The Reality Dysfunction (The Night's Dawn trilogy, #1) (Night's Dawn Trilogy (Subterranean Press), #1)

by Peter F. Hamilton

In AD 2600, the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive on the wealth created by the industrialization of entire star systems. And throughout inhabited space the Confederation Navy keeps the peace. A true golden age is within our grasp. But now something has gone catastrophically wrong. On a primitive colony planet a renegade criminal's chance encounter with an utterly alien entity unleashes the most primal of all our fears. An extinct race, which inhabited the galaxy aeons ago called it "The Reality Dysfunction". It is the nightmare, which has prowled beside us since the beginning of history. "Absolute vintage science-fiction. Hamilton puts British sci-fi back into interstellar overdrive" - "The Times".

• ISBN10: 0330340328
• ISBN13: 9780330340328
• Publish Date: 7 October 2005 (first published 26 January 1996)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 20 November 2012
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 1232
• Language: English

Reviews

The author does a great job of making you care deeply about characters after only a few short paragraphs, dropping you into the middle of their lives (and the universe) and letting you figure out the nitty gritty details. That being said, Josh Calvert is a huge Mary Sue (but perhaps a forgivable one). The author also does a great job at building the massive shared universe, but I didn't feel the normal sense of urgency or climax at the end of the book I normally do. Partly this could be due to my reading pace. I think this is may also be since the book is obviously part of a trilogy. However, this book was engaging and, knowing it won't be dragged out forever, I'm curious to read the next book. I have a few guesses of my own of what's been set up and will come to pass so I'd like to see if that's true. I'm especially curious to find out what happens to the myriad cast of characters.

[empressbrooke]

The word "epic" was created for books like this. Clocking in at 1100 pages, this is only part 1 of a trilogy that consists of two more similarly sized volumes. I thought at first that the author might just need a really good editor, especially since the first half dozen chapters kept introducing entirely new settings and characters. It was difficult to get into because it didn't seem to focus on any one plot and it was hard to remember who was who. However, all the different threads slowly began to weave together and my patience was rewarded. Despite the massive page count, it never seemed wordy and it certainly never dragged. It may have helped that I flipped back and forth between this and other books instead of trying to devour this in one go, but I never got tired of the story and am eager to start volume #2.