Pandora's Star

By: Peter F. Hamilton

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 37 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Critics have compared the engrossing space operas of Peter F. Hamilton to the classic sagas of such SF giants as Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. But Hamilton's best-selling fiction - powered by a fearless imagination and world-class storytelling skills - has also earned him comparison to Tolstoy and Dickens. Hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, philosophically stimulating: the novels of Peter F. Hamilton will change the way you think about science fiction.

Now, with Pandora's Star, he begins a new multi-volume adventure, one that promises to be his most mind-blowing yet. The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some 400 light-years in diameter, contains more than 600 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 1,000 light-years away, a star...vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears.

Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him. Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer.

Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends. Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy but dangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated.

Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery, the unleashing of which will threaten to destroy t...

©2004 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The depth and clarity of the future Hamilton envisions is as complex and involving as they come." ( Publishers Weekly Starred Review)

Incredible

Fantastic SCI Fi, deep and detailed loaded with great characters encompassing a terrific story within a truly futuristic universe

Good book

Took a while to get used to but was worth it. Jumps around a lot but I guess that's its charm

Narrator's voice tones improve in a few chapters

I'm writing a second review after having been through the whole book. Starting from chapter 3 or so the voice tones are more normalized, making the book truly enjoyable.

Excellent read...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Very engaging, unique and gripping.

What did you like best about this story?

The unique concept and storyline.

Which scene was your favorite?

n/a

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

n/a

Any additional comments?

the length of the book is great. It's a good long read and well performed with a unique style and story.

Awesome, gripping story

I have only three hours left in the story and I am on the edge of my seat! This is the longest audiobook I've ever bought and it has been awesome! The story is amazing, the narrator is wonderful - I highly recommend this to everyone who likes sci-fi!

Wow. I wanted space opera and I got it.

I thought the narration was good. It did take about 5 minutes for my ear to tune itself to the narrator, but the richness of his voice took over and he delivered a great performance. The story itself is simple amazing. Downloading the next book now.

Bad narration.

I really wanted to listen to this book but I was not able to get beyond chapter four due to a bad narrator!

Loved this book but not without a few caveats

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, however it starts out *incredibly* slow. The pay-off is mostly worth it, the thing you need to know going into this book is that it's only the first half of the story. I don't mean the "they set it up for a sequel" first half, I mean it just bloody ends. It's almost 40 hours long it it still only felt like it scratched the surface. Normally I only listen to any single book by an author a year (I don't want to burn out) but with this book I *needed* to know what happened next so I bought and queued up the next book immediately.

One last thing I wanted to mention is the production. John Lee kills it (he always does) but there's something about how the audio was edited together that I found incredibly obnoxious. There's no discernible break between sections of the book. So we'll be following one character for a while and then it just fast-cuts to another character. When I read another person mention that in their review I thought, "Pfffft. big deal". But it's actually *really* jarring. All it would have taken was a 5 second gap in the audio between character section and it would have alleviated a *lot* of confusion. It's not a game-breaker by any stretch of the imagination, I just hope the next book doesn't have it.

Now, onto Judas Unchained ...

The book was great, the narration not so much.

Would you listen to Pandora's Star again? Why?

No, the audio levels were all over the board. I was unable to follow the story because I was too focused to trying to make out what was being said.

What other book might you compare Pandora's Star to and why?

Hyperion cantos, for the excellent scifi world.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of John Lee?

It wasn't exactly John Lees fault the recording itself is garbage.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If only I could understand it.

Any additional comments?

I was really enjoying this book, but the audio engineering was horrific. If I could get a refund and spend the money on a book I could actually understand I would.

Note to self: avoid this narrator

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I love the story, and I plan to buy a Kindle version of its sequel. The narration is extremely poor with each sentence read in exactly the same cadence. The narrator starts each sentence quite loudly then trails off as if the sentence is of no importance. He does not group the phrases, making some paragraphs completely unintelligible.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is tried and true.

How could the performance have been better?

I think the publisher should find a narrator who loves science fiction. This narrator sounded bored and uninterested, and as a result I will avoid any book narrated by him.

Did Pandora's Star inspire you to do anything?

I plan to buy the sequel, but it will be in print form.