Critics have compared the engrossing space operas of Peter F. Hamilton to the classic sagas of such SF giants as Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. But Hamilton's bestselling fiction—powered by a fearless imagination and world-class storytelling skills—has also earned him comparison to Tolstoy and Dickens. Hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, philosophically stimulating: the novels of Peter F. Hamilton will change the way you think about science fiction. Now, with Pandora's Star, he begins a new multivolume adventure, one that promises to be his most mind-blowing yet. The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some 400 light-years in diameter, contains more than 600 worlds, interconnected by a web of transport "tunnels" known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over 1,000 light-years away, a star…vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him. Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends. Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy but dangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery, the unleashing of which will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth…and humanity itself. Could it be that Johansson was right?
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"Pandora's Star represents the apogee of Peter Hamilton with the complexity, depth, and fullness that only the greatest writers achieve near the climax of their career.Hamilton masters the structural form of the decade for SF as multi-character story telling in parallel narration threads with convergence. Characters are full of life and very real. Physics and technology is very fluent, often varguard, and always coherent without falling out of fashion as years pass. The 37 hours of flawless narration are a jewel to keep for decades to inspire cold homy winters and mountain trekking summers alike."
— vincefree (5 out of 5 stars)
“The depth and clarity of the future Hamilton envisions is as complex and involving as they come.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“The author’s expansive vision of the future combines action and intrigue on a panoramic scale.”
— Library Journal“[Hamilton is] taking on one of sf’s (and maybe all of literature’s) primal jobs: the creation of a world with the scale and complexity of the real one.”
— Locus“Shows how thought-provoking yet entertaining science fiction can be. Some of the best fiction…in years.”
— Midwest Book ReviewShould be high on everyone's reading list…. You won't be able to put it down.
— Nancy Pearl, National Public Radio" Really wanted to enjoy this. This is a rich space opera, brimming with tech and history, and a variety of viewpoints. Unfortunately, I was drowning in deep tangents. It is longer than the average novel at nearly 900 pages/37 hours. I was listening about a half hour at a time. Would be better for listeners having more time to devote per session. "
— JLA, 12/2/2019" Great book for science fiction lovers. Great for audio books because it paints great pictures along with the story. It is 3 stories at the same time. Long and very interesting about other alien species of beings friendly or not. "
— Paul, 1/6/2017" This is a huge space opera. It did take me a bit to latch onto it, but it is a magnificent read and a true sci-fi classic in the best sense of that genre. Hamilton is a great writer. "
— Jeff, 5/5/2011" Halfway through, the setup was fascinating but drawn out, now we're getting to the good stuff. "
— Scott, 5/4/2011" Outstanding epic sci-fi. Can't wait to read the second title. "
— Ed, 4/2/2011" If you like science fiction, even a little bit, THIS IS THE NEXT BOOK YOU SHOULD READ! "
— Dezrah, 3/27/2011" Huge scope. Believable aliens and likeable characters. It has the things I like the best about Sci-Fi. The hard science gets a little tedious but adds some ethos (even as theoretical as it is). I hope I live to see the day that where we have functioning retinal inserts. "
— Matthew, 3/21/2011" I got this in a secret santa and loved it, he manages to weave a whole bunch of peoples stories together in a very compelling way. Hard to put down. "
— Ruth, 3/9/2011" Peter Hamilton is a great "describer" but not such a great story teller. The narrative is tedious. The action is almost non-existent, and the plot is taking a long time to develop. Boring. I don't think I will even be able to finish it. "
— Kerry, 3/3/2011" 1000page scene setting. Dragged for me. "
— Josiah, 2/28/2011Peter F. Hamilton is the author of numerous novels, including several series and stand-alone novels. He began writing in 1987 and sold his first short story to Fear magazine in 1988.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.