, and is hired by the big success story of the new Britain, the electronics company Event Horizon, to investigate sabotage in their orbiting microchip factory. This turns out to be quite complicated, and Hamilton creates a story influenced by cyberpunk including computers, drugs, telepathy and a fair amount of violence. He occasionally uses somewhat dubious shortcuts. Mandel's friends include an incredibly talented computer hacker and a fellow psychic who can see the future. The latter saves time by telling Mandel that if he did go ahead and interview two hundred workers who might be connected to the sabotage, then he would find out nothing; this is extremely convenient.
This is a relatively minor quibble with an interesting and enjoyable novel, much better than its sequel, [b:A Quantum Murder|45250|A Quantum Murder (Greg Mandel, #2)|Peter F. Hamilton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312056939s/45250.jpg|1164517].
Peter Hamilton's first novel introduces his psychic detective Greg Mandel (named of course, though rather oddly, after the monk who founded the science of genetics). It has a rich background, even though it is set only fifty years or so in the future. Global warming has changed the climate, and destroyed low lying country as the polar ice caps have melted. At the same time, an inept Socialist dictatorship has destroyed the British economy before being swept away in a revolution. Mandel was part of an experimental army corps (known as Mindstar) with a special gland which enhances latent telepathy. When this expensive unit was disbanded, he became part of the revolution, helping organise guerillas in Peterborough housing estates swamped by refugees from the flooding of the fens.
Now, he has become a private investigator, and is hired by the big success story of the new Britain, the electronics company Event Horizon, to investigate sabotage in their orbiting microchip factory. This turns out to be quite complicated, and Hamilton creates a story influenced by cyberpunk including computers, drugs, telepathy and a fair amount of violence. He occasionally uses somewhat dubious shortcuts. Mandel's friends include an incredibly talented computer hacker and a fellow psychic who can see the future. The latter saves time by telling Mandel that if he did go ahead and interview two hundred workers who might be connected to the sabotage, then he would find out nothing; this is extremely convenient.
This is a relatively minor quibble with an interesting and enjoyable novel, much better than its sequel, [b:A Quantum Murder|45250|A Quantum Murder (Greg Mandel, #2)|Peter F. Hamilton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312056939s/45250.jpg|1164517].
the_prickly_reader's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
dwarf's review
3.0
Not too obvious plot, nice believable characters, clean and simple writing. It was an overall good book, but not impressive. One simple detective plot with a SF background. I hope he is just making the universe and the others books of the series will be better. And frankly the idea of one radical ultra left party being so evil in UK is a little too much unbelievable and too frickin Thatcherism to me.
arbieroo's review
3.0
Peter F. Hamilton's debut novel is an entertaining thriller set in a near future where global warming, a Credit Crash and far left wing totalitarianism wrecked the British economy, Scotland has become independent and Wales gets no mention at all.... England's recovery from all of this is underway but it's fragile and many are still living under the influence of gangs and corruption.
The protagonist, a war vet with medically boosted empathy and intuition, is hired by the hi-tech company leading the way in dragging the economy forward out of egrarianism and bartering to solve a case of industrial espionage and illegal spoiler tactics.
It is a straightforward narrative that soon grips and is not bloated. Fun and followed by two sequels involving the same protagonists. Readers of the Night's Dawn trilogy or the Commonwealth Saga will find this something of a stylistic contrast.
The protagonist, a war vet with medically boosted empathy and intuition, is hired by the hi-tech company leading the way in dragging the economy forward out of egrarianism and bartering to solve a case of industrial espionage and illegal spoiler tactics.
It is a straightforward narrative that soon grips and is not bloated. Fun and followed by two sequels involving the same protagonists. Readers of the Night's Dawn trilogy or the Commonwealth Saga will find this something of a stylistic contrast.
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