Pandora's star

by Peter F. Hamilton

758 pages

English language

Published Nov. 11, 2004 by Del Rey/Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-345-46162-9
Goodreads:: 45252

(10 reviews)

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 four hundred light-years in diameter, contains more than six hundred 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 one thousand 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 whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself. Could it be that Johansson was right?From the Hardcover edition.

2 editions

Adam reviewed Pandora's star by Peter F. Hamilton

Review of "Pandora's star" on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Positive:
Story-wise: pretty good, interesting concept and the author really manages to live up to the expectations of the title.
Aliens: well done, with a very otherworldly feeling (for some species).

Negative:
Human characters: rather "nah" (mostly rich men who have lived for generations and are driven by money, power and sex. Female characters are primarily described in terms of hotness with few exceptions)
Sci-fi that relies heavily on gimmickry and detailed matter-of-factly explanations (not a big fan of this style of sci-fi)
I really disliked the ridiculously reckless and unmotivated story-line of a certain character (seriously, I think the author threw this in there solely to be able to spew out more alien settings to describe).

speljamr reviewed Pandora's star by Peter F. Hamilton

Review of "Pandora's Star" on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

Peter F. Hamilton has once again brought us a captivating sci-fi story that will have you reading every free moment you can get. This is epic world building at it's best; the scope of the universe covered in this book feels gigantic, and even better, completely believable.

Hamilton is one of the rare sci-fi authors who does try, and succeeds, at creating aliens that are very different from us. In this universe there are other species in the galaxy, but they do seem more on the rare side. The alien species that becomes the primary antagonist of the story is truly terrifying. They are the biological equivalent of the Borg, but they make the Borg look like your best friend and neighbor.

There's plenty of other good stuff built into this story to contemplate and think about as well, such as the social implications of life extension therapies, the implication …

There's plenty of other good stuff built into this story to contemplate and think about as well, such as the social implications of life extension therapies, the implication of re-life procedures that can bring the dead back into the world, the changes in how we explore and expand once wormholes are invented, and much more.

If there is one thing that might be a little frustrating with this book it is that some of the characters and story lines in the early portion made me feel like they didn't belong. It isn't until the end of the book that some of this comes together and starts to make more sense.

My overall opinion though is if you love science fiction, this is a must read book. I look forward to reading the conclusion in 'Judas Unchained.'