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Summary: One of the Best SF Books of the last Decade
Review: Quite simply, this is one of the most thorogh and compelling science fiction books I have read in a long time. It is a universe encompassing adventure with religious, scientific, and philosophic overtones. A must read for ANY science fiction fan.
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Summary: The best horror-techo thriller-space-opera ever
Review: I've read emergence and expansion and loved them both. Taught action, creative speculation, deeply imagined and developed worlds, back of the neck - hair raising horror all wrapped up in a huge page turner yarn. If you are looking for a good read look no further.
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Summary: Hamilton is the best new "hard science" SF writer in years
Review: A friend I was visiting in Germany gave me a copy of this book. It was the European version - both volumes in one - so it looked like a dictionary on steroids. I was a little reluctant to dive in because it seemed like such a major commitment to an author I didn't know. I have to admit that there is SO much going on that it took a little effort to get into the story. But after about 100 pages I could barely put it down. Thinking back, I wouldn't cut a single sub-plot. It has everything: space battles, character development, genetic engineering, cyborgs, noble heroes, vile villains, plot twists galore, steamy sex, holy wars, and some really alien aliens. Plus Hamilton sets up some incredible possibilities for next April's second back-busting volume. Skip this book at your peril! Once you fall behind in this series you may never catch up. ;-)
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Summary: A likely projection of science and compelling one of society
Review: I am impressed by the current nature (as far as I am aware) of the paths taken in technology. As I learn more about current trends, some sf becomes less believable because of the technological premises on which the plots are based. The characterizations are relatively thorough, but any lapses are minimal. Joshua Calvert is slightly too perfect, too capable, but not to the extent of resembling Tom Swift, Lucky Starr, or their ilk, besides it's fun to read about people who do things that the rest of humanity is incapable of doing. One thing that I have noticed about a lot of books that use tech that is cutting edge when the book is written is that these books are more quickly outdated than their contemporaries which hesitate to describe the intricacies of the machinery. For instance, Moon is a Harsh Mistress is still without any major flaws other than the idea that a billion bits was a lot of storage space (it's not-8 bits to a byte, 1024 bytes to a kilobyte, 1024 k to a megabyte, 1024 megs to a gigabyte, 1024 gigs to a terabyte, 1024 tarabytes to a petabyte, etc.) Hamilton walks what I see to be a thin line between this danger and an excellent exploration of technological possibilities. Generally an excellent book, certainly a fun one, just as its sequel. These two books have the same problem that Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion did. the end of the first book is not much of a end. Make sure you have the second one by the time you are half way through the first one. excelent read, Have fun.
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Summary: Compelling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is one of THE books of the decade. It's scope is simply huge, and the blending of technology with religion and the simplicity of a new life on a new world is marvellous. It starts off in confusion, and suddenly you find yourself moving into this surreal world and then... you learn the full truth of what's going on; the Reality Dysfunction. This book has pace, it has strength, it has a myriad of characters, and a compelling drive. You feel yourself being drawn into the story and feel the complete and utter in-escapable reality of the situation, despite it being a dysfunction. I read this book as one volume in the UK peubliciation, and simply couldn't put it down. The sequel is even better! Look out for it!!
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Summary: Loved it, A must read for Science Fiction aficionados.
Review: Mr. Hamilton has woven a vast tapestry of interstellar intrigue, beauty, technology, sex, and violence, into which he throws a wild card of a first contact with a totally alien race. I can't wait for the sequel. As a matter of fact I am starting it tonight. The first book sets the stage. An interstellar empire populated with Adamist, humans, and Edenists, genetically enhanced humans, and everything in between. Stir in the baser human instincts and passions like greed and a lust for power, and plain old everyday lust, add a dash of mind boggling technological and biological wizardry, a pinch of political intrigue, and just when you bring it all to a boil, pour on the innocent but totally evil alien infestation and; Voila! Science-Fiction adventure at its finest. Our unsuspecting hero, Joshua Calvert, the womanizing, coniving, rougue, starship captain is bound to be thrust right into the thick of things and probably will not come out unscathed. We'll find out next time out when the Reality Dysfunction: The Expansion continues.
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Summary: Great story line, very well written, this is SF literature
Review: This is a well crafted piece of literature not just SF escapism. A new author for me and I just odered his other books
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Summary: Dysfunctional Realities
Review: This is a complicated book, with many things happening all at the same time to different characters, and at the very beginning, many would wonder, "what the heck?!". But Hamilton takes all these seemingly unrelated subplots, and weaves them together into a full-fledged universe of people and politics that not only makes sense, but is rather fascinating as he takes us on a tour of a civilization about to be rocked in a very big way. This scope of writing is what has made Tom Clancy's novels guaranteed contenders. But stylistically, The Reality Dysfunction isn't "Clancy" or "Michener". It's "Hamilton", 100% pure sci-fi with a psychotic twist here and there.
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Summary: One of the most exciting sci-fi novels in years.
Review: Peter F. Hamilton has emerged from the din of the "cyber-punk" writers into his own stunning view of the universe. I'ts about time! The "Reality Dysfunction" has the qualities of a true classic; high conceptual prose, detailed characters, top-notch action, beautifull design and above all imagination. Truly reminiscient of Verner Vinge's astounding "Fire upon the deep" "Reality" is a serious piece of work - Hamilton knows his stuff. About the only critique I have for Hamilton is his characters being that they are all dark and lack the compassion of the reader. One wonders how Hamilton's characters could have created such wonders that exist in the "Reality Dysfunction". Hamilton puts his characters behind the hardware and takes away from a serious element of good sci-fi; Humanity. To be honest I felt more symphathetic towards the bi-tek constructions in his novel than the characters. This book, and soon to be released sequel were wonderfull, but left me yearning for Larry Niven's works of "Known Space".
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Summary: Hard-edged Space opera rides again!
Review: Hamilton creates a detailed and highly inventive future for the Reality Dysfunction, and amidst bio-engineered starships and nanotechnologically enhanced protagonists drops in one of the oldest concepts of all... what if there IS an afterlife, and all those dead people want OUT? A monstrously involved and fiendishly fascinating plot hooked me in by the fifth page or so, and the big disappointment was that I was done with this and its companion volume within three days. WHERE'S THE REST? The Reality Dysfunction has a similar "feel" to the magnificent Vernor Vinge novel "A Fire Upon the Deep". The fact that both novels put something of primordial, religious origins (deities, in FUtD, the afterlife in RD) into a hard-edged, galactic-scale star-travel adventure and make these concepts both central AND somehow "right" for these worlds certainly is a major factor in the similarity. Another important similarity is that much of their science is extrapolated from things that we know today, just taken to great extremes. Hamilton and Vinge both know when they're stepping outside the "reality" that we live in, and so when they use things that we DO know about, they're careful not to abuse our sense of disbelief. A marvelous bit of work and I'm looking forward to the rest!
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