The Abyss Beyond Dreams: A Novel of the Commonwealth (Commonwealth: Chronicle of the Fallers Book 1)

Bestselling science fiction master Peter F. Hamilton delivers the first of a two-book saga set in his popular Commonwealth universe. Distinguished by deft plotting, a teeming cast of characters, dazzling scientific speculation, and imagination that brings the truly alien to life, The Abyss Beyond Dreams reveals Hamilton as a storyteller of astonishing ingenuity and power. The year is 3326. Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel—self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void. Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics—the Fallers—that are intelligent but merciless killers. Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever—if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers’ relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers—before he is killed by the very people he has come to save. Praise for The Abyss Beyond Dreams “The work of an author at the top of his game.” — Science Fiction and Fantasy World “Incredibly robust and exciting and rousing, sharing flavors of Jack Vance, John Wright, China Miéville, Orson Scott Card, and A. E. van Vogt . . . Hamilton’s deployment of lots of grand super-science is utterly deft and convincing.” — Locus “Solidy engrossing fare . . . The characters, always Hamilton’s strength, remain as distinctive as ever.” —Kirkus Reviews “Everything one wants in sf—great characters, mind bending stuff, adventure, politics, romance, revolution . . . just superb.” — Fantasy Book Critic “Hamilton does a particular kind of planetary politics and space opera very well, and this is a perfect example of it. . . . [ The Abyss Beyond Dreams is] a satisfying and well-oiled story, with potential for more epic adventure to come.” — Booklist Bestselling science fiction master Peter F. Hamilton delivers the first of a two-book saga set in his popular Commonwealth universe. Distinguished by deft plotting, a teeming cast of characters, dazzling scientific speculation, and imagination that brings the truly alien to life, The Abyss Beyond Dreams reveals Hamilton as a storyteller of astonishing ingenuity and power. The year is 3326. Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel?self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void. Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics?the Fallers?that are intelligent but merciless killers. Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever?if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers' relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers?before he is killed by the very people he has come to save. Praise for The Abyss Beyond Dreams "The work of an author at the top of his game." ? Science Fiction and Fantasy World "Incredibly robust and exciting and rousing, sharing flavors of Jack Vance, John Wright, China Mi?ville, Orson Scott Card, and A. E. van Vogt . . . Hamilton's deployment of lots of grand super-science is utterly deft and convincing." ? Locus "Solidy engrossing fare . . . The characters, always Hamilton's strength, remain as distinctive as ever." ?Kirkus Reviews "Everything one wants in sf?great characters, mind bending stuff, adventure, politics, romance, revolution . . . just superb." ? Fantasy Book Critic "Hamilton does a particular kind of planetary politics and space opera very well, and this is a perfect example of it. . . . [ The Abyss Beyond Dreams is] a satisfying and well-oiled story, with potential for more epic adventure to come." ? Booklist "Hugely enjoyable . . . Hamilton is so good at handling big plots, at maintaining forward momentum even as he throws in an unexpected twist?and there's at least one doozy of a didn't-see-that-coming moment here." ? SFX From the Hardcover edition "The wait is over. Bestselling science fiction master Peter F. Hamilton is back with the first of a new two-book saga set in his popular Commonwealth universe. Distinguished by deft plotting, a teeming cast of characters, dazzling scientific speculation, and imagination that brings the truly alien to life, The Abyss Beyond Dreams reveals Hamilton as a storyteller of astonishing ingenuity and power. The year is 3326. Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel--self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void. Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics--the Fallers--that are intelligent but merciless killers. Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever--if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers' relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers--before he is killed by the very people he has come to save. Praise for Peter F. Hamilton's Great North Road "Gripping. a mammoth tale featuring believable characters and exceptionally skilled storytelling."--Library Journal (starred review) The Evolutionary Void "Satisfying and powerful. Space Opera doesn't get much more epic."--SFFWorld The Temporal Void "Fusing elements of hard SF with adventure fantasy tropes, Hamilton has singlehandedly raised the bar for grand-scale speculative storytelling."--Publishers Weekly The Dreaming Void "A real spellbinder from a master storyteller. dozens of scenarios, a surprisingly well-delineated cast of thousands, plotting enough to delight the most Machiavellian of readers."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"-- Provided by publisher When images of a lost civilisation are "dreamed" by a prophet, Nigel Sheldon is asked to investigate. The dreams seem to be coming from the Void - a mysterious area of living space with hugely destructive capabilities. Crash landing on an unknown planet within the void, Nigel finds far more than he expected. Bienvenido: a world populated by the descendants of survivors from Commonwealth colony ships. For centuries they have been fighting a desperate battle against the Fallers, a space-born predator artificially evolved to conquer worlds. Nigel soon realises that the Fallers hold the key to the destruction of the Void itself. "A clash of cultures in the Void pits humanity against a shape-changing alien species, and sees if two warring races can ever cooperate enough to free themselves from their mutual prison"-- Provided by publisher