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)

Surfer Dude's portals

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

Interesting characters, great setup and immersive story: Ozzy a surfer-dude genius is instrumental in spreading the human race across the stars, creating a society unlike any other in popular science fiction, but with enough resemblance to many futuristic imaginings that you'll feel at home. It's a pretty wild ride and a great buildup of mystery.

Very very detailed

Overall good story. A lot of different threads and can get lost in the minutae.

Fun universe but slow story

The universe is great but the story is very long and doesnt finish in this book. I had to skip ahead at times because it was a bit boring. Still, there are some new ideas that are described in details that are very rich which I enjoyed. I will continue on with book 2 but make no mistake if you will need to buy book 2 to get and ending because this book just has a cliffhanger.

Great story

The narration of the story well done together, but running complaint scene with myself another reviewer's is the lack of breakpoints between chapters and audio level inconsistencies throughout the recording. The characters were very well-thought-out and interesting but as with all long epic stories it became hard to track all the different character threads after a while. Overall I found the story very entertaining but had to backtrack several times to keep up with the plot lines as chapters flowed from one into the other with no break points.

great book

really impressed with the story line the technical details and human nature to the entire time.

Great story, can't wait to listen to the next

Story was very complex and thrilling, can't wait to listen the next book in the series.

Good book but lonnng

Fun book to read but it definitely meanders. I think the book could have been about a quarter of the length, but I guess that wasn't what Hamilton was going for.

Fantastic, but needs indication of scene changes

The story is fantastic, my main complaint would be the fact that the narration doesn't have any indication about scene breaks aside from a slightly longer pause. This can be confusing, as the characters and location will change and I won't notice for a bit.

Actually merits the use of the word 'epic'

This book was one of the most amazing sci-fi novels I have ever read. The worlds are epic, the detail of the technology is amazing and the narrator really brings everything to life.

I'm quite perplexed by the reviews talking about the narrator being terrible; he was easily one of the best I've heard and did a fantastic job.

I'm very eager to start the second novel to find out how the story concludes!

Buckle Your Seat-belts!

Hamilton will be throwing character after character your way for several chapters, so I do recommend paying close attention in the beginning. How their tales intertwine as the plot unfolds is genius. This could be overwhelming for some, but I found the exercise of following the story very rewarding. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga is a sophisticated masterpiece, so it may not appeal to the more "casual" reader.

If you like this book, then you will definitely like the sequel, "Pandora's Star", as well as the "Void Trilogy". I will never tire of John Lee's voice and his skill at narrating.