The Dreaming Void
by Peter F Hamilton
(Pan Macmillan)
Ambition is a necessary quality if one aims to be the kind of sci-fi or fantasy writer who creates fantastic universes and brave new worlds that are the setting for a string of novels. And Britain’s Peter F Hamilton is certainly ambitious in The Dreaming Void, the newly released first volume of his Void Trilogy.
It’s well past the year 3300 and humanity has evolved greatly — technologically and biologically. Death is no more: those who pass away are ”relifed”; some simply upload their being into what passes for the internet of the far future and live a virtual life. Religion’s still an opiate, though, and those who follow the Living Dream school of thought believe paradise awaits within the Void — what seems to be an impeneÂÂÂtrable anomaly in space that may or may not devour the universe if disturbed.
Millions of Living Dream followers are readying themselves for a spectacular pilgrimage into space to enter the Void — but their plans do not sit well with the many alien races who share the universe with humanity, nor for some human factions, government agencies, crime cartels and others.
Hamilton’s writing style has been labelled ”space opera” because of his many separate story strands — some quite divergent and involving a dizzying variety of characÂÂters. This holds true for The Dreaming Void and one sometimes needs a good memory to keep track of who’s who in its 647 pages. He’s also remarkably inventive and many of his characters are so immersed in technological wonders that it takes a while for the reader to grow used to all the marvels, body enhancements and miracle computers.
The book is also clearly the first of three and little denouement is reached, perhaps unsatisfyingly so. There is enough drama, romance, spills and thrills in all the story strands here to keep one happily occupied for days, but The Dreaming Void is not a standalone work. It’s a commitment: read all three Void novels or miss out.