Book: The Dreaming Void (Peter F. Hamilton, 2007)

This will sound stupid but I was a little disappointed that The Dreaming Void only clocked in at just under 800 pages. For casual readers that'd be a rather large book but considering my previous Peter F. Hamilton reads averaged 1200 pages each, the sense of scope seems to have dulled a little.

But this is something of a triviality. The Dreaming Void, set some 1500 years after the events of the Commonwealth Saga (Pandora's Star & Judas Unchained), portrays galaxy where, smack bang in its centre is the void: a tear in space that houses its own micro universe. There are those that believe the void is deadly and will devour our galaxy and there are those that believe the void holds the key to salvation. And there's Ingio, founder of the Living Dream religion, itself based on dreams Ingio claims to have manifested from the void itself.

Hamilton writes the Dreaming Void as if the reader is well read on the history between it and Judas Unchained yet this is never a hindrance. It is quite clear what has transpired in the interim has changed the Commonwealth from what it was previously, with many actions from the Starflyer War shaping events in the narrative. And it's this devotion to detail and continuity that works. Hamilton is invested in this world and if you can't keep up then to hell with you.

My main issue is his need to delve into the dreams that are the basis of the Living Dream movement. Peppered between each chapter, each of Ignio's dreams are detailed as their own sub story that runs parallel to the main narrative. Whilst this is intermittently interesting, more often than not it dashes away any excitement that has built during the main story, and whilst it seems obvious that this will be fleshed out in subsequent books (The Dreaming Void is book one of three), I found excessive time was spent there.

However, much like the Commonwealth Saga, The Dreaming Void moves at light-speed. It's completely relentless at times. It may have pop-fiction sensibilities but Peter F. Hamilton knows how to spin a hugely entertaining yarn.

4/5