The Dreaming Void

Void Trilogy, Book 1

By: Peter F. Hamilton

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 22 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

AD 3580. The Intersolar Commonwealth has spread through the galaxy to over a thousand star systems. It is a culture of rich diversity with a place for everyone. A powerful navy protects it from any hostile species that may lurk among the stars. For Commonwealth citizens, even death has been overcome.

At the center of the galaxy is the Void, a strange, artificial universe created by aliens billions of years ago, shrouded by an event horizon more deadly than any natural black hole. In order to function, it is gradually consuming the mass of the galaxy. Watched over by its ancient enemies, the Raiel, the Void's expansion is barely contained.

Inigo dreams of the sweet life within the Void and shares his visions with billions of avid believers. When he mysteriously disappears, Inigo's followers decide to embark on a pilgrimage into the Void to live the life of their messiah's dreams - a pilgrimage that the Raiel claim will trigger a catastrophic expansion of the Void.

Aaron is a man whose only memory is his own name. He doesn't know who he used to be or what he is. All he does know is that his job is to find the missing messiah and stop the pilgrimage. He's not sure how to do that, but whoever he works for has provided some pretty formidable weaponry that ought to help.

Meanwhile, inside the Void, a youth called Edeard is coming to terms with his unusually strong telepathic powers. A junior constable in Makkathran, he starts to challenge the corruption and decay that have poisoned the city. He is determined that his fellow citizens should know hope again. What Edeard doesn't realize is just how far his message of hope is reaching.

Into the Void? Listen to more in the Void Trilogy.

©2007 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Broad in scope and panoramic in detail." ( Library Journal)
"A real spellbinder from a master storyteller." ( Kirkus)

What lies at the center of the galaxy?

The Intersolar Commonwealth of mankind has spread across thousands of stars but humanity is no more united in 3058 AD than it was when it existed on a single planet. Multiple factions with wildly different agendas vie to advance their beliefs in their own unique ways. One of those factions, the Living Dream movement, is planning something that could impact every species in the galaxy - a Pilgrimage to the Void. The Void lies at the center of the galaxy, and according to the Raiel, the oldest and most advanced species known to man, it is a destructive force that expands from time to time destroying everything in its wake. The Raiel dread the next expansion phase and they know that not even the might of their technology can do anything to stop it. They do not want Living Dream to tempt fate with their Pilgrimage and they are not alone in that belief. 

Living Dream has over 5 billion followers, which is impressive for a movement that was started only 130 years ago by Inigo, the First Dreamer. Inigo dreamed of a world inside the Void many times with his dreams focusing on the life of Edeard. Edeard lives inside the Void on a planet known as Querencia where technology does not exist but psychic powers do. Edeard starts as an apprentice egg shaper where he uses his psychic abilities to "shape" eggs so that they can be quickly matured into unique life forms. This almost idyllic life is destroyed when bandits raid his town and force him to flee to the big city of Makkathran as a refugee. Fueled by a burning desire for justice Edeard continues to grow his powers by joining the constables where he fights back against the corruption that plagues his new home. It is the accomplishments of Edeard over his life that has inspired the Living Dream movement to want to leave technology behind and enter the Void so they can lead similar lives.

The galaxy outside the Void is full of advanced technology that is both diverse and complex and humans have greatly changed because of it. In 2833 the ANA was formed with new technology allowing people to download their consciousness into a virtual universe that exists within the quantum fields around Earth. It is from within this virtual universe that the ANA runs the Commonwealth government but they are anything but united. Many different factions have evolved within the ANA including the Accelerators, Conservatives, Darwinists, Moderates, and Separatists. Each has their own agenda and a massive game of cat and mouse goes on as they attempt to help or hinder the Living Dream movement and their Pilgrimage.

The Dreaming Void bounces back and forth between telling the story of Edeard's life within the Void while detailing the events surrounding the Pilgrimage. This makes for a unique, rich story that I found very interesting. As the first book of a trilogy don't expect anything to be wrapped up when this comes to an end but know that the story is indeed taken to next level as the trilogy continues. John Lee does an excellent job on the narration of all three books.

Space Opera at it's finest.

Exotic locations, deep characters, intelligent story arc, thought provoking morality. Admttedly I had to listen twice in close succession in order to absorb the finer details, it's that rich in content. Hamilton's mind is thing of wonder. Not for novices to the Sci-Fi genre, but you veterans will love it.

I found the audio version hard to follow

I'm not a novice when it comes to audio books. I've listened to many audio books. I found this one hard to follow at least the audio version. There are lots of characters. Lots of plots and subplots. so for me it made it hard to follow while listening. also reader be warned there's a lot of graphic sex in here

some skipping issues

I wish there weren't so many moments where the story skipped by a couple of syllables, it's very distracting even though I was able to follow the line, audible needs to work on their servers and make sure all their stories have a good down load

Enjoyable where is ozzy

I enjoyed his one i really like this author and narrator i actually downloaded another book because of the narrator. i did miss some of the characters like ozzy. but this is a trilogy and anything can happen come on audible get me the next one!!!

Second listen, loved it more than the first!

if you haven't read the Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained, do that first. This book features a few of the characters from those books, despite it taking place 1300 years later.

Classic Hamilton.

Hamilton himself has stated that his books aren't for everyone and I'd have to agree. But if you enjoy his style of writing, if you enjoyed Pandora's Star or it's sequel, you're going to love this book. I simply couldn't wait for the next book to be added to Audible. I went straight out and bought the hardcover. (Unfortunately, now I'm going to have to wait for a year or so for him to finish the final book in the trilogy.)

I highly recommend this book (and author) to any sci-fi fans.

Epic, Original, and Visionary

Only rarely does one come across a novel with such simultaneous scope and imagination to realize the true potential of a science fiction universe. Hamilton has done just that in the Void Trilogy. Since beginning this series I have come to understand that it is a continuation of another series, the commonwealth saga. Having begun the Void Trilogy unaware, I can safely say that one can start at either point and still understand. This trilogy follows many characters that are, at first, almost entirely separate from one another so there will be initial confusion due to the style but it abates partway through the first book.

The Void Trilogy strikes me as an incredible compendium of transhumanist possibilities. Hamilton imagines so many different ways for people to transcend their natural station. There are the usual trademarks; bodies populated by nanomachines that lend near magic abilities for strength, utility, medical assistance, etc.; bodies that have been guided by artificial genetic evolution to exemplify the human ideal; minds spliced with computers. But Hamilton has taken some of these to fascinating extremes while coming up with very original ideas in other ways (which is to say, I haven't encountered them anywhere else yet).

The people who have chosen to invest their minds in computers have varying stages of integration from linking up with a vast internet within their own bodies to shedding their physical form and living in a virtual reality with others of their kind where their intellect is vastly inflated by some immense quantum supercomputer that is described as existing in a field around a planet (if I was paying attention). And Hamilton even throws in other species that have completely transcended physical existence altogether for good measure. My personal favorite imagining of his is that of the "multiples", which are many bodies invested with the same personality! While cloning and mind-swapping are scifi hallmarks I have never seen someone put them together in quite this manner before. It certainly had some interesting social implications.

All that alone would make this book well worth the read/listen but Hamilton's true genius is in his ability to take all of those disparate evolutionary pathways and fit them into a single, cohesive universe. I wouldn't have thought it possible that such a wide range of human archetypes with their wildly differing abilities and natures could coexist but Hamilton really does fit them together in a way that feels genuinely believable. It is a truly remarkable achievement.

In fact, Hamilton does such a wonderful job of setting up this diversity of transhumanist factions that I found myself wondering at all the paths he noticeably left out. There is an almost shocking lack of wholly artificial bodies. There are also no people living in non-human bodies, which one would expect to be an inevitable faction with the sort of biomedical technology available. And that is what this book does, it makes you wonder about the future of technology and the impact it will have on people's lives both practically and philosophically the way all great scifi does.

Among the dazzling breadth of ideas and inspiration floating around in this intellectual playground there is also an epic tale unraveling within the even more epic universe. There are something like 8 different characters that the reader will follow. Each of these have their own story and their own environment. At the start, there seems very little tying them together but as events unfold it becomes more and more clear that they are all entangled in the same web of conspiracy and politics that will ultimately determine the fate of the universe. In fact, Hamilton's universe is so vast that it actually has another universe inside it that is consuming the larger universe... Yeah, it gets pretty nuts but in a good way ;)

All of that said, I haven't even given away any real spoilers. This is an epic in the truest sense. The characters are unique and heavily developed. The story is gripping, mysterious, and masterfully woven together. The backdrop is the likes of which I've never seen before. If you haven't picked this one up, I can't recommend it enough. Enjoy! :D

Oh, and the narrator does not get in the way except when he simulates yelling while trying not to actually yell. In those instances the character voices become very warped, especially the female voices. He distinguishes well enough under normal conditions though and his voice is easy to listen to.

Loved it

Great story, draws you in and keeps you wanting more. The performance is done really well, Mr. Lee does a an excellent job.

fun at every turn.

I loved this great story, and look forward to hearing many more. Thank you for following your dreams.