# Sci-Fi Fans...Peter F Hamilton, Author? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390 "2008-07-22T17:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/1 "2008-07-22T17:24:21Z")
Fellow sci-fi fans…I recently checked out a book from the library by Peter F Hamilton called _The Dreaming Void_ and I have to say that I really am enjoying it. Has anyone else read his stuff? Also, can anyone recommend his other books like \*Pandora’s Box \* or _Judas Unchained_? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/2 "2008-07-22T17:48:21Z")
I really liked his Night’s Dawn trilogy. It’s published as six paperbacks in the US, starting with _The Reality Dysfunction: Emergence_. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/3 "2008-07-22T17:50:37Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] I really liked his Night’s Dawn trilogy. It’s published as six paperbacks in the US, starting with _The Reality Dysfunction: Emergence_. [/QUOTE] It was a great series up to the last book, where he fumbled the ending so badly I’ve never read another word he’s written. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/4 "2008-07-22T18:39:15Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] It was a great series up to the last book, where he fumbled the ending so badly I’ve never read another word he’s written. [/QUOTE] I have little experience with him but from what I’ve read so far in _The Dreaming Void_, I’m pretty awe-struck. It’s incredibly detailed, a fascinating take on future societies and well-written, and from looking up his bio, follows along with his space opera style of multiple main character convergences. What did he flub so badly about the ending in the last book? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/5 "2008-07-22T18:41:24Z")
Deus ex machina. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/6 "2008-07-22T18:50:06Z")
_Pandora’s Star_ BTW. I liked it well enough (a bit long-winded) but I heart that _Judas Unchained_ was horrible so I never bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/7 "2008-07-22T19:02:45Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] I have little experience with him but from what I’ve read so far in _The Dreaming Void_, I’m pretty awe-struck. It’s incredibly detailed, a fascinating take on future societies and well-written, and from looking up his bio, follows along with his space opera style of multiple main character convergences. What did he flub so badly about the ending in the last book? [/QUOTE] What **DrFidelus** said. Literally. The protagonists find a machine that turns one of them into a god. He then waves his hand, and makes the army of space-faring undead that had been driving the plot of the entire trilogy simply disappear. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/8 "2008-07-22T19:07:57Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] What **DrFidelus** said. Literally. The protagonists find a machine that turns one of them into a god. He then waves his hand, and makes the army of space-faring undead that had been driving the plot of the entire trilogy simply disappear. [/QUOTE] Well, that does appear to be quite a cop-out. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/9 "2008-07-22T19:12:57Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Well, that does appear to be quite a cop-out. [/QUOTE] I read the damn thing and had blocked out the ending… now I remember why I threw the book out the window. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/10 "2008-07-22T19:20:54Z")
Such a shame, too. Excellent world-building. His characters acted like people, he had a marvelous eye for the telling details, and his cultures and conflicts did not feel forced. And he actually made “All Hell breaking loose” work as a plot device. It just seemed that he had no good idea how to resolve the issues. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/11 "2008-07-22T21:05:52Z")
I quite liked his early cyberpunk-noir novels (\Mindstar Rising\, \A Quantum Murder\, \The Nano Flower\). They’re also easier to lift than the “Night’s Dawn” trilogy. (Which is three very fat volumes here in the UK … ) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/12 "2008-07-22T21:09:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Fellow sci-fi fans…I recently checked out a book from the library by Peter F Hamilton called The Dreaming Void and I have to say that I really am enjoying it. Has anyone else read his stuff? > > Also, can anyone recommend his other books like Pandora’s Box or Judas Unchained? In case you’re unaware of this, _The Dreaming Void_ is sort of a sequel to _Pandora’s Box_ and _Judas Unchained_, although it’s set over a thousand years after the time of those books. They’re all part of the Commonwealth series. _Misspent Youth_ (2003) a novel set around 2040 _Blessed by an Angel_ (2007) a short story _Pandora’s Star_ (2004) and _Judas Unchained_ (2005) a two-art novel set around 2380 _The Dreaming Void_ (2008), _The Temporal Void_ (not yet published), _Evolution’s Dream_ (not yet published) trilogy set around 3590 ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/13 "2008-07-22T21:41:06Z")
I didn’t mind the deus ex machina ending THAT much. It made the finale weaker than the other books, but it didn’t ruin them for me. I also really enjoyed his Pandora’s Star/Judas Unchained books too. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/14 "2008-07-23T03:21:39Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] In case you’re unaware of this, _The Dreaming Void_ is sort of a sequel to _Pandora’s Box_ and _Judas Unchained_, although it’s set over a thousand years after the time of those books. They’re all part of the Commonwealth series. _Misspent Youth_ (2003) a novel set around 2040 _Blessed by an Angel_ (2007) a short story _Pandora’s Star_ (2004) and _Judas Unchained_ (2005) a two-art novel set around 2380 _The Dreaming Void_ (2008), _The Temporal Void_ (not yet published), _Evolution’s Dream_ (not yet published) trilogy set around 3590 [/QUOTE] Yeah, I saw that when I Wiki’d his bio. I am very impressed with his _Dreaming Void_ novel (obviously) and I haven’t read any of his other stuff before. It was a whim choice at the library. What’s funny is I haven’t dipped my mental toe into the sci-fi genre much in the last several years, I’ve been reading a lot of other stuff. I just read a book called \*Blackman’s Coffin \* that I liked, and more distantly, Ken Follet’s \*Pillars Of The Earth \* duo, which I also enjoyed a lot. I have also been reading a lot of historical bios on Abaraham Lincoln, John Adams, etc recently. I find that stuff fascinating as well. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/15 "2008-07-23T14:25:15Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] It was a great series up to the last book, where he fumbled the ending so badly I’ve never read another word he’s written. [/QUOTE] Very reluctantly, I must agree. He had a tremendously detailed, interesting, inventive, multilayered universe that he developed across six big books, with interesting characters and some genuinely engaging issues… and then he just pissed it all away in the last 20 pages. And the hero not only defeated the legions of the undead practically with a wave of his hand, he then pulled the galaxy closer together - actually moving every star and planet, IIRC - so that every human world and colony was cheek-by-jowl with every other! 'Cause he’s, y’know, omnipotent and all, and deuterium costs had been going up so sharply. Bleagh. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/16 "2008-07-23T15:42:03Z")
[QUOTE=Steve Wright] They’re also easier to lift than the “Night’s Dawn” trilogy. (Which is three very fat volumes here in the UK … ) [/QUOTE] Based on the first volume (which I picked up at a used book sale), it would have been 3 slim volumes if he’d managed to leave out the gratuitous sex. Yeah, I get it, your hero gets lucky in all sorts of ways. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/17 "2008-07-23T16:56:05Z")
Well, now, I for one _liked_ the gratuitous sex! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/18 "2008-07-23T20:39:54Z")
I can seriously, without any scruples needing to be suppressed, opressed or needing to be dragged into a back alley and beat bloody with a cudgel, recommend Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained. He creates a gorgeous, consequent universe (for a given amount of consequent - this is science fantasy, after all) with likeable characters, a permeating dry wit, a good storyline and an epic sense of scale. I asked for a recommendation at my nearby Outland and the girl helping me asked if I’d ever read George Martin. Yes, of course, I said and she asked – but have you ever read George Martin write sci-fi? And she thoughtfully pushed both books into my hands and wrote them up, knowing that as soon as I was done with one the waiting to get the other would physically _hurt_. And she was bang on the money, as well - Hamilton does feel like George R.R. Martin. _In space_. I’m done slobbering now. Move on. Nothing to see here. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/19 "2008-07-23T20:42:24Z")
But George R. R. Martin wrote loads of SF … 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390/20 "2008-07-23T21:57:05Z")
Hell yeah! Start with Martin’s _Tuf Voyaging_. One of my all-time favorite SF books (a collection of interrelated short stories). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-fans-peter-f-hamilton-author/457390.md?page=2)