Britain's bestselling SF writer returns to outer space
Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga)
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Review
" 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
"" Astounding . . . Thrilling . . . Hamilton uses technology to excellent effect."
"-- Science Fiction Age
"" Shows how thought-provoking yet entertaining science fiction can be. Some of the best fiction . . . in years."
"-- Midwest Book Review
"" [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
"" [Hamilton is] a rare talent."
"-- The Denver Post
"
-- "Publishers Weekly "(starred review)
" The author's expansive vision of the future combines action and intrigue on a panoramic scale."
"-- Library Journal
"" Astounding . . . Thrilling . . . Hamilton uses technology to excellent effect."
"-- Science Fiction Age
"" Shows how thought-provoking yet entertaining science fiction can be. Some of the best fiction . . . in years."
"-- Midwest Book Review
"" [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
"" [Hamilton is] a rare talent."
"-- The Denver Post
"
"From the Hardcover edition." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
In AD 2329, humanity has colonised over four hundred planets, all of them interlinked by wormholes. With Earth at its centre, the Intersolar Commonwealth now occupies a sphere of space approximately four hundred light years across.When an astronomer on the outermost world of Gralmond, observes a star 2000 light years distant - and then a neighbouring one - vanish, it is time for the Commonwealth to discover what happened to them. For what if their disappearance indicates some kind of galactic conflict? Since a conventional wormhole cannot be used to reach these vanished stars, for the first time humans need to build a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance. But it arrives to find each 'vanished' star encased in a giant force field -- and within one of them resides a massive alien civilisation.
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First Sentence
The star vanished from the center of the telescope's image in less time than a single human heartbeat. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
The star vanished from the center of the telescope's image in less time than a single human heartbeat. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Odd that Amazon considers it not yet published, as I just finished reading it this weekend after Amazon shipped a copy to me. Once again, Peter Hamilton has painted a broad canvas for his latest series of novels. Set in a relatively near future, but one in which wormhole travel to far stars is an everyday occurrence, where the elves are recognized as an off-world species who walk their own paths between the worlds, and a shadowy terrorist group, inspired by fears of a mysterious alien invader that no-one else believes to exist, Hamilton once again weaves dozens of individual stories into a seamless whole.
The "Pandora's Star" of the title refers to a mysterious cosmic event hundreds of light years away, beyond the reach of the wormhole technology, where two solar systems are suddenly enclosed instantly by a pair of massive force fields. This drives the major action in the book, with its usual massive space battles, detailed descriptions of alien species, complex politics and the tragedy and small triumphs of individual lives.
Hamilton has developed a star-spanning empire with new species, including his usual AI constructs and human memory archives, however this world is very different from the universe of the Neutronium Alchemist. There are the usual cliff-hangers at the end of this satisfying read, which make me certain to buy the sequel when it is released (hopefully this year!)
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In my younger days I was an avid sci-fi fan devouring everything that I could get my hands on. Twenty years on I decided to re-visit the genre and after many disappointments happened on Pandora's Star. Don't be put off by the size of this book - I found myself so enthralled that as I neared the end I was getting quite depressed at the thought of finishing but still couldn't put it down. A superb story, fantastic plot-lines, wonderous worlds and amazing technology. The action involves dozens of characters across the galaxy I never once lost the thread of any of the sub-plots so well is the story constructed. Of all the good things I could say the best is.....there is a sequel!
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A. Niemi
Format:Paperback
Just finished reading this book, and the last 100 pages was read in a hurry to find out how the escalating conflict between humans, the mysterious Starflyer and the Primes develops. Unfortunately, or maybe luckily, the story continues in the second and last installment, Judas Unchained. Hamilton has put together a fascinating, detailed and complex universe populated by believable people, technology and aliens. In the midst of the story the mythological Starflyer lurks. Believed to be a propaganda hoax of the guerilla group The Guardians, the Commonwealth of humans is not prepared for the encounter with the expansionist and hegemonic alien race of the Primes, an encounter which might be the result of the Starflyer's machinations. Central to the story is detective Paula Myo, who slowly starts to suspect that the Starflyer is very real. Parallell to the investigation of the Dyson Barrier containing two star systems and the following disastrous developments, Ozzie, one of the makers of the wormhole portals which are the premise of the star-spanning Commonwealth, travels the Silfen paths through mystical and strange worlds. The book spans 1000 pages and its multitude of characters can be confusing in the beginning. However, the previous reviewers have definitely missed out central parts of the plot by skipping chapters and characters. Both Myo and the Vernon family are important for the storyline, something which should be very clear at the end of the book. I eagerly look forward to the second book, Judas Unchained.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic
The writing is quality, although it is a bit long but then again to get the same volume of pages by anyone else would be around 3 books so the value is well worth it
Published 16 days ago by ISL
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great fun sci-fi
Plot rattles along at a fair old clip, with a variety of characters giving different perspectives (reminds me of Game of Thrones in that respect). Looking forward to the sequel.
Published 1 month ago by Gareth Roberts
2.0 out of 5 stars
Value for money - but only judged on a words per pound basis
Peter F. Hamilton somehow gets linked in with the "New British Space Opera" crowd and mentioned alongside Iain M. Banks and Alaistair Reynolds. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Simon Booth
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pandora star
Excellent value for money am enjoying the read on my kindle gripping book highly recommended got me back into reading
Published 2 months ago by Teenie68
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hamilton at his finest
If you've never read any of Peter Hamilton's work before and you love Sci-fi, then you really should start here. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Iain Traynor
3.0 out of 5 stars
Book good..kindle version..oh my!
The book itself is fine..standard PFH fare... However, the kindle translation is shockingly bad! It seems that it's been put through some soft-ware that will rand-omly put hy-phens... Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. Richards
5.0 out of 5 stars
A saga
Before reading this book I read Hamilton's nights dawn trilogy and I found that to be very engaging, even thought the books were very long. Read more
Published 4 months ago by No1Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read
Fairly straight space opera, well written and engaging. I am enjoying it very much and will be reading the rest of the series.
Published 4 months ago by L. V. D. Ende
4.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly well-realised future society
Keith for [...]
Pandora's Star is the first of five (at the time of writing) large novels set in Hamilton's Commonwealth universe. Read more
Pandora's Star is the first of five (at the time of writing) large novels set in Hamilton's Commonwealth universe. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Big Book Little Book
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pandora's Star, super engrossing reading.
Having just read Peter F Hamilton's Nights Dawn Trilogy, I was really looking forward to the Commonwealth Saga. So far (I haven't finished it) I have not been disappointed. Read more
Published 6 months ago by daveatcats
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