Review | Starship Summer by Eric Brown (PS Publishing)

Title: Starship SummerAuthor: Eric Brown
Publisher: PS PublishingFormat: Hardback
Pages: 120
Release Date: September 2007

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

David Conway leaves Earth and settles on the backwater planet of Chalcedony, Delta Pavonis IV, in search of a quiet life away from the haunting reminders of his past.
Living aboard a derelict spaceship in the quiet coastal community of Magenta Bay, he meets artist Matt Sommers, beachcomber Maddie Chamberlain and ex-starship pilot Hawksworth, and things seem about as perfect as he could hope... until he discovers that his ship is haunted by an alien spectre.
What follows will change Conway and his friends - and the future of humankind's destiny in space - for ever.

This is another work by Eric Brown that I've read this year, and I'll make no excuse for it. I really enjoy his writing and find it difficult to believe that he isn't a more popular author when the quality of his output is consistently high. Starship Summer is a short novella, running to only 120 pages, and is from the excellent PS Publishing, a small press publisher that churns out some great stuff from many genre authors. Those familiar with Brown's work won't find anything different here, but it's a great story that is expertly told.

As the synopsis says, this is the story of David Conway and his new life on Chalcedony, a planet renowned for its Golden Column, an artifact that is mysterious and strange, no one knowing why it is present there. Conway meets some locals in the town of Magenta Bay and buys an old starship from Hawksworth, who runs a scrap yard in the town full of old and disused starships. Conway sets up the ship on his land and uses it as his home, but the presence of what can only be described as an alien ghost starts a string of events that lead to a revelation that will change everything for humanity.

As I mentioned, if you're familiar with Brown's previous work you won't find too much different here. This is a story about the characters, each contributing to the whole in a satisfying way and Brown is able to bring each to life and give them a good depth in such a short space of time. Conway is the main character whose point of view the story is told from and it's through his interactions with everyone else that we discover more about them, and also about the planet and its history. There are no complaints from me at all about the way this story is told and the human side of the story once again reigns supreme, although this does not mean that anything suffers because of it.

The story is set in the same universe as Meridian Days, the Telemass universe, and while it doesn't have any direct relation to the previous story the setting is very suitable and allows the story to unfold in both expected and unexpected ways. The technology isn't that prominent but the Golden Column does play a big role in the story and everything is tied together nicely at the end.

This is a novella that is well worth reading and Brown has already written one sequel to it, Starship Fall, with another two due over the next couple of years. I'd highly recommend picking this one up simply because of how enjoyable and easy it is to read, not to mention that the short series could turn into and excellent set of stories based on this one alone.

Review | The Temporal Void by Peter F Hamilton (Pan Macmillan/Del Rey)

Title: The Temporal Void
Author: Peter F Hamilton
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (UK), Del Rey (US)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 752 (UK), 736 (US)
Release Date: October 3rd 2008 (UK), March 24th 2009 (US)

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

The Intersolar Commonwealth is in turmoil as the launch of Living Dream’s Pilgrimage into the Void draws near and, with the Ocisen Empire fleet fast approaching on a mission of genocide, an internecine war has broken out between the post-human Factions over the destiny of humanity.

Defying the increasingly desperate Factions is Paula Myo, the ruthlessly single-minded investigator. Beset by foes from her distant past and colleagues with dubious allegiance, she is losing a race against time, and the shocking truth of how far some people will go to determine the course of evolution is only just dawning on her. Meanwhile, somewhere in Colwyn City, Araminta is coming to terms with the discovery that she is the Second Dreamer – and therefore on the run from just about everybody.

At the heart of all this is Edeard, the Waterwalker, who lived long, long ago, deep inside the Void. He is the messiah of Living Dream, and visions of his life inspire billions of humans. They worship these dreams of Edeard’s crusade against corruption, injustice and violence, of his struggle to hold true to his convictions in the face of temptation and betrayal, of his lovers and his battles and of his extraordinary powers, which grow in strength daily.

Edeard’s glorious, captivating story is the driving force behind Living Dream’s Pilgrimage – a force too strong to be thwarted – and, as his triumph draws close, the true nature of the Void will finally be revealed.

The Centaurion Station, the base of the Void observation for countless millennia, is torn apart as the Raiel machines move to counter the Void's expansion. Justine, who is at the station as it is destroyed, makes a decision that will affect the whole of humanity; to enter the Void in an attempt to negotiate with the Skylord. Will the Second Dreamer be able to get her safe passage, even if it means exposing herself?

After rejecting the Skylord's offer Araminta now comes to the full realisation that she is indeed the Second Dreamer, the one Living Dream say is destined to lead them into the Void and the life they so desperately wish. However, along with this discovery Araminta now knows she is the target of everyone who wishes to use her to their own advantage. But she will not bow to the pressures put on her and is on the run, unsure where or who to turn to.

Paula is continuing her mission to track down Troblum who holds crucial information about the Accelerators and their plans. Desperate to get hard evidence, Paula tracks him down and comes to the very harsh realisation of how far the Accelerators are prepared to go to fulfill their plans. Meanwhile, the Ocisen Empire are on their way to Commonwealth space to enforce the threat they previously issued: cease the pilgrimage or face the consequences.

After his spectacular display of power and unwavering belief of what is right, Edeard now faces increasingly difficult obstacles in his bid to bring peace to Makkathran. With the gangs planning to undermine the Waterwalker he must stand for what he believes, even if it means unwanted political manoeuvring, and the events that take place in Makkathran lead down the path that will reveal the full potential of the Void.

Continuing from The Dreaming Void, The Temporal Void picks up events immediately following the revelations and keeps the sense of wonder and urgency we were left with. This helps in keeping the story going at a strong pace and it feels that all the groundwork laid in Dreaming is really starting to pay off.

The Commonwealth sections are particularly impressive. We still know what we were told in Dreaming - the Void is expanding, the Ocisens are one their way to stop the pilgrimage, the Second Dreamer knows she is communicating with the Skylord and many other things. What we are given is a situation that reached a climax and now the after effects are being felt. Throughout the whole of Temporal, the Commonwealth sections are consistently entertaining with a couple of nice surprises in there. There are also even less detours this time around which means we get a very nicely focused story.

The Void sections are just as enjoyably and Edeard's story continues in glorious fashion. We are now treated to a more confident Edeard and one who has gained both popularity and notoriety within Makkathran. His ideas are not something the council are used to and his stance against the criminals results in some interesting and page turning action. The powers within the Void exhibited by Edeard, both the ones he discovers and the ones he learns of through others, are amazing and go to show why so many Living Dream members want to pilgrimage to the Void.

This comes to the main revelation of the book: the true nature of the Void. Without giving anything away, the Void becomes a very appealing place to go to. It also effectively ties up that main sub plot, although I fully expect to see more of the Void in the last book with some very interesting things left hanging.

The characters carry through from Dreaming, but the Commonwealth ones do suffer a little in this volume, simply due to short time most of them are on the page. Where Dreaming was around a 60/40 split in favour of the Commonwealth, Temporal is 70/30 in favour of the Void. This gives a great follow through for Edeard and builds on what I think was the strongest element in Dreaming, and probably the strongest in Temporal too.

It's been confirmed by Peter that The Evolutionary Void will return more to the Commonwealth, and with promises of it being larger again than Temporal I can barely wait until its release. The setting up for Edeard's story done in Dreaming paid off very well in Temporal, but it feels that we're still awaiting that payoff for the Commonwealth and all the dangers now facing it.

There are a couple of bits that I wasn't entirely convinced about, but without giving away spoilers it's very difficult to put them into words. Nevertheless, these are small concerns that didn't affect my overall enjoyment. The format also follows the same principle of Dreaming - we get a chapter in the Commonwealth followed by another of Inigo's dreams of the Void. It works again this time around, although the size of the Void chapters can be huge, one coming to over a hundred pages.

The Temporal Void delivers a lot of what space opera is good for, just not in huge amounts. Who will enjoy it will depend very heavily on what they thought of Edeard's story in Dreaming - if it's something they loved (like me) then Temporal will make them very happy indeed. But if it was the plot they least enjoyed then Temporal may not live up to their expectations. Either way, the stage has been set for an action packed and very promising conclusion. Another highly recommended novel.

Review | The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton (Pan Macmillan/Del Rey)

Title: The Dreaming Void
Author: Peter F Hamilton
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (UK), Del Rey (US)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 600 (UK), 640 (US)
Release Date: 3rd August 2007 (UK), March 25th 2008(US)

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

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 centre 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 which 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 so that, but whoever he works for has provided some pretty formidable weaponry which 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 realise is just how far his message of hope is reaching.

The Commonwealth Universe, a place where humanity has prospered, evolved and expanded throughout the galaxy. As the Commonwealth has grown, colony ships have set out to found new human worlds far from the current occupied space, and the galaxy has been circumnavigated. Many new alien species have been encountered and the Void, an artificial universe at the centre of the galaxy protected by a deadly event horizon, has been discovered.

This is the setting for Peter F Hamilton’s first novel in his Void Trilogy, The Dreaming Void. After the events in the Commonwealth Saga, where humanity were fighting for existence against the invading Prime aliens while trying to uncover mutiny from within from the deadly Starflyer alien, the human race has prospered and is now one of the most technologically advanced species in the galaxy.

A human has now started to dream of the existence in the Void and the paradise within. He shares these dreams in the Gaiafield for all to experience them. The Living Dream movement is born and its followers grow in number until it becomes the majority party in the planet's parliament. When Inigo, the first dreamer, disappears from public life, the movement carries on much the way it has in the past, although many start growing restless and impatient for the pilgrimage to begin. However, a new chief cleric, Ethan, is elected and answers the hopes of millions by announcing the construction of starships to pilgrimage into the Void.

The Dreaming Void follows two main story plots - the implications following the announcement of the pilgrimage and the dreams experienced by Inigo that focus on Edeard, a youth living within the Void.

Peter once again delivers a hugely enjoyable story with plenty of action, adventure and surprises. Setting the story in the 36th century with the technology available gives such a large canvas to work on and he uses it to his advantage on so many different levels. The characters that we meet are alive on the pages, although some are more developed than others, especially when new characters are introduced late on in the story. This by no means detracts from the story, but as the first part of a trilogy it is to be expected that the growth of some characters will really take hold in the next instalment, if not the third.

Edeard is by far the most developed character, and with almost half the book telling his story it is to be expected. From meeting him as a young teenager in the Eggshaper’s Guild through to his time as a junior constable in Makkathran, Edeard grows in many ways and Peter shows just how accomplished he is at creating believable, in-depth characters. The same could be said for Aaron, although by having a character with no memory it is easy enough to mould our own view of him, whether that is right or wrong, we will surely find out before the end of the trilogy.

The planning that Peter puts into his stories really does show this time around and the story and universe feels much tighter because of it. With clear ideas how he wants to take the story forward, he manages to drag you into his imagination and take you on a ride you won’t forget. There are plenty of hints hidden within the pages and many will be guessing at various aspects of the story until the next instalment.

As the first part of the trilogy, this book does everything it needs to do – the characters are introduced and the stage set for the next part. With a cliff-hanger at the end of the book, many will be very eager to move straight on to The Temporal Void, but the revelation that comes to light will encourage others to re-read it.

What may surprise some is the page count – just shy of 650 in the proof edition. Although many would be expecting a huge brick sized door-stopper, this is a much tighter book and more enjoyable because of it. Many people feel Judas Unchained (949 HB pages) was overlong, but this is a fine return to form and just what was needed. A fine example of space opera with all the right ingredients – a typical PFH novel.

Cover Art & Synopsis | Dark Space by Marianne de Pierres (Night Shade Books)

While drifting in space, lost, due to navigational failure, a mineral scout discovers God. When word gets out, academics from the studiums across Orion scramble to gain the Entity's favour. However, not all the sentients of Orion hold this 'god' in awe--some are deeply suspicious.

Onto the grand stage of inter-stellar politics, intellectual conceit and dubious theology walks Baronessa Mira Fedor. Mira struggles to survive as her home planet (and familial dynasty) is torn apart by alien invasion and domestic intrigue. Only the Orion League of Sentient Species can lend aid, but OLOSS are preoccupied with communicating with god. Mira, together with a ragtag group of refuges and researches, is left to find help on her own. In doing so she unmasks a galaxy-size intrigue. But will she live long enough to tell anyone...?

Here is the US cover for Marianne de Pierres' first book in her Sentients of Orion series, Dark Space, due in October this year from Night Shade Books. I read this when it was released in the UK by Orbit and really enjoyed it - the final book in the series, Transformation Space, is due in the UK later this year. I actually really like this cover and it shows that the series will have a distinctive branding for the rest of the books that will be released over the next year or so. The cover features Mira Fedor and Rast Randall, both great characters in the series and very well portrayed here, plus the artwork is rather nice!

For those in the US that have yet to pick up any of this series I would highly recommend doing so - it really is worth reading. I've enjoyed the series so much that I'll probably pick up these releases too, despite owning all of the books to date from Orbit.

Review | Veteran by Gavin Smith (Gollancz)

Title: Veteran
Author: Gavin Smith
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Release Date: 17th June 2010

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Three hundred years in our future, in a world of alien infiltrators, religious hackers, a vast convoying nation of Nomads, city sized orbital elevators, and a cyborg pirate king who believes himself to be a mythological demon Jakob is having a bad day:
"Nothing gets in the way of a hangover like being reactivated by your old C.O and told to track down an alien killing machine. The same kind of killing machine that wiped out my entire squad. And now it's in my hometown.
My name is Jakob Douglas, ex-special forces. I fought Them. Just like we've all been doing for 60 bloody years. But I thought my part in that was done with.
My boss has other ideas. If I didn't find the infiltrator then he'd let the Grey Lady loose on me. And believe me; even They've got nothing on her. So I took the job. It went to shit even faster than normal.
And now I'm on the run with this teenage hacker who's had enough of prostitution. The only people I can rely on want to turn the internet into God. And now it turns out that They aren't quite what we'd all thought. I've been to the bottom of the sea and the top of the sky and beyond trying to get to the truth.
And I still can't get far enough away from the Grey Lady.
All things considered I'd rather be back at home deep in a whiskey bottle."
Veteran is a fast paced, intricately plotted violent SF Thriller set in a dark future against the backdrop of a seemingly never ending war against an unknowable and implacable alien enemy.
A powerhouse SF debut - a jawdroppingly vivid hell-on-earth future, a brutal war against unknowable aliens and Jake - a harder than all the rest anti-hero its impossible not to love.

Veteran is the debut novel from Gavin Smith and a book that I heard of earlier in the year, one that quickly made its way on to my list of books that I must read in 2010. What I liked about the blurb was that is had a no-nonsense, straight to the point feel and was laced with hints of what lies within. It's told in the first person and takes no prisoners with its story and characters, but does both aspects very well indeed. Veteran is a novel that could very easily be up in the top few sci-fi debuts this year and one I see making my overall top ten.

Jakob Douglas is our main protagonist, a former special forces soldier that fought Them during the war and is now retired after being dishonorably discharge for his role in a mutiny. He's reactivated by his old CO, a man he despises, and must track down an alien infiltrator that has managed to make its way to Earth. With the apparent landing near his hometown of Dundee he's the best, and closest, chance of removing the problem. Armed with his newly reactivated weapons and cyber systems, Jakob is no man to mess with, a fact that becomes apparent very quickly indeed. With certain facts coming to light during his mission, Jakob defies his orders and goes on the run, helping what he swore he would fight against and doing so with the help of a few other ex-comrades and soldiers.

The above is a very brief introduction to what Veteran is about, but suffice to say that it isn't just a normal run of the mill action novel. Jakob is great as the protagonist, and as the story is told in the first person we see him for what he is and how he views the world and others. He's a good character to read, an easy one to like, but he has a deeper personality that slowly reveals itself throughout the novel through events in the here and now and some great flash backs to the time when he was a serving soldier on the front line. Morag, the former whore-turning-hacker, is in her late teens and finds herself part of the group that Jakob essentially leads. This allows a relationship to develop between Jakob and Morag, one that often has Jakob trying to relegate her to a helpless female that is tagging along. While this is far from the case it does show an interesting aspect of Jakob, of Morag in how she deals with it, and the way that situations are affected because of his view. It's not always a comfortable relationship and Morag is a character that doesn't initially come off as being suited to the story, but Smith is able to use difficult characters and difficult relationships well and by the end I wondered why I had even questioned it.

One of Veteran's strong points is the sheer pace of the novel. From early on we go from scene to scene in an all out action packed rush. The fight scenes are suitably realistic, or as realistic as cyber enhanced super soldiers can be, with the hero never having too easy a time of it. This adds to feeling of unease and showing us that not everything always goes right, making us wonder whether or not things will actually work out the way Jakob wants them to. It also means that while the fast paced sections work really well, the slower paced sections stand out because of it. They need to be there and work well to progress the story, to take it above the bog-standard action adventure it could have been and put it up with some of the better sci-fi novels out on the market. There is a story here and it's told well, but I just wondered if the pace could have been a little more even throughout.

To compliment the story there is the backdrop, an Earth 300 years into the future and 60 years into a conflict with Them. What we see is a rough and degenerate world, the set pieces presenting a dire look at life at the bottom of society: a future Dundee where the poor live on the rigs, a flooded New York city that is home to gangs, and Crawling Town, a place that is constantly on the move and made up thousands of individual vehicles. What strikes me is that despite humanity having the ability to reach the stars and colonise planets, we just don't see much of the higher technological society on Earth. It's there, in glimpses and at times later on in the plot, but most of what we see is the bad side of life on Earth. I suppose that is what happens when the story and characters come from such places, and the first person perspective is never usually a strong point for deep and complicated world building, but I would have liked to have seen a little more present.

One of the real pluses about Veteran is the aliens, Them. Humanity have been fighting them for 60 years, but they're still as mysterious now as the day they were first encountered, still fighting to the bitter end against humanity. The story does focus on this and it's a plot thread that is extremely interesting, culminating in some very interesting events and laying the ground work for what is surely going to be a superb sequel.

Veteran is a very good debut indeed, it has characters that are well fleshed out, a story that makes you want to know the outcome and action scenes galore - enough to satisfy any sci-fi action fan. I was reminded very much of Richard Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs books and the Death's Head books of David Gunn, and Smith should be proud to present such an interesting take on a sci-fi action adventure. The ground work laid here is going to go a long way to make its sequel a must read, one that I will be making sure I pick up upon its release.

Review | Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton (Pan Macmillan/Del Rey)

Title: Judas Unchained
Author: Peter F HamiltonPublisher: Pan Macmillan (UK), Del Rey (US)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 960 (UK), 827 (US)
Release Date: 7th October 2005 (UK), 28th February 2006 (US)

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

After hundreds of years secretly manipulating the human race, the Starflyer alien has succeeded in engineering a war which should result in the destruction of the Intersolar Commonwealth. Now, thanks to Chief Investigator Paula Myo, the Commonwealth's political elite finally acknowledges the Starflyer's existence, and puts together an unlikely partnership to track down this enigmatic and terrifying alien.

The invasion from Dyson Alpha continues with dozens of Commonwealth worlds falling to the enemy. The navy fights back with what it believes to be war-winning superweapons, only to find that the alien fleet has been given equally powerful weapons. How the aliens got them is the question that haunts Admiral Kime. Could it be that the Commonwealth's top-secret defence project has been compromised by the Starflyer's agents, or is the truth even worse?

To Mark Vernon, mechanic and general repairman extraordinaire, it appears he's landed on his feet when he finds the perfect job on the most secure world in the Commonwealth. He and his family will never be in danger again now that he's helping to build starships that will evacuate the ultra-rich should the war be lost. Until one day when Nigel Sheldon arrives to ask him a small favour. You don't say no to the man who created the Commonwealth. But the problem with small favours is the way they tend to grow...

With the war going badly and the Starflyer's treachery threatening the very heart of the Commonwealth, only the alien's destruction can turn the tide. As Paula Myo finally begins to close in on her prey, the operation is sabotaged from within. If the nemesis is ever to be beaten, Paula will have to work out which of her colleagues is plotting to betray the entire human race.

Peter F Hamilton is the reason I read science fiction and the first novel in the Commonwealth Saga, Pandora's Star (review), got my hooked on sci-fi back in 2004. Judas Unchained is the sequel and conclusion to the Commonwealth Saga and weighs in at a hefty 960 hardback pages. I've read this one probably four or five times now since release and each time I enjoy it just as much, but I also have some of the same issues with it that I did the first time I read it back in 2005. Still, it's a great story!

I must admit that when I started Judas Unchained I felt that the pacing was slightly out of kilter - not wrong, just slow compared to the high octane ending of the threads in Pandora's Star. It becomes clear fairly quickly that we're not going to get constant space battles and Prime fighting in this book, but more of an investigative story while guerrilla warfare tackles the Primes on the planets the invaded. The main focus of Judas Unchained is of revelations, the Starflyer being primary among these. Once it became clear at the end of Pandora's Star that the Starflyer was indeed real and that Paula Myo was a believer of this, events started taking a turn towards finding just how much influence it has on Commonwealth society.

The threads that follow the more traditional space opera route are very compelling. As we join the mercenaries drafted to take the fight to the Primes on the Lost23 planets we get some great down and dirty fighting and tactics. This also leads onto some very interesting moments and the discovery that they make is a nice way to see a different point of view and get some more understanding of the invasion and the Primes. The space battles are equally amazing and a particular scene is one of my favourite from all of Peter's books - unfortunately it's way to spoilerific for this review! Suffice to say that the elusive Hell's Gateway is discovered and that the Primes have continued their industrial output with thousands of ships at their disposal. Not only that, but with both humanity and Primes relying on their deadly superweapons (nova bomb and flare bomb respectively) the stakes are raised considerably from humanity's point of view.

The characters once again get a chance to shine in Judas Unchained. We've already followed them throughout Pandora's Star, and although there are a couple more characters this time around it's a joy to read them. I won't list them all (I'd end up writing an essay!), but the main characters - Paula, Ozzie, Nigel, Adam and Bradley - all step up their game and each is totally believable in their given situations. There is a big difference between each of these characters and this makes them all unique and allows us to see things from different viewpoints throughout. No change really from Peter's other books in this respect, and once again he delivers them with style.

When I first read Judas Unchained I had a couple of issues with it, although after a few re-reads they are not as much issues anymore, but I can't ignore my first impression. The main problem I had was the extraordinarily long Starflyer chase. I look at this thread of the novel and I can understand why it happened as it did, I can appreciate the duplicity involved by those in service to the Starflyer and I can see the reasoning of why the setup to Far Away is like it is, but it doesn't stop me getting slightly bogged down with it. This one issue has a knock on effect and changes the whole pacing of Judas Unchained. Pandora's Star was a novel that had a good build up followed by excellent payoff. Rather than the refined, action packed and quick paced sequel I was expecting I found one that was slightly bloated and inconsistent in its pacing. It's a real shame this is the case as these could have been two novels that give a shining example of the genre, instead Judas Unchained lowers the overall impact and leaves you feeling a little disappointed.

So, what worked in Judas Unchained was the action, the investigation and the intrigue that we're put through while reading it. The characters are as good as ever and Peter has done a very good job with the justifications of the way the plot evolves and is tied up. It's a pity that the slightly overlong length and pacing issues lowered my satisfaction, but combined with Pandora's Star this is an example of great worldbuilding and an intricate plot - definitely a recommended duology.

Review | The Fall of Tartarus by Eric Brown (Gollancz)

Title: The Fall of Tartarus
Author: Eric Brown
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 312
Release Date: 14th April 2005

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

In myth Tartarus was the lowest region of hell. So low, it was said, that an anvil dropped from heaven having taken nine days and nights to reach earth would take a further nine days and nights to reach Tartarus. In reality ...

'I'd heard many a tale about Tartarus Major, how certain continents were technological backwaters five hundred years behind the times; how the Church governed half the planet with a fist of iron, and yet how, across scattered islands and sequestered lands, a thousand bizarre and heretic cults prospered too.

I'd heard how a lone traveller was hardly safe upon the planet's surface, prey to wild animals and cut-throats. Most of all I'd heard that, in two hundred years, Tartarus would be annihilated when its sun exploded in the magnificent stellar suicide of a supernova.'

These are the stories of the people who are leaving Tartarus, those have decided to stay and those who are arriving on the planet for the apocalypse.

I'm sure I've said it before, but Eric Brown is an author that I've come to enjoy a great deal. I read his Bengal Station trilogy over the past couple of years and this year I've been steadily getting hold of his back list. The Fall of Tartarus is a collection that I managed to get hold of a few months back, not really knowing what it would contain, but sure that this collection would meet my expectations. That it did and just goes to show that there is an author who writes consistently good science fiction.

This collection focuses on the colony world of Tartarus, a planet whose sun will go nova in the not too distant future - hence the rather suitable title. We follow different groups and people as they experience life and times on the doomed world, dating from a couple of hundred years prior to the supernova and ending with said event. Each story takes place at times closer and closer to the nova and we see a world change, the attitudes of those living there towards the mass evacuation and life in general for those few that visit Tartarus.

Destiny on Tartarus - 9/10
This is a story about Sinclair who travels to Tartarus to find out his father's fate, his mother informing him when he was younger that it was on this planet that he had perished. With little information we follow him from arrival on Tartarus, learning the hard way that kindness is not always what it seems, and then meeting a fabled Blackman who accompanies him on his journey of discovery. Culminating in the annual, and very dangerous, ship race across some of the roughest seas on the planet where Sinclair makes the discovery he travelled to Tartarus for.

This is an excellent story, possibly one of the best of the collection, and is the perfect starter to show you what to expect. It's a personal story that focuses on the motivations and goals of Sinclair, but also provides a good bit of worldbuilding to show what Tartarus is about and why it is unique beyond the impending supernova. It's a heartfelt and touching tale that I really enjoyed.

A Prayer for the Dead - 9/10
This is the story of Joe, who revisits his childhood home on tartarus before the supernova happens and reminisces about his childhood and the events that occurred over one particular summer. It's a story of friendships, relationships and strife, stemming from one day when he met a Zillion, an alien being that is living out the remainder of his life on the planet. With events leading to a relationship he has always dreamed of, and ultimately the distress caused by this and other actions. It's a nice tale and shows that Brown can easily write characters you want to read about and care for, culminating in a revelation that explains it all.

The Eschatarium at Lyssia - 7/10
This is the story of Jonathan, an artist who lost his wife on Tartarus, when he is visited by a messenger from the planet informing him that they were sent by his wife. He struggles to believe this, but still goes back to the planet to see what this vague message is about. When revisiting an ancient amphitheatre created millions of years ago by the Tharseans, he finds the answer to this question and discovers something strange and significant. While a good story, this isn't the greatest here. It's also fairly short, but still delivers with good characters and a very real and personal story.

The Ultimate Sacrifice - 6/10
This is a story of Katerina, a reporter, who has travelled to Tartarus to find her brother, or at least the fate he has suffered. Her investigations lead her to the Church of the Ultimate Sacrifice where the members of it practice penance physicale, a form of mortification. It's a short story that sheds some light on this aspect of religion on Tartarus, but while it's once again a personal story it isn't the best in the collection.

The People of the Nova - 7/10
Jenner is trying to find the Ey'an people in order to evacuate them prior to the supernova, and while one of them lives with him at the research camp they are no closer to tracking them down. He is haunted by the disappearance of his wife when she went on an up-river trek trying to find the Ey'an, and although they did the same work they had disagreements about the forced evacuation of all the people of Tartarus. What follows here is a story that looks at the morality of forcing people to abandon their planet, but also keeping it personal with Jenner's loss of his wife and the connection he has with Cahla, the native Ey'an that is staying with him. All in all it's a good look at what you would expect from a dying planet collection, with Brown giving it a suitably emotive touch.

Vulpheous - 8/10
Here's an interesting story where science meets religion, or at least meets legend, when Connery is trying to track down the last existing Vulpheous which he believes holds the cure to many diseases that are at current incurable. With a personal history in this he is determined to get what he came for, but he meets a native girl who has trekked to the Vulpheous in order to cure herself, as the local legends say it can. With these two meeting and friendship between them blooming Connery has to decide what he will do, either good or bad, to ensure he can evacuate the planet in time. Another good little story here focusing on further aspects of Tartarus and the secrets it holds. I quite enjoyed it, mainly because it invokes more emotion for the dying world.

Hunting the Slarque - 8/10
This is the story of Hunter, a man who was a victim of a Slarque attack on Tartarus. Usually these victims die, but his wife managed to put his remains in stasis which then underwent a regenerative process by a wealthy businessman. The cost - to return to Tartarus and find and capture a Slarque for this man's zoo. His wife had already returned there and it is only because of this reason that he agrees. While this seems a fairly straightforward tale there is a surprise at the end that makes it worthwhile, and Eric Brown once again shows how well he can create a connection to the characters and story in such a short space of time.

Dark Calvary - 8/10
This story follows Crammer and Francesca and brings back the Church of the Ultimate Sacrifice while also adding some further details of the Slarque. It's a suitable ending to this collection and one I won't go into detail about - it really needs to be read to be fully appreciated. A fine note to end the fate of the planet Tartarus on.

Conclusion
The Fall of Tartarus is a great collection of shared setting tales, each adding something to the overall picture of life on Tartarus in the time leading up to the supernova. While they mostly work as stand alone pieces it is much better to read them in this format. Brown is able to write sci-fi that doesn't venture into the realms of hard science, but he uses a consistently vivid backdrop to tell the tale of each of the characters here. It's because of this ability that I enjoy reading his works so much and he's possibly the most accessible sci-fi writer of recent years - I would certainly recommend anyone that isn't familiar with sci-fi to pick up his books and give them a go. And this one isn't a bad place to start at all. Highly recommended!

Review | Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton (Pan Macmillan/Del Rey)

Title: Pandora's Star
Author: Peter F Hamilton
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (UK), Del Rey (US)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 896 (UK), 768 (US)
Release Date: 20th Feb 2004 (UK), March 2nd 2004 (US)

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

It is AD 2380, and humanity has colonised over six hundred planets, all interlinked by wormholes. With Earth at its centre, the Intersolar Commonwealth has grown into a quiet, wealthy society, where rejuvenation allows its citizens to live for centuries.

When astronomer Dudley Bose observes a star over a thousand light years away vanish, imprisoned inside a force field of immense size, the Commonwealth is anxious to discover what actually happened. As conventional wormholes can’t reach that far, they must build the first faster-than-light starship. Captained by Wilson Kime, an ex-NASA astronaut a little too eager to relive his old glory days, the Second Chance sets off on its historic voyage of discovery.

But someone or something out there must have had a very good reason for sealing off an entire star system. And if the Second Chance finds a way in, what might be let out?

Pandora's Star was the first sci-fi book by Peter F Hamilton that I read. In fact, it was the book that got me back into sci-fi in a big way and after picking this up my appetite for all things SF went into overdrive. I really do love this book and it's definitely in my top 3 Hamilton novels and in my top 5 favourite SF novels ever. I'm a Hamilton fan boy, I have no problem admitting that, and I'll recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a good, well plotted and completely enthralling read. So why do I love it so much? Read on for my review...

Pandora's Star is the first part of The Commonwealth Saga and is a full fledged space opera containing multiple plot threads that include the discovery of, and mission to, the Dyson Pair; the activities of Adam Elvin, the Guardians main man when it comes to arranging weapon and technology shipments to Far Away; the brutal one-mindedness of Paula Myo, a detective with the Intersolar Serious Crime Directorate, while she investigates a case of murder, and of her continuing dedication to tracking down Adam Elvin; the political manoeuvring of various individuals to gain support for their causes; following the journey of Ozzie Isaacs, the co-inventor of wormhole technology, as he travels the paths of the alien Silfen in search of answers to the Dyson pair. Even this doesn’t cover it all, there is just so much to take in and enjoy.

As you can imagine, this book covers a whole lot – but it hits the ground running. Chapter one starts the book off as it means to go on and doesn’t let go, even once you’ve reached the end you’re left wanting more. There is little here that is not to like if you enjoy a well thought out and action packed story. The book is well paced and the subplots are almost all interesting and add to the story and in-universe history. There are a couple of exceptions, these being the political manoeuvring section and to an extent some of the Guardians sections, especially those set on Far Away that feature the clans. These couple do add to the back story and raise some questions, but the difference in pace sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Second Chance plot is one of the best in the book and the most enjoyable as far as a sense of wonder and discovery go. It is especially good when the Guardians attempt a sabotage of the Second Chance during it’s construction in what has to be one of the stand out passages in terms of pure all out action. If you like detective fiction, then the Paula Myo subplot will suit you to the ground. Seeing a character as defined as Paula conducting an investigation and showing how resourceful she is brings a smile to your face. Ozzie and his self-imposed mission along the Silfen paths from planet to planet is also a good example of fine storytelling of adventure and exploration. I can only imagine what sort of stories could come out of the Silfen paths if Peter so wished.

What really works in Pandora’s Star is the way that Peter has built a universe from scratch and made almost every aspect believable. There is the sort of depth here that you don’t normally find in a single book, but even though there are the occasional info-dumping passages it really doesn’t feel that it detracts from the story, simply adds to the experience. Few books have managed to have this affect on me and this book can come heartily recommended with very few complaints. An almost perfect balance between world building and storytelling makes this a must read for any fan of the genre.