Has anyone read any sf by
Peter Hamilton? In a charity shop, I found two thick second-hand paperbacks by Hamilton. In my teens, I would probably have grabbed any such works but maybe there was less sf back then? A Poul Anderson fan notices that one of Hamilton's several series features an "Intersolar Commonwealth." We are familiar with Anderson's Solar Commonwealth. We realize that certain sf ideas, faster than light space travel, interstellar civilization, human-alien contact etc, have become commonplace and that it must be difficult for writers to coin new terminologies. More importantly, I am convinced that, of the future histories that I have read so far, Anderson's Technic History is way ahead of any of the others but what do I know of Hamilton's various series? Nothing, yet. Might they be as good or better than Anderson's or at least enjoyable enough to be worth the time invested in reading a few long volumes? My mind is of necessity open as yet and opinions from other sf fans would be welcome.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Unfortunately this is the first time I ever saw Peter Hamilton's name. So I can't comment om what kind of writer he is, or whether I thought his works worthy of being read. But I will look him up.
If anything, I thought an "Intersolar Commonwealth" meant something limited only to our Solar System. Or was "Intersolar" supposed to mean "interstellar"?
My understanding is that the direct authority of the Solar Commonwealth in Anderson's Technic stories extended to only the Solar System and a few nearby stars.
When it comes to imagining interstellar polities, I've seen SF writers using "empire," "federation," "commonwealth," etc. Anderson's Ymirites had their "dispersal," whatever that meant!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
A diaspora?
"Intersolar" needs some explanation.
Hamilton, like Cherryh, has generated a multi-volume, interstellar, future history series.
Paul.
I’ve heard of it, but haven’t read it. So many books, so little time...
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: Yes, I can see the Dispersal of Ymir meaning the emigrating of Ymirites from their home world to colonizing other high gravity planets with hydrogen atmospheres. But we know so little about the Ymirites that we don't know if any of the colonies became independent worlds or remained under the rule of Ymir. The Ymirite planets mentioned in HUNTERS OF THE SKY CAVE seemed to have been parts of a single realm.
Mr. Stirling: Too true! So many books I should read or read--and how impossible to read them all!
Ad astra! Sean
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