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Pandora's Star

Book 1 in the series:Commonwealth Saga

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Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton is a space opera that delves into a future where humanity has built a galactic empire, exploring advanced technologies, intricate alien societies, and interstellar politics. The plot revolves around the discovery of a Dyson Sphere encasing two neighboring stars, leading to a space investigation to uncover the intentions behind this mysterious structure. With a vast array of characters and subplots, the book weaves a complex narrative that gradually converges towards a climactic cliffhanger ending, setting the stage for the sequel.

Characters:

The characters are numerous and varied, with some well-developed and others feeling less substantial, contributing to the complexity of the narrative.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is accessible yet detailed, blending intricate world-building with a straightforward narrative that some readers find excessive.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot intricately weaves humanity's expansion into a rich future, driven by technological advancements and exploration, yet challenged by ominous alien encounters.

Setting:

It features a vibrant and intricately constructed future universe, shaped by advanced technology and diverse alien life.

Pacing:

Pacing varies throughout the book, with slow introductions giving way to faster action as the story progresses.
The star vanished from the centre of the telescope’s image in less time than a single human heartbeat. There was no mistake, Dudley Bose was looking right at it when it happened. He blinked in surpris...

Notes:

Pandora's Star is part of the Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton.
The story is set in the year 2380, where mankind has developed rejuvenation and wormhole technology.
The book features an extensive cast of characters, which some readers find challenging to keep track of.
The main plot revolves around two stars that mysteriously disappear, prompting a deep space investigation.
Characters can live indefinitely due to rejuvenation, which affects societal dynamics.
The narrative includes multiple storylines and subplots that converge towards the end of the novel.
Readers often describe Hamilton's writing as imaginative but lengthy, with some parts feeling like filler.
The aliens in this series, especially the Primes, are portrayed as truly alien in their motivations and biology.
The discovery of the Dyson Pair of stars unleashes conflicts with hostile alien races, leading to an interstellar war.
Some readers feel the book could be improved with tighter editing to reduce its length.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Themes involving war, death, and violence associated with alien invasions could pose potential content warnings for sensitive readers.

From The Publisher:

"An imaginative and stunning tale of the perfect future threatened . . . a book of epic proportions not unlike Frank Herbert's Dune or Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy."-SFRevu

The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars, 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 . . . disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, the Second Chance, a faster-than-light starship commanded by Wilson Kime, a five-times-rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat.

Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, led by Bradley Johansson. Shortly after the journey begins, Kime wonders if the crew of the Second Chance has been infiltrated. But soon enough he will have other worries. Halfway across the galaxy, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself.

"Should be high on everyone's reading list . . . You won't be able to put it down."-Nancy Pearl, NPR

"Recommended . . . A large cast of characters, each with his own story, brings depth and variety to this far-future saga."-Library Journal

Ratings (30)

Incredible (9)
Loved It (8)
Liked It (5)
It Was OK (5)
Did Not Like (1)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (79):

Read It (29)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (40)
Did Not Finish (4)
Not Interested (5)

1 comment(s)

Hated It
1 month

All right, I'm technically cheating, saying I finished it because DNF at 81%, because I really would like to read something that I don't actively dislike.

There were good parts in this, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed Ozzie and Orion, even if I could've done without the homophobia and sexism throughout the book. There were parts that held my interest--when this book had action, it was exciting. The problem was that there's so much build-up to the action that I don't want to sit there and wait for it to happen.

As someone else pointed out, the women in here are good for romps or are otherwise sexless. I could sort of overlook that, if the story had held my interest. But I was also holding out hope that Judas Unchained was better. Upon hearing that it wasn't...I give up. I see no point in finishing this if I'm never going to read the sequel.

Also, as someone pointed out, it's like civilization is stuck in 2010, yet somehow transplanted into the future. That makes no sense. Granted, some science fiction is dated now (like Cyteen), but even so.

I feel like there were also too many planets thrown at me that they started to blend into each other. Also, I miss my Belters and my Inners. (Yes, I miss The Expanse. So sue me).

Also, we spent so much time on the Ice Citadel I began to feel like *I* was physically stuck there. Ugh.

Yeah, so, DNF. Sorry. The good does not outweigh the bad here.

 

About the Author:

Peter F. Hamilton was born in Rutland in 1960 and still lives nearby. He began writing in 1987, and sold his first short story to Fear magazine in 1988. He has written many bestselling novels, including the Greg Mandel series, the Night's Dawn trilogy, the Commonwealth Saga, the Void trilogy, short-story collections and several standalone novels including Fallen Dragon and Great North Road.

 
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