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Pandora's Star

Read by:
John Lee
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Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
59
Narrator
28
Release Date
December 1, 2008
Duration
36 hours 30 minutes
Summary
Critics have compared the engrossing space operas of Peter F. Hamilton to the classic sagas of such SF giants as Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. But Hamilton's bestselling fiction—powered by a fearless imagination and world-class storytelling skills—has also earned him comparison to Tolstoy and Dickens. Hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, philosophically stimulating: the novels of Peter F. Hamilton will change the way you think about science fiction. Now, with Pandora's Star, he begins a new multivolume adventure, one that promises to be his most mind-blowing yet.



The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some 400 light-years in diameter, contains more than 600 worlds, interconnected by a web of transport "tunnels" known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over 1,000 light-years away, a star…vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him.



Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends.



Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy but dangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery, the unleashing of which will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth…and humanity itself.



Could it be that Johansson was right?
Reviews
Profile Avatar Michael Barnes Dec 2016

The book is awesome. The narration is lacking. John Lee can read like no other. Has many voices and accents. However, listing to him makes me feel like I've just bought a 40 hour speed reading disclaimer. I wish I could get my money back. He can speak so well and tell the story, but 4000 words a minute, come on!!! This is the third book I've paid for that he has massacred. Ill have to listen to it 5 times just to understand the story.

Profile Avatar David Peacock Mar 2016

Very good book with multiple storys within a bigger story. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sci fi.

Profile Avatar Brandon Wickersham Oct 2019

from little I got it sounds like an interesting story line but was unable to really catch what the narrator was reading. his voice kept going from really easy to hear to almost nothing at all. bad copy

Profile Avatar Neil Purcell Jun 2024

Loved the book. Can't wait to finish Judas Unchained. While the story was terrific, the narration has some issues that I believe are mostly attributable to the adaptation from book to audio presentation. Like many books, Hamilton will simply present an exchange of words between two people without reminding you who is speaking. It's fine when you're holding the book in your hand, but when you're listening to someone else ready, you can forget who's talking. Likewise, scene changes are not signaled, which is fine if you can see the carriage returns signaling a scene break, but you don't *hear* that in the audiobook. All of a sudden, it's a new scene, and there's nothing to prompt you until you notice that a character from another location is speaking. I really wish this would be taken into account when audiobooks are recorded. I know altering the author's work sounds blasphemous, but, as I said, these are problems with the audiobook format in general. I won't deduct points from the book, but new listeners ought to know what they're getting into here. It's also a very long story. Some of the side-stories seemingly go nowhere, but trust me, it all come around again as you reach the end. And if you don't know what's waiting for humanity when they get to the Dyson Pair, then do yourself a favor and DON'T spoil it for yourself. These are the most terrifying aliens you'll ever find in science fiction. I'm not exaggerating.

Profile Avatar Adam W. Aug 2022

Worldbuilding at its finest.

Profile Avatar Anonymous May 2021

Narration for a large part of the book is either way too loud or way too soft. Book itself is quantity over quality but sometimes that is just what I need.

Profile Avatar David B. Jan 2021

I have listened to other books by the same author several of them I quit listening to went back later and started again and discovered that you really had to pay attention as there is no pause between a change of narrative. Once I did that the books were enjoyable, John Lee is superb he can do many different voices and accents. To close the book is a long listen but it gives your brain a mental workout to remember all the characters ,all in all ,enjoyed the book and have started the next

Profile Avatar Ronald R. Feb 2020

Plot was very disjointed and in fact many parts were never connected. Very difficult to follow. The narrator left a lot to be desired, he spoke too rapidly:; in fact I missed much of what was said because this. My experience does not encourage me to listen to more of this author or the narrator.

Profile Avatar Rosemary C. Jan 2020

Have to agree with a couple of reviews. This book was tedious and several on going story lines kept me blanking out while listening. Just wasn’t interested in some of the side stories. Paid attention toward the end hoping the side stories would weave into the main plot did not. Ending threw me for a loop. The enemy in my minds eye was a mix of Orson Scott Card Hive Queen and Star Treks Borg. Quite a combination. Humans thought the Borg was deadly. The way the alien describe a human was hilarious but true. The narrator was good. Enjoyed listening when the side stories got my attention My only question is how did they come up with Pandora Star. Unless I wasn’t paying attention the name never came up. So how did this come to be? Granted as with the pandora box things should have been left alone but that is not in the human nature. Not sure I will read the second book. Took too long to get through this one. Enjoyed only maybe 20% of the book. This was a VIP choice.

Profile Avatar Lionel H. Dec 2019

I listened to this book over a two month period. I frequently went backwards in an effort to understand the characters and the plot. The author must be a genius; in truth, the story line proved too complex for me. The narrator was excellent. I still don't understand the story line and I was completely thrown by the ending. All in all, I think I didn't like the book even though it took me forever to come to that conclusion

Profile Avatar Dawn S. Dec 2019

Very good narrator and an interesting take on possible futures. I will have to get part 2 of this series to find out what happens next

Profile Avatar Rachel C. Dec 2019

This book was pretty boring and tedious. About 20% of it got my attention, which was the only thing that kept me interested. I kept listening thinking the ending would improve the book, but even the ending was horrible. There were several story lines that seemed to have nothing to do with the book as a whole. Its funny, because the side stories were the only part I really cared about. I was waiting for them to tie into the story somehow, but never did. Also not a fan of the narrator. He reminds me of William Shatner when a sentence is... completed... with multiple... pauses. Drove me nuts. I would not recommend this book to anyone, unless you have a ton of free time on your hands.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Oct 2019

I was very upset because of the language that was used in the first chapter of this book. I was sorry I bought this book. It was such an awful book and I only listened to one chapter.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Sep 2019

This book had great concepts but is extremely tedious. It reads like a book of filler text. Endless uninspired descriptions are attached to a bunch of things, places and people that just don't matter to the story. Narrator has a warm deep toned voice that is pleasant to hear.

Profile Avatar David Grenfell Dec 2014

The recording was a little uneven. The reader was good. The book is FANTASTIC. It is really the first half of the larger work, rather than the first book in a two part series. I usually take some kind of break after a book. Switch to a different genre. Listen to a couple cd's of music. Not this time. I immediately started the sequel. It seems likely that this will be added to my short list of all time favorites.

Pandora's Star

Pandora's Star

Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Read by: John Lee
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