Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Sci Fi Collection
Review: I'm so pleased that I came across this book. Quite by accident, I've been introduced to Peter F. Hamilton's work, and if the rest of his material is this good, I guarantee I'll be reading it all. I disagree entirely with the reviewers who claim that a reader has to know Hamilton's six volume trilogy (!) Night's Dawn to get maximum pleasure out of the stories--in the foreward Hamilton says that some of these stories predate the concept of the trilogy, and one of them (Candy Buds) even gave rise to it. I certainly had no trouble knowing where I was, thanks to the time lines provided by Hamilton, and each of the stories seemed admirably self-contained in terms of the necessary plot points.To the stories themselves--there's an excellent mix here, some mostly snapshots, others quite long and detailed. Some deal with an individual at a time of personal crisis (Deathday, which owes much to Ray Bradbury's Mars is Heaven), others concern paradigm shifts for the entire Human civilization (A Second Chance at Eden, a truly beautifully written and plotted story). Hamilton is at the gentler side of hard sci-fi. While his stories all contain technology far beyond our current grasp, there's no necessity for a Ph.D. to understand it. He's much less demanding than Greg Bear in his most substantial works. Indeed, the technology is mostly there for the context, and the stories are primarily about human motivations rather than fun sci-fi toys. For the most part this isn't escapest space opera at all, but a keen examination of man's condition. And like the best literature, it's so well written that the reader is mostly unaware that this is the case--the sole exception being New Days Old Times, which is a bit more obvious in its message. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this collection, and I look forward to the delivery of my copy of the first volume of Night's Dawn, which I ordered even before finishing this book!
Rating:
Summary: I want more off this..!!!!
Review: If you've loved the "Reality Dysfunction" and the following 4 books, and yes I loved them, then this is a great book to read. It takes you on a journey, with short stories, from the beginning of spacefaring Earthlings until the first strange happinings in the Reality Dusfunction. You even meet the famous father of captain Calvert.
I hope Hamilton will wright more of these short-bits concerning bitek and affinity. Great
Rating: 
Summary: A Fabulous Prefatory Collection
Review: Just what the Night's Dawn trilogy needed: A set of short stories in chronological order that lay out the future history of his universe up until Volume I begins. For those intending to read the Night's Dawn books, I would actually recommend reading this first, as it introduces each of the major technologies and political entities prevalent in the trilogy one by one, while at the same time exploring their darker side and giving you some historical insight for the events of the trilogy. And don't worry: the major thread of Night's Dawn is a completely new storyline so this volume will ruin nothing. Hamilton is a brillant, versatile, sexy writer who knows how to control information and how to throw action and intrigue together in the right mixture.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy interlude in an already excellent series.
Review: Peter Hamilton reads like a hardcore version of Orson Scott Card -- his stories are extraordinarily well thought-through, are presented with a pleasing clarity, and never let his admittedly fascinating scientific creations to interfere with their human focus. I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Hamilton has managed to add interesting and not-at-all superfluous detail to his "Night's Dawn" universe, which is already the most fully-realized and richly detailed fictional world I've come across since Tolkien. Although some of the stories in this collection rely on surprise twists for their effectiveness, and thus will probably not support repeated readings, they nevertheless adequately reward the first reading. All-in-all, an immensely satisfying and highly accessible collection that has made me add Peter F. Hamilton's name to my list of favorite authors.
Rating:
Summary: Another masterpiece from one of the newest masters of sci-fi
Review: Peter Hamilton's new book is yet another masterpiece set in his wonderful universe of bitec technology, affinity bonds, Edenists and Adamists. The short story format allows Hamilton to describe the events from a different perspective, giving the reader a vivid overview of the birth of Edenism, the great expansion and Lady Mac's previous owner. The book is a prequel to the Reality Dysfunction saga. Overall it is a captivating book, easy to read and more exciting than any movie out there. I can't wait till the Naked God comes in the US.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining stories set in the "Night's Dawn" universe
Review: PROS: Bite size stories whet the appetite for more.
CONS: Not as enjoyable for those not familiar with the "Night's Dawn" trilogy (subtract a star).
BOTTOM LINE: A fun read for anyone; required reading for "Night's Dawn" readers. A Second Chance At Eden is a well-done collection of short stories set in the universe of Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" trilogy (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God). This novel was released before the third book in the trilogy but could be read anywhere in the sequence.
I like the short story format for quick SciFi fixes and Hamilton does not disappoint. Each story holds your interest and further explores the rich tapestry created in the trilogy. Included are plot twists, action, mystery and a big handful of references back to the other three books. While some stories (Sonnie's Edge, the title story, Escape Route, Candy Buds, The Lives and Loves of Tiarella Rosa) were better than others (New Days Old Times, Deathday), all the stories were an enjoyable diversion.
Rating: 
Summary: Creativity at its finest
Review: The only decent stories in this book are the second and second to last. The rest are short and hackneyed -- SF at its pulpiest. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended !
Review: This book is a must for those which have bought the other books in the "Night Dawn" triology. It gives the reader a lot of additional background which fleshes out the universe which the "Night Dawn" triology introduces. The stories in the book are very good and the book is a "must buy" item !
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This book is an excellent addition to the Night Dawn Trilogy universe, it fleshs out the background no end and is a right good read at the same time. Of the seven stories my favourite must be the title story; "A Second Chance at Eden" which had me guessing right upto the end.
Rating:
Summary: Good supplement to "Night's Dawn" trilogy
Review: This book is basically a supplementary text to the well-known "Night's Dawn" trilogy of books. Unlike "The Confederation Handbook", this book is actually a series of stories rather than just a set of facts and figures detailing the Future History that Hamilton has established. Many of the stories here are pretty weak on their own but they do fit into the overall history and what they serve to do is provide a backdrop for the technology of the Future History at various points within it. In most cases it is very hard to get into the characters per se but rather you just come to understand the future, the technology it holds, and maybe a little of the various political undercurrents that exist. The two most fleshed out stories are probably "A Second Chance at Eden" (from which the book derives its title) and "Escape Route". Here you have longer stories with characters that you can identify with and care about to a greater extent than the other stories while also learning quite a bit about the future. All in all, I recommend the book whether you have already read "Night's Dawn" (although do not expect the same depth and detail) or before you have read "Night's Dawn") to provide a little background and ease you into the technology concepts that Hamilton puts forth. I give it five stars simply because it really does not detract from the series itself and it certainly does add to it in terms of providing different viewpoints into the future that Hamilton has created.
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