Staring wide-eyed at shelves teeming with fantasy and science fiction epics as far as the eye can see, I cannot, despite knowing better, stop myself from wanting to pick up the thickest books, in the vein hopes of it living up to its sheer size.
But, sitting here, feeling defeated — being absolutely unable to fight my way through Peter F. Hamilton’s 1144 page opus, Pandora’s Star — I think I’ve learned my lesson.
Parts of it were even pretty damn good — chapter 10 for instance, the Alamo Avengers attacking the shipyard, was downright white-knuckles-intense, and really got my hopes up. But ultimately Pandora’s Star falls into the same mindless verbose world-building hole of boredom so many other science fiction and fantasy books seem to end up in.
Not to mention the plethora of uninteresting — and nearly 900 pages in, seemingly irrelevant — characters inhabiting this detail-saturated, sub-plot-dense but unfortunately rather momentum-deprived brick of a book.
Ironic as well, considering that the last two truly great sci-fi books I’ve read were Rendezvous w. Rama and Starship Troopers, both of which are light-weight page turners, coming in at around 270 pages (even if Starship Troopers feels rather one-sided in its military masturbation).
I’m probably flawed, having grown up on movies, rather than with my nose buried in books, and I gladly take that on me, but after 900 pages and less ‘action’ than in the 272 pages of Starship Troopers, I have to begrudgingly call it quits..
Not all is bad though, the rejuvination — rebirth, so to speak — was handled particularly well, with its social and societal repercussions well laid out and thoroughly incorporated into the world. And then of course, the ‘hi, I’m a man and I like but guns’-moment of chapter 10, of which I bring you a small remix:
Huge dark metal shapes were rising out of the debris on vivid columns of violet flame. They looked like armoured rectangular dinosaurs, with blunt wedge-shaped heads. Thick cannon barrels jutted out from where their eyes should have been, while smaller guns protruded from the front of the head, like lethal mandibles. Three stumpy legs were folded back against each side of their flanks as they went airborne. The air shimmered around them as force fields came on. […]
The three horrific machines swung round in unison; their exhaust jets vectored horizontal and they accelerated away over the station’s wilderness yard. ‘They’re Alamo Avengers, ‘ Lennie shouted into the howl of the rockets, praying his audience would be able to hear. ‘You’re seeing real live Alamo Avengers in action.’ He just managed to fight down the impulse to cheer them on. […]
The Alamo Avengers stormed over the highway at barely a hundred meters altitude. When they were a kilometre from the force field, they opened fire with their particle lances. It was as if sheet lightning was bridging the gap between them and the dome. The entire sky transformed into a blinding white maelstrom as the air disintegrated from the tremendous energy discharge. The soundblast alone shattered every window on the cars and vans and buses below, people were hurled about by the sonic wavefront. Ears and eyes ruptured, capillaries tore apart; blood started to foam out of their mouthes and noses and ears, unprotected skin liquefied.
The force field maintained its integrity under the strike. Right across its surface, air molecules collapsed and punched upward in a seething coronal cloud. From above it looked as though a small red dwarf sun had become buried in the ground.
And finally:
They didn’t so much land, as fall out of the air. Their rockets cut off while they were still twenty metres up. Legs stretches out and absorbed the impact, leaving them in a crouching position on the black smouldering earth.
So yeah, despite feeling drained by the sheer girth of this (the first of the two in the series) epic, I at least came away with something…
Have you read any of Richard (k.) Morgan’s work?
Especially (but not only) his first novel “Altered Carbon”?
Think of blade runner, more violent, darker but funnier too (if that means anything), think of a young William Gibson (but with less emphasis on computers, more on people) and lots of action and a very personal take on violence. All of it at less than 600 pages.
I’ve read it twice already, almost 1200 pages of enjoyment ;-)
I think it’s basically because you’ve read Rendezvous with Rama. That book is really hard to follow up on. It is the high-point of sci-fi literature and there a very few, is any, books that rank higher than this.
Oh, and don’t even think about reading the rest of the Rama books… their awful.
I think you’ll enjoy Peter Watts’s Blindsight. It’s freely downloadable at his website. Very few boring bits, and an awful lot of the good ones.
[quote comment=“142367”]I think it’s basically because you’ve read Rendezvous with Rama. That book is really hard to follow up on. It is the high-point of sci-fi literature and there a very few, is any, books that rank higher than this.
Oh, and don’t even think about reading the rest of the Rama books… their awful.[/quote]
Hi Simon, we think alike. Rama is sheer Sci-Fi bliss. Nice to meet a like-minded.
Edit: Oh, how embarrassing. I didn’t even read the last part of your quote, namely this:
I disagree completely. They’re not awful. Take it back!
On that note, however, I urge you, Michael (and Simon if you haven’t read them already), to read the followups. Rama II, Garden of Rama and Rama Revealed are all great SF books. Maybe not the pinnacle of SF writing that Rama was, great nonetheless. I’d call them pageturners, even though they’re a bit thicker than Rama. Let me check. Yeah, Garden of Rama is ~600 pages, Rama 2 looks like it’s some 400. They’re urgently readable, though.
Which brings me to Pandoras Star. I was actually planning on reading it after my current backlog was complete — I love the idea of a Dyson sphere. So I’m kinda bummed you find it dull… I’m definately not a quick reader and if I don’t “get into” them quickly, I’m annoyed. I just struggled myself through Xenocide by Card. It took maybe 200 pages to get into the book, and when I finally did it wasn’t very good.
Maybe I should just re-read the “Jesus Incident” trilogy again. A vastly overlooked trilogy if you ask me.
Emerging out of lurkdom to say that I had also picked up this book looking for a good scifi book… but didn’t even make it as far as you did – I only made it to 300 pages. Then I discovered that it was part one of a two part series, and got annoyed that I was having to push myself through this book and it wouldn’t even be the end of the story once I got finished the book. That was 7 months ago, and it’s been sitting on my night table collecting dust since.
I’m not a big science fiction reader, but I loved Pandora’s Star, and together with Judas Unchained they make a remarkable read. Although it’s not intensly action packed from beginning to end, I was never really bored, and felt all the various characters and sub plots came together nicely.
In books, thinner is almost always better; Cryptonomicon, in a self-deleting comment, said so itself when it describes how an old diver’s book was full of the information you need, while the newer “For Dummies” edition buried everything in helpful tips and a chattering author.
Personally I could have bought just one book on graphics programming (Graphics Programming in C++, 250 A5 pages) but instead ended of with a 15 600-page books that tried to teach technology instead of principle.
Fiction is the same; The Man In The High Castle, for example, is a measly 250 pages, Animal Farm is 120, The Catcher in the Rye another 250.
Anything Hamilton does is a bloated piece of soap-opera. Kinda entertaining to read, but hardly the pinnacle of literature.
“Pinnacle of literature”.…I’ll never get there. Michael, I’m glad as long as you get through SOME of ‘em, and tell me about the good bits ;)
I read Rama a long time ago. Didn’t strike me as anything other than the ordinary Clarkeian read. Good albeit not mind boggingly intense, and perhaps even a little “grey”. Perhaps I mix it up with some of the 2001/2061/3001 or whatever.
Michael, I haven’t read this Pandora’s Star you speak of (my reading time is limited to the people in my ‘Friends’ folder in Google Reader, these days) but I think something you find when reading any sci-fi/fantasy that is overly long even if well written is that the author felt a need to include his Bible.
By that I mean, any author of massive epics (books that go on past the first book and fall into a series the likes of the Foundation Saga or even Harry Potter) has a second, hidden book that only they can read. It’s the book of the whys and hows of their universe. It may not necessarily be written down anywhere but it exists and it is full of information that the reader never gets and doesn’t need.
I apologize, this may turn into a longer comment than your post. Stop reading now if you’ve got the gist.
To jump out of the sci-fi/fantasy world for a minute, Tom Clancy suffers from a disease I like to call subdetailitis. One of his books spends several chapters chronicling the life of a tree from the moment is was cut down, then shipped across the Pacific to Japan (and all the economic details involved in the why of that), swept overboard and then ultimately bonks into the propellers of a nuclear submarine. Clancy felt that every moment of that water-logged log’s journey had to be told or else no one would believe the larger story. As a result I just gave up reading Clancy long before any red-blooded American normally would.
I think some authors are terrified of their audience. Sci-fi authors especially. You walk a fine line from having the captain say, “quantum drive at maximum” and then the ship is instantly at Ceti Alpha 5 or having the captain say that and then spending 10 pages chronicling the invention, construction and common use of quantum drive. This isn’t done because it furthers the story or will come up later. It’s done ‘cause the author is afraid a certain reader will say, “oh, bullshit” and stop reading.
You mention Clarke and Heinlein being much better reads. Well, Clarke weaves all his tech-babble gently through the story, as needed. And, where this is an alien bit that the protagonist doesn’t understand then the reader doesn’t get to understand either. It’s because Rama’s written so well that I know the airlock is comprised of three doors, that everything is done in threes. And I read Rama when I was 12.
Heinlein takes the opposite approach. His stories are rarely ever about the technology, they’re about the people. He throws in some tech and then dares the reader to question him on it. He does it so well that the Lazarus Long stories pretty handily contradict themselves and the reader just says, “OK, works for me” He doesn’t spend 40 pages on the vagaries of time travel and alternate dimensions. He expects the reader to just get it or shut up.
Authors without those kind of cojones throw their bible at a 200 page manuscript and balloon it to 800.
For the fact that my comment needs subheaders, I apologize. :)
I know what you’re saying here, I put the book down for several months, but went back to it an was eventually glad I did. You can check out my review for Pandora’s Star here and, should you wish, my review of the follow-on novel, Judas Unchained, here. They may help you decide if you wish to continue.
I found PS to be OK once you got past the midway point, but the first 300 pages drag. JU has more action, but is still heavily packed with technological description well beyond what is needed.
Michael – Judging by my feed reader collection of your latest works, I think this might be one of the longest posts you’ve written in a long time. I’ve never been a real sci-fi book fan, except for the absolute classics, but you’ve inspired me to revisit that section of the book store.
Keep writing big posts full of your opinion! I think they are way more interesting than the quickies about the movie industry. That industry inherently flawed by nature.
Although that matrix note change was pretty interesting, however random, haha.
Yes, Pandora’s Star is a very long book with quite a bit of tedium, but as usual Peter Hamilton makes it impossible for me to not absolutely LOVE his vast sprawling creations. I’m giving it a second read at the moment, preparing myself for Judas Unchained. If anyone is extremely put off by Pandora’s Star, or any of Hamiltion’s other massive space sagas, in my opinion it is due to a matter of taste and not an essential flaw with the way he writes. Some of us can’t handle the complexities of plots and characters he creates… to others, like myself, its my bread and butter. Every time Hamilton releases a book I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I can’t wait for his Void series! Oh, and by the way, Nights Dawn was spectacular, as was Fallen Dragon, the only other books I’ve read by him.
Eli, yeah it is probably the longest, but then I also quote heavily from Pandora’s Star, so I guess it’s mostly padding :)
I would write more long posts, but often times the subjects I have in my head on a day to day basis are often work-related in some shape or form, and as a rule I don’t write anything related to that.
So really it’s half and half a problem of time and finding the right topics.
Ash, I’m happy the book found its audience, though I don’t think some of us not liking his writing has anything to do with his ‘complexities of plots and characters’. The problem isn’t the complexity, it’s the verbosity! You could keep the complexity largely intact and probably carve out about 30 – 40% of the book through editorial decisions alone.
That being the case, the problem is more with his ‘texture’. Go read the opening 10 – 20 pages of chapter 19 and tell me that isn’t merely Hamilton blah-blah-blah’ing for no apparent reason.
The excitement, and there is a good deal, is just bogged down in inessential detail that, I’m guessing, is supposed to make us go: “Wow, this is truly an alien and wondrous universe. So different, yet so alike”. My problem is that it mostly makes me go: “Where is this leading? Why am I reading this?”.
Take Ozzie’s ‘wonderful’ Silfen adventure. Some might find it engaging, but without knowing what it was trying to lead me towards, I found it merely banal and pointless (so much so that if I was reading in bed and I reached an Ozzie chapter, I just closed the book and went to sleep).
What I’m trying to say is, it’s not the complexity, it’s the pace. Run this book through a good ruthless editor, and it would be quite the ride, I’m sure (without knowing what it ends with of course).
Granted the work was long-winded, but I enjoyed Pandora’s Star and the second half Judas Unchained.
If you want great space opera, with tight plot and great writing, try Iain M. Banks. I’d not start with Fearsum Enjinn (sp) but something like “Against a dark background” and then start on the novels based in the Culture, all of which are great reads.
Well, Michael, personally I found the Silfen adventure in Pandora’s Star (and the continuing adventure in Judas Unchained) some of my favorite parts of the story. Unlike yourself, I look forward to each new interlude with Ozzie, Orion and Tochee as they ‘walk the paths’. Personally, I wish Hamilton would spend more time with them, as he tends to break away from that part of the story more frequently in Judas Unchained, and the time he does spend on each passage is shorter. And Hamilton DID tell us what it was leading to… Ozzie is looking for the adult Silfen so that he can ask them personally about the Dyson pair. You happen to be bored with the Silfen passages; I happen to find them some of my favorite parts. So, in my opinion, it IS a matter of preference concerning the palatability Hamiltons’ style, or verbosity, as you put it. Why would I want the book to be 30 – 40% shorter? That’s 30 – 40% less book for me to enjoy!
I’d go back and read chapter 19 again but I left that book with a friend of mine who is now reading it while I read Judas Unchained. What exactly was that part about so I can get an idea of what you mean? And I do admit, a lot of the time I find myself wanting the story to push forward, but that is in no way a problem for me because it DOES push forward. And when it does, whoo boy… it just makes each and every new ‘revelation’ that much more exciting to me. And when I do find myself slogging through parts that are a little less palatable, I find that when placed in the entire context of the story that these passages ultimately add to the richness of the character and story development.
For example… when Adam was setting up the weapons purchase at the beginning of Pandora’s Star, I thought that took a little too long to get through. It was quite a complex bit of storytelling there which seemed, at first, to have no real point. However, in retrospect, it was integral in setting up his own personal history, and that of Paula Myo, and establishing her century long commitment of chasing him around the galaxy. It also gives some insight into how Adam is becoming more and more disheartened with the whole idea of the socialist movement, and builds the foundation for the further development of his character as a true ally to Bradley Johannson and believer in the Starflyer, instead of just a business partner.
So, I have no real problem with Hamilton’s style. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I LOVE 900 plus page brick fests. It’s my bread and butter, as I mentioned earlier.
Ash, I’m happy someone likes them :)
Chapter 19 is a book-long description of how this city on this planet looks and behaves largely like a similar city on Earth, without saying it in so many (or few) words.
Well, I was hoping you would have elaborated a little more since I don’t have the book handy to check for myself.
Anyway, I just finished Judas Unchained… and although the ending is somewhat of a deus ex machina, it was satisfying. The same can be said for the ending of Night’s Dawn, in which the sleeping god just up and saves the day. But, as Tochee pointed out, it’s the journey that ultimately matters, not the destination. And I wasn’t disappointed in the ending. It was left wide open for MorningLightMountain to possibly evolve into a more tolerant character in the new Dreaming Void books, and it really was the only obvious ending that did not include genocide for either the Primes or the Humans.
I am just sorry that I am going to have to wait until 2010 to read them. I’m not making the same mistake again of purchasing and reading a book before the sequels are published. I did that with The Dark Tower back in 1993, and once again with the Commonwealth saga back in 2005. No more I say!