SFF

The Abyss Beyond Dreams

by Peter F. Hamilton
Del Rey: Ballantine. (Chronicle of the Fallers, Bk. 1). Oct. 2014. 640p. ISBN 9780345547194. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780345547200. SF
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In the post-scarcity far future, humans searching for adventure have started sending out colony ships headed for other galaxies. One such expedition has been pulled into the mysterious region of space called the Void at the heart of the Milky Way. Nigel Sheldon, the coinventor of wormhole technology last seen in Hamilton's "Commonwealth Saga" (the marvelous Pandora's Star; Judas Unchained), decides to break into the Void to find out what happened. He lands on Bienvenido, a planet populated by descendants of the original colonists who have been trapped in that unusual region of space. There is a political struggle brewing, and Nigel has no problem tinkering with that struggle to achieve his own ends.
VERDICT This new series launch bridges the gap between the "Commonwealth Saga" and the "Void Trilogy" (The Dreaming Void; The Temporal Void; The Evolutionary Void) and shows that Hamilton still has a gift for huge-scale sf. The novel drags a bit in parts, as the conflict focuses on the political maneuvering of the underclasses to overthrow Bienvenido's despotic rulers, however, Nigel is a terrific character, egotistical and conniving (but still hugely appealing), and the action picks up again when he starts pulling strings.
Reviewed by Megan M. McArdle , Oct 15, 2014
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