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Greg Mandel #1
Mindstar Rising
It's the 21st century and global warming is here to stay, so forget the way your country used to look. And get used to the free market, too the companies possess all the best hardware, and they're calling the shots now. In a world like this, a man open to any offers can make out just fine. A man like Greg Mandel for instance, who's psi-boosted, wired into the latest sensory equipment, carrying state-of-the-art weaponry and late of the English Army's Mindstar Battalion. As the cartels battle for control of a revolutionary new power source, and corporate greed outstrips national security, tension is mounting to boiling point and Greg Mandel is about to face the ultimate test. 'Races ahead with verve and flair' Starburst 'The plotting is tight and ingenious' Interzone
438 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
227 people are currently reading
2749 people want to read
About the author
Peter F. Hamilton
205 books10.3k followersPeter F. Hamilton is a British science fiction author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide, making him Britain's biggest-selling science fiction author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
November 30, 2016
I have conflicting feelings about this book, therefore I will subdivide this review.
The good: I liked the setting very much. Rural Cambridgeshire afflicted by climate change, a vast marsh criss-crossed by decaying roads, with Peterborough as a resurgent port town. This is in fact the only book I’ve ever read to have a climactic scene set in Wisbech. Apart from a few little details (notably regarding data storage capacity), the world-building seems to have aged quite well. I was slightly unnerved to find references to a ‘credit crash’ in a novel published in 1993. The characters all use a ‘cybofax’, which is essentially a smartphone. It can be used to make calls, read books, and view files. To my mind, the name cybofax is not that much stupider than ‘smartphone’. The psychic powers aspect obviously requires suspension of disbelief, but is handled quite neatly. Everyone seems to be surprisingly well-armed, although many characters are ex-military which might go some way to explaining that. Unfortunately Cambridge doesn’t feature, despite characters driving past it on the M11 at one point. I did wonder what happened there.
The bad: I didn’t care about the plot, as it was basically a wrangle between rich people in which their less well off employees got caught up and sometimes killed. I kept reading in order to explore this climate changed world, not because I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. For instance, the space station designed for industrial production was very interesting, the people on it were not. I think this is linked to the politics of the book. It’s set during a ‘new conservative’ (oxymoron) government, which has taken over from the ‘people’s socialism party’ (grammatically that should really be ‘socialist’ but never mind). The latter are condemned absolutely and unequivocally by every character, in a manner that suggested they were Stalinists. Police repression and economic centralisation seem to have been involved, but no clear explanation is given. I was uncomfortable with the flimsy basis from which the characters justified assassinating members of the old regime in cold blood, complaining that membership of their party wasn’t harshly punished, and defending total freedom of market forces. It seemed as though the fall of an ostensibly left-wing repressive regime had turned everyone into blood-thirsty libertarians. I suppose this can be linked to the novel’s publishing date, 1993, when Western triumphalism after the fall of communism was high. (Fukuyama’s The End of History and the Last Man came out the previous year.) I found it simplistic and thus lacking in impact, though. For example, throwaway comments decrying policies like the ‘one home law’ seemed stupid. In a country that has seen rapid internal migration because a significant part of the housing stock fell into the sea, limiting each household to owning one home would be nearly inevitable! During natural disasters, political pragmatism tends to blur the (never completely clear) division between left and right.
Ultimately what was at stake in the plot was money, nothing more, and the narrative seemed to think this was sufficient to create suspense. It wasn’t for me. Especially as I could find no reason to like Greg Mandel, the main character.
The ugly: Sexism was pervasive throughout the book. Women were always referred to by their level of attractiveness first off, whilst I never had any idea what Mandel looked like. (Did he have hair? Did he squint? We may never know.) I didn’t like the extent to which Julia was defined by wanting a boyfriend. I didn’t like the fact that jealousy always featured in relationships between women. I hated the way that Mandel used his psychic powers to seduce a vulnerable, much younger woman - it came off as totally creepy. Although Eleanor was given more agency towards the end of the book, she was always defined by her looks and her relationship with Mandel. Katerina is constantly described as gorgeous, sexy, and fond of sex, then gets horribly punished for it. The sexual politics of this novel are almost uniformly terrible and I found them very depressing.
The exception was Gabriel, the only woman who wasn’t treated as a sex object. I loved her grumpiness, competence, and sensible responses to her psychic powers. She was awesome and I was very pleased when the Trinities gang thought so too. Mandel’s internal monologue criticising her weight and commenting that she looked old and dowdy compounded my dislike of him.
I have actually read the sequel to this novel, The Nano Flower many years ago, but don’t remember anything much about it except scary psychic panther-things. I think I would have enjoyed ‘Mindstar Rising’ more as a teenager, when I read stacks of science fiction more or less uncritically. Now that I automatically look for socio-economic and feminist subtext in novels, science fiction thrillers often don’t come out too well. It’s a pity, though, because in this case the setting has been thought out well and really appealed to me. It was Peter F. Hamilton’s first novel, I think, so I guess you have to make allowances for that.
The good: I liked the setting very much. Rural Cambridgeshire afflicted by climate change, a vast marsh criss-crossed by decaying roads, with Peterborough as a resurgent port town. This is in fact the only book I’ve ever read to have a climactic scene set in Wisbech. Apart from a few little details (notably regarding data storage capacity), the world-building seems to have aged quite well. I was slightly unnerved to find references to a ‘credit crash’ in a novel published in 1993. The characters all use a ‘cybofax’, which is essentially a smartphone. It can be used to make calls, read books, and view files. To my mind, the name cybofax is not that much stupider than ‘smartphone’. The psychic powers aspect obviously requires suspension of disbelief, but is handled quite neatly. Everyone seems to be surprisingly well-armed, although many characters are ex-military which might go some way to explaining that. Unfortunately Cambridge doesn’t feature, despite characters driving past it on the M11 at one point. I did wonder what happened there.
The bad: I didn’t care about the plot, as it was basically a wrangle between rich people in which their less well off employees got caught up and sometimes killed. I kept reading in order to explore this climate changed world, not because I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. For instance, the space station designed for industrial production was very interesting, the people on it were not. I think this is linked to the politics of the book. It’s set during a ‘new conservative’ (oxymoron) government, which has taken over from the ‘people’s socialism party’ (grammatically that should really be ‘socialist’ but never mind). The latter are condemned absolutely and unequivocally by every character, in a manner that suggested they were Stalinists. Police repression and economic centralisation seem to have been involved, but no clear explanation is given. I was uncomfortable with the flimsy basis from which the characters justified assassinating members of the old regime in cold blood, complaining that membership of their party wasn’t harshly punished, and defending total freedom of market forces. It seemed as though the fall of an ostensibly left-wing repressive regime had turned everyone into blood-thirsty libertarians. I suppose this can be linked to the novel’s publishing date, 1993, when Western triumphalism after the fall of communism was high. (Fukuyama’s The End of History and the Last Man came out the previous year.) I found it simplistic and thus lacking in impact, though. For example, throwaway comments decrying policies like the ‘one home law’ seemed stupid. In a country that has seen rapid internal migration because a significant part of the housing stock fell into the sea, limiting each household to owning one home would be nearly inevitable! During natural disasters, political pragmatism tends to blur the (never completely clear) division between left and right.
Ultimately what was at stake in the plot was money, nothing more, and the narrative seemed to think this was sufficient to create suspense. It wasn’t for me. Especially as I could find no reason to like Greg Mandel, the main character.
The ugly: Sexism was pervasive throughout the book. Women were always referred to by their level of attractiveness first off, whilst I never had any idea what Mandel looked like. (Did he have hair? Did he squint? We may never know.) I didn’t like the extent to which Julia was defined by wanting a boyfriend. I didn’t like the fact that jealousy always featured in relationships between women. I hated the way that Mandel used his psychic powers to seduce a vulnerable, much younger woman - it came off as totally creepy. Although Eleanor was given more agency towards the end of the book, she was always defined by her looks and her relationship with Mandel. Katerina is constantly described as gorgeous, sexy, and fond of sex, then gets horribly punished for it. The sexual politics of this novel are almost uniformly terrible and I found them very depressing.
The exception was Gabriel, the only woman who wasn’t treated as a sex object. I loved her grumpiness, competence, and sensible responses to her psychic powers. She was awesome and I was very pleased when the Trinities gang thought so too. Mandel’s internal monologue criticising her weight and commenting that she looked old and dowdy compounded my dislike of him.
I have actually read the sequel to this novel, The Nano Flower many years ago, but don’t remember anything much about it except scary psychic panther-things. I think I would have enjoyed ‘Mindstar Rising’ more as a teenager, when I read stacks of science fiction more or less uncritically. Now that I automatically look for socio-economic and feminist subtext in novels, science fiction thrillers often don’t come out too well. It’s a pity, though, because in this case the setting has been thought out well and really appealed to me. It was Peter F. Hamilton’s first novel, I think, so I guess you have to make allowances for that.
December 30, 2011
Mindstar Rising is the best cyberpunk novel you've never read. Peter F Hamilton is better known for his sprawling space operas, but in Mindstar he presents a tight thriller set in an intriguing post-global warming England coming out of a 10 year Left Totalitarian government. Greg Mandel is a private detective with little extra, a military-grade neural implant that lets him read minds, and a simple investigation into sabotage on a space station draws him into a dizzying world of corporate intrigue, hacking, and economic warfare.
This is a first novel, but Hamilton is humble enough to leave open questions about technology, human enhancement, and corporate power, rather than try to answer them once and for all. The novel is rife with the minor details that flesh out a good setting, like the medieval street markets next to shops turned into houses, or the new April in post-global warming England. Hard sci-fi fanatics might quibble at some things (laser pistols don't work like that, computer hacking isn't like that, socialists aren't like that, etc), but I don't care. The setting smells right, and unlike his other novels, Hamilton ends this one without the old deus ex machina.
This is a first novel, but Hamilton is humble enough to leave open questions about technology, human enhancement, and corporate power, rather than try to answer them once and for all. The novel is rife with the minor details that flesh out a good setting, like the medieval street markets next to shops turned into houses, or the new April in post-global warming England. Hard sci-fi fanatics might quibble at some things (laser pistols don't work like that, computer hacking isn't like that, socialists aren't like that, etc), but I don't care. The setting smells right, and unlike his other novels, Hamilton ends this one without the old deus ex machina.
March 3, 2024
On the plus side, the cyberpunk dystopian world building with a dash of post-apocalypticism was very compelling, as were the copious infusions of hard sci-fi and inventive future tech that you would expect from a master like Hamilton. However, the labyrinthine intrigue made for a dense, twisty plot that made my head hurt at times. I was somewhat neutral on the protagonist. Certainly a bad ass, but he objectifies women at every opportunity and relies on his psy powers, and those of his buddies, a bit too much, taking that whole shtick a bit too far into fantasy land for my taste. I'm on the fence about continuing with the series.
January 8, 2019
A good mystery and good hard sci-fi book, both. The protagonist has special perceptive powers due to a gland installed in his head by the military at one time. The characters in the book are mostly well-drawn and sympathetic, and the book pacing and writing was very good, minus an overlong "invasion" near the end of the book.
August 20, 2016
Greg Mandel trilogy was the one that propelled PFH on the heights of glory ;) It does not have the scope his later tomes have, but it does provide the same fun and enjoyment while reading it.
And one good point for those who are not fans of series in general, these books can be read as standalone. They are in a trilogy because of the main character, Greg Mandel, the psi enhanced Mindstar veteran and the tasks he does for Event Horizon, the company which hired his skills. But each of the three has its own story, a mystery-detective one.
It has some clichés, it’s a bit predictive, but totally a lot of fun.
And one good point for those who are not fans of series in general, these books can be read as standalone. They are in a trilogy because of the main character, Greg Mandel, the psi enhanced Mindstar veteran and the tasks he does for Event Horizon, the company which hired his skills. But each of the three has its own story, a mystery-detective one.
It has some clichés, it’s a bit predictive, but totally a lot of fun.
August 5, 2014
Mindstar Rising is a reasonably entertaining technological thriller, though I'm not going to touch the politics aspect of the speculative world Hamilton has created. The pace is okay, enough to keep you interested, and there are some characters that you get a little caught up in -- Julia, for example, and her grandfather; I felt pity for the wreck he was in, and sympathy because of the way he adored her. And Julia... I sympathised with the way she was struggling to figure out how she fit into the world.
On the whole, though, I won't be reading more of Hamilton's work, at least until I've got this ridiculous stack of books down a bit (unless there's another Hamilton book hiding in the pile). I think it's something more in my sister's line than mine, perhaps. Anyway, my main problem was the main character, Greg Mandel. He was just bland to me, up to the point where he used his psychic abilities to seduce a much younger, vulnerable woman. Then I started feeling twitchy. It's one thing to use it against people in criminal investigations -- although even then, I feel like someone's thoughts and emotions are really their own business and no one else's -- but using it for the sole purpose of getting laid?
Also, man, I have had enough of the male gaze-y crap. There are intelligent women in this book, strong women, but I think every woman Mandel comes across is evaluated first in terms of how she looks. I've had quiiiiiite enough of that, thank you.
Entertaining, like I said, but I'm not feeling the enthusiasm.
On the whole, though, I won't be reading more of Hamilton's work, at least until I've got this ridiculous stack of books down a bit (unless there's another Hamilton book hiding in the pile). I think it's something more in my sister's line than mine, perhaps. Anyway, my main problem was the main character, Greg Mandel. He was just bland to me, up to the point where he used his psychic abilities to seduce a much younger, vulnerable woman. Then I started feeling twitchy. It's one thing to use it against people in criminal investigations -- although even then, I feel like someone's thoughts and emotions are really their own business and no one else's -- but using it for the sole purpose of getting laid?
Also, man, I have had enough of the male gaze-y crap. There are intelligent women in this book, strong women, but I think every woman Mandel comes across is evaluated first in terms of how she looks. I've had quiiiiiite enough of that, thank you.
Entertaining, like I said, but I'm not feeling the enthusiasm.
January 7, 2012
~11/14 hrs left in the audiobook. Peter F. Hamilton is kind of a potboiler scifi writer, except he's really smart. The character development is above average. Sometimes I admit to being bored by the detailed descriptions; maybe I'm just not understanding it completely. But then something really intense happens that makes it worth it. That's where I am now. No messing. Doesn't have the fantasy elements of the Night's Dawn or Void trilogies. If you don't consider mind reading and seeing the future fantasy. There may be some libertarian messages.
Done:
Hamilton is a plotter -- so in the beginning you might not understand why all the elements are there, but it all fits together towards the end. I won't say 'tropes', but some of the 'cool stuff' in the book are mind uploading, brain enhancement, and genetic enhancement of animals.
The last 3 hours were really action packed. Hamilton can describe explosions and beam weapons well. Somewhat grisly escape. No messing.
I reviewed it here too: http://www.sffaudio.com/?p=36016
Done:
Hamilton is a plotter -- so in the beginning you might not understand why all the elements are there, but it all fits together towards the end. I won't say 'tropes', but some of the 'cool stuff' in the book are mind uploading, brain enhancement, and genetic enhancement of animals.
The last 3 hours were really action packed. Hamilton can describe explosions and beam weapons well. Somewhat grisly escape. No messing.
I reviewed it here too: http://www.sffaudio.com/?p=36016
November 3, 2022
This book should have been a four-star—the investigating, the setting (for the most part), the action scenes, everything I picked up the book for—but the constant sexism and right-wing politics make me want to shower in bleach for the next week. Also Greg going on a mental crusade against the antagonist for seducing a young girl, when the he does this in the literal first chapter with his psychic powers. He is also clearly sexually attracted to said Seventeen-Year-Old! girl throughout the book. He is in his late thirties. How did the author think this was in anyway a good idea?
And yet I will undoubtedly read more of PFH's books in the future. There are always a ton of good ideas I can borrow for my own sci-fi novels and do a better job with. Even if I hate myself for reading them afterwards.
And yet I will undoubtedly read more of PFH's books in the future. There are always a ton of good ideas I can borrow for my own sci-fi novels and do a better job with. Even if I hate myself for reading them afterwards.
August 25, 2021
I dont really have anything new to say about Peter Hamilton's first novel. I agree with the consensus here. He had some good ideas and the concept behind this Mindstar regiment, and Greg and Gabriel's leftover powers were very intriguing indeed. The plot was pretty basic by the numbers espionage.
Like many others the female characters largely put me off. Greg seduces young women, and casts objectifying eyes over every single women he encounters. It isn't played as objectionable at all, I think we are meant to find Greg very much the relatable lead.
I prefer the Void trilogy but I'll likely finish off this series too.
Like many others the female characters largely put me off. Greg seduces young women, and casts objectifying eyes over every single women he encounters. It isn't played as objectionable at all, I think we are meant to find Greg very much the relatable lead.
I prefer the Void trilogy but I'll likely finish off this series too.
July 14, 2012
Computer's been eating partially-written reviews again. Grrr.
Would have been great if not for the politics, both material and sexual. Britain is suffering the aftermath of severe climate change, worsened (like everything else) by the appalling rule of the People's Socialist Party. But worry not, as the New Conservatives are now in power, and Event Horizon, the multi-national, mega-super-big company run by Philip Evans, with help from his brain node-enriched granddaughter, Julia. I imagine the idea of the New Conservatives and filthy-rich industrialists together saving the day might have read a little less like the darkest of black comedy back when this was published, but today...?
Greg Mandel himself is sort of 'old-fashioned honorable', ex-soldier, been given a psychic gland by the military, and now hired to see who's trying to mess with Event Horizon. Which is nice, and he is depicted as loyal, no matter what - except that he starts out with Eleanor by using his psychic powers to help him seduce her, and by the time they end up the couple of the decade, nobody seems to think anything of this! But in terms of sex, the attitudes are very retro indeed. There's a lot about women's appearance, and Greg even says at one point something to the effect of his being able to 'forgive' his close friend and fellow psi-boosted ex-army mate Gabrielle, for letting herself go, because her psychic ability is so tough on her. She has let herself go in more than the physical sense, but this is specifically mentioned - she's dumpy and dowdy. For shame, woman! (I'm getting cranky about this all over again, writing this.) There's also this weird little peasant-to-royalty vibe near the end, when Eleanor is pleading with Julia to rescue her 'man'. Made me slightly nauseous.
When I could stick the nonsensically villainous socialist-thing in a dark mental corner, and ignore the ruthlessness we seemed supposed to understand and condone in the awful Philip Evans (because it was all for Julia - yeah, right), and nobody was thinking about sexy times, then the story was a fair amount of fun, with some good twists. Not very convincing science (and there was one stupid assumption made by Greg and the head of Event Horizon security that was so idiotic I'd have fired both of them), I wouldn't have thought, but fun all the same. Pity about all the ignoring required.
Would have been great if not for the politics, both material and sexual. Britain is suffering the aftermath of severe climate change, worsened (like everything else) by the appalling rule of the People's Socialist Party. But worry not, as the New Conservatives are now in power, and Event Horizon, the multi-national, mega-super-big company run by Philip Evans, with help from his brain node-enriched granddaughter, Julia. I imagine the idea of the New Conservatives and filthy-rich industrialists together saving the day might have read a little less like the darkest of black comedy back when this was published, but today...?
Greg Mandel himself is sort of 'old-fashioned honorable', ex-soldier, been given a psychic gland by the military, and now hired to see who's trying to mess with Event Horizon. Which is nice, and he is depicted as loyal, no matter what - except that he starts out with Eleanor by using his psychic powers to help him seduce her, and by the time they end up the couple of the decade, nobody seems to think anything of this! But in terms of sex, the attitudes are very retro indeed. There's a lot about women's appearance, and Greg even says at one point something to the effect of his being able to 'forgive' his close friend and fellow psi-boosted ex-army mate Gabrielle, for letting herself go, because her psychic ability is so tough on her. She has let herself go in more than the physical sense, but this is specifically mentioned - she's dumpy and dowdy. For shame, woman! (I'm getting cranky about this all over again, writing this.) There's also this weird little peasant-to-royalty vibe near the end, when Eleanor is pleading with Julia to rescue her 'man'. Made me slightly nauseous.
When I could stick the nonsensically villainous socialist-thing in a dark mental corner, and ignore the ruthlessness we seemed supposed to understand and condone in the awful Philip Evans (because it was all for Julia - yeah, right), and nobody was thinking about sexy times, then the story was a fair amount of fun, with some good twists. Not very convincing science (and there was one stupid assumption made by Greg and the head of Event Horizon security that was so idiotic I'd have fired both of them), I wouldn't have thought, but fun all the same. Pity about all the ignoring required.
July 7, 2021
This is a cyberpunk dystopia written from the point of the view of the greedy giant corporations. It doesn't work - at least for me - because the story is essentially about a squabble between psychopathic billionaires who don't care they're getting their employees killed, and everyone involved is extremely unsympathetic and awful. The sexual politics are very bad, and Hamilton spends more time describing the boobs of the female characters than the appearance of the protagonist. Mandel himself is also very unlikable - at one point a character tells him in confidence that she was sexually abused and he immediately starts blabbing about it to her employees. Just ugh, would have thrown it away if it wasn't a gift.
November 16, 2012
Greg Mandel can read your mind, sort of. He can tell when you're lying and depending on the question can reason out what is going on. While this was a great asset in the military, once he got out it's more of a unique skill set paid for by the government.
He is hired by a billionaire to determine who is sabotaging his earth orbit manufacturing facilities.
He soon lands in a major battle with the people who are doing the sabotage. However, as he peels away the layers in that organization it keeps pointing to people in higher places with matching bank accounts.
It's an adventure par excellent, which is standard fare for Peter F Hamilton who is a master story teller
He is hired by a billionaire to determine who is sabotaging his earth orbit manufacturing facilities.
He soon lands in a major battle with the people who are doing the sabotage. However, as he peels away the layers in that organization it keeps pointing to people in higher places with matching bank accounts.
It's an adventure par excellent, which is standard fare for Peter F Hamilton who is a master story teller
June 8, 2012
Mindstar Rising is Peter F Hamilton's first published novel from back in 1993 and still on of my favourites of his. I've read this novel so many times I've lost count, but with each read I still enjoy the characters and world he has created. Despite the fact that the world history and main plot details now seem dated, I still found myself enthralled in a great sci-fi detective story.
The setting of Mindstar Rising is England in the mid 21st century, specifically the areas around Rutland and Peterborough. This may not sound that exciting, but with the rise in sea levels all of the land east of Peterborough is now under a metre or two of water and the temperatures now echo those of the Mediterranean. The rise in sea level has caused a mass exodus of the low lying lands and the cities are now crowded. Add to this that the country has been under a hard left political dictatorship for the past ten years and you can start to imagine the state of the country.
While these all affect the landscape of England and the world we're introduced to, it's all a very well executed backdrop to the story Hamilton is telling. With the fall of the People's Socialist Party, the country is getting back on its feet and Event Horizon, a private corporation run by one Philip Evans, is returning to England after years smuggling technology across the borders to the people in need. Now in the strong position of creating jobs and a technological industry that will rival the best in the world, Event Horizon has a very bright future ahead. It's not until a sophisticated spoiler operation is run against it that we get into the nitty gritty of the story and meet the full cast of characters that take us along for the ride.
Greg Mandel is the main character in Mindstar Rising, a telepath who can vaguely read minds enough to see when someone is lying. He's an ex-soldier from the disbanded Mindstar Brigade, a company of officers each with their own psychic abilities gained through the implantation of a gland in their brain. Greg is scraping by after being left in the cold while the PSP ruled and as such has no sympathy for them. I like Greg, he's such an enjoyable character to read because he just doesn't mess around and is able to talk to people and assess the situation quickly and effectively. This is a good thing as we follow him for the majority of the novel while his investigations for Event Horizon start turning up some interesting things.
Event Horizon is run by Philip Evans and his granddaughter, Julia Evans, two characters that take after each other perfectly with their unstoppable goals for the company. Philip Evans is an ill old man, but Julia is young and bubbly and has more than the expected knowledge and drive for someone her age. While Philip is instantly recognisable as an old school business man who has a wealth of experience, Julia is more of a grey area as we're never too sure, at least at the start, how she will deal with situations. They both make for a formidable team, especially with their chief of security Morgan Walshaw at their side.
There are a few characters that I really did enjoy from Greg's past, but Gabriel Thompson is by far the most interesting. With a psychic ability that lets her see the future it instantly made me suspicious that Hamilton was overdoing it and making things too easy for our protagonists, although when we're introduced to her we see what this ability has on her and allows us to more fully appreciate the situation of the Mindstar veterans. Suffice to say that Gabriel is an asset to the story, but Hamilton manages to stop short of over-using her and getting all the problems solved.
While the motives for the attacks against Event Horizon are never that clear, especially as more and more information comes to light, Hamilton manages to deliver a very well paced story that gives us good amounts of action and worldbuilding while delivering and well plotted and focused novel. I still enjoy Mindstar Rising after many re-reads and if you can look past the dated political and geographical set up then you'll find yourself a great near-future investigative sci-fi tale. Highly recommended.
The setting of Mindstar Rising is England in the mid 21st century, specifically the areas around Rutland and Peterborough. This may not sound that exciting, but with the rise in sea levels all of the land east of Peterborough is now under a metre or two of water and the temperatures now echo those of the Mediterranean. The rise in sea level has caused a mass exodus of the low lying lands and the cities are now crowded. Add to this that the country has been under a hard left political dictatorship for the past ten years and you can start to imagine the state of the country.
While these all affect the landscape of England and the world we're introduced to, it's all a very well executed backdrop to the story Hamilton is telling. With the fall of the People's Socialist Party, the country is getting back on its feet and Event Horizon, a private corporation run by one Philip Evans, is returning to England after years smuggling technology across the borders to the people in need. Now in the strong position of creating jobs and a technological industry that will rival the best in the world, Event Horizon has a very bright future ahead. It's not until a sophisticated spoiler operation is run against it that we get into the nitty gritty of the story and meet the full cast of characters that take us along for the ride.
Greg Mandel is the main character in Mindstar Rising, a telepath who can vaguely read minds enough to see when someone is lying. He's an ex-soldier from the disbanded Mindstar Brigade, a company of officers each with their own psychic abilities gained through the implantation of a gland in their brain. Greg is scraping by after being left in the cold while the PSP ruled and as such has no sympathy for them. I like Greg, he's such an enjoyable character to read because he just doesn't mess around and is able to talk to people and assess the situation quickly and effectively. This is a good thing as we follow him for the majority of the novel while his investigations for Event Horizon start turning up some interesting things.
Event Horizon is run by Philip Evans and his granddaughter, Julia Evans, two characters that take after each other perfectly with their unstoppable goals for the company. Philip Evans is an ill old man, but Julia is young and bubbly and has more than the expected knowledge and drive for someone her age. While Philip is instantly recognisable as an old school business man who has a wealth of experience, Julia is more of a grey area as we're never too sure, at least at the start, how she will deal with situations. They both make for a formidable team, especially with their chief of security Morgan Walshaw at their side.
There are a few characters that I really did enjoy from Greg's past, but Gabriel Thompson is by far the most interesting. With a psychic ability that lets her see the future it instantly made me suspicious that Hamilton was overdoing it and making things too easy for our protagonists, although when we're introduced to her we see what this ability has on her and allows us to more fully appreciate the situation of the Mindstar veterans. Suffice to say that Gabriel is an asset to the story, but Hamilton manages to stop short of over-using her and getting all the problems solved.
While the motives for the attacks against Event Horizon are never that clear, especially as more and more information comes to light, Hamilton manages to deliver a very well paced story that gives us good amounts of action and worldbuilding while delivering and well plotted and focused novel. I still enjoy Mindstar Rising after many re-reads and if you can look past the dated political and geographical set up then you'll find yourself a great near-future investigative sci-fi tale. Highly recommended.
September 18, 2022
Greg Mandel est un ex Mindstar - une sorte de militaire possédant des glandes lui donnant un sens de l’intuition décuplé. Il se fait engager par la famille Evans, et leur compagnie, Event Horizon, qui cache bien des secrets, le tout dans un futur cataclysmique proto cyber punk.
Je n’ai qu’une chose à dire : hello déception ?? Comment on peut avoir écrit Salvation, et ça ? OK, le côté thriller est sympa, les idées cyber développées, bien que pas très originale, sont bien amenées, l’idée des glandes militaires est cool … Et au milieu de ça, TOUTES les femmes du bouquin sont traitées comme des vaginettes, surtout (et c’est là que le bât blesse le plus), les mineures. Il y a des passages à la limite du porno / CP qui sont juste … De quoi te dégouter de l’histoire, qui n’avait pas besoin de ça pour retenir le lecteur.
Gros sentiment d’inconfort et d’incompréhension, parce que ça ne ressort pas du tout dans le reste de ses écrits.
Je n’ai qu’une chose à dire : hello déception ?? Comment on peut avoir écrit Salvation, et ça ? OK, le côté thriller est sympa, les idées cyber développées, bien que pas très originale, sont bien amenées, l’idée des glandes militaires est cool … Et au milieu de ça, TOUTES les femmes du bouquin sont traitées comme des vaginettes, surtout (et c’est là que le bât blesse le plus), les mineures. Il y a des passages à la limite du porno / CP qui sont juste … De quoi te dégouter de l’histoire, qui n’avait pas besoin de ça pour retenir le lecteur.
Gros sentiment d’inconfort et d’incompréhension, parce que ça ne ressort pas du tout dans le reste de ses écrits.
May 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Also, the audiobook narrator was fantastic.
Greg Mandel is a protagonist you can really root for. The world he lives in (post-global warming, techno-dystopian England but with a big potential hope) is a believable future that's really interesting. The enemies are communists (I miss the Cold War...).
Great pacing. Great allies. Great technology. Interesting characters. Really did a wonderful job. And the last quarter of the book is really edge-of-your-seat action. Just and awesome, fun read. Recommended to people who love a good space opera, though this isn't exactly a space opera. I started the 2nd in the series immediately.
I think the only real negative for me is that the book started out with a lot of sexuality. It was almost to the point where I thought, man, if this keeps going no way am I going to finish the book. Too much too soon. But it tapered off quickly and moved on to real plot, and, in retrospect, the early sexual stuff set the foundation for key character development and plot points later on that might have been hard to get across another way.
Greg Mandel is a protagonist you can really root for. The world he lives in (post-global warming, techno-dystopian England but with a big potential hope) is a believable future that's really interesting. The enemies are communists (I miss the Cold War...).
Great pacing. Great allies. Great technology. Interesting characters. Really did a wonderful job. And the last quarter of the book is really edge-of-your-seat action. Just and awesome, fun read. Recommended to people who love a good space opera, though this isn't exactly a space opera. I started the 2nd in the series immediately.
I think the only real negative for me is that the book started out with a lot of sexuality. It was almost to the point where I thought, man, if this keeps going no way am I going to finish the book. Too much too soon. But it tapered off quickly and moved on to real plot, and, in retrospect, the early sexual stuff set the foundation for key character development and plot points later on that might have been hard to get across another way.
June 20, 2017
Echt schön: für vieles von dem, was ich im Commonwealth-Zyklus so toll finde, sind hier schon die Ansätze zu sehen - im übertragenen Sinne: der Umgang mit gesellschaftlichen, persönlichen und wirtschaftlichen Dingen, Einführung der Personen, verschiedene Handlungsstränge, und natürlich ein Ende, bei dem alle Fäden zusammenlaufen: so liebe ich das bei Hamilton.
April 25, 2018
Yay - the original PFH insufferable sexual wish fulfillment Gary Stu hero seen in all his glory.
November 25, 2025
En av Hamiltons första böcker och det märks. Han har inte riktigt hittat stilen som görs hans senare böcker så bra enligt mig. Dock lyser vissa delar igenom och överlag är det inget större fel på vare sig karaktärerna (även om kvinnorna är något objektifierade) eller världen han byggt upp. Det som fäller boken från en 4a är att jag tycker att slutet tyvärr faller något platt efter all uppbyggnad.
July 27, 2017
“Mindstar Rising”, is written by Peter F. Hamilton and is the first Greg Mandel book of three and I’ve bought this book on veteran’s day 2007. ISB number 0-330-32376-8, first published in 1993 by Pan.
Keep in mind that the story is written in 1993 by Peter Hamilton (currently 24 years ago) and the story is still compelling.
The setting is great, the changing of the climate raised the water levels and swamps the lower parts of England. The politic situation in England is terrible and wars are being fought in the streets of the bigger cities. The political situation changes and there is room for big companies such as Event Horizon to get a foothold in the UK helping the economy. Event Horizon is led by Philip Evans and later on by his granddaughter Julia Evans. Event Horizon is growing ferry fast and investing a lot of money in research leaving the competition far behind. The success of Event Horizon however gives rise to corporate espionage and sabotage.
Greg Mandel is a former Mindstar veteran with a military grade neural implant, which enables him to sense truth or lie and gives him an intuitive edge about almost any situation. He is asked by Event Horizon to investigate a complex case of corporate espionage and hacking attempts endangering the existence of Event Horizon.
The not so good part of Hamilton’s writing (not only in this book), is the way he describes/handles the female characters. He always focuses on sex and Hamilton misses a chance to develop the female characters.
The technology described by Hamilton is good (sometimes a little bit out-dated but hey, 1993 what do expect?)
Below an abstract of the personages:
Former Mindstar Battalion:
• Greg Mandel, former Mindstar battalion.
• Gabriel Thompson, former Mindstar battalion.
Wilholm Manor, Evans’ Estate:
• Philip Evans, Owner of Event Horizon.
• Julia (Juliet) Evans, Granddaughter
• Dillan Evans, Julia’s father,
• Adale, Julia’s maid.
Julia’s friends:
• Adrian Marler
• Karina Cowthorpe
Julia’s bodyguards:
• Steven Welbourne.
• Rachel Griffith.
Event Horizon,
• Morgan Walshaw, security Chief.
• Dr. Ranasfari, leading one of the research teams.
• Martin Wallace, institute security officer.
Event Horizon’s Hardliners:
• Victor Tyo Staff Lieutenant.
• Bruces Parwez.
• Evan Hains.
• Jerry Masefield.
• Isabel Curtics.
• Glen Dichitt.
Sean Francis, Captain of the Oscot, Cyber factory ship part of Listoel.
Jeff Graham, Sanger pilot.
Sanger, space plane used for bringing up the microgee modules.
Microgee space station modules.
The Parnell, sister ship of the Oscot.
Horace Jepson, Channel Magnate Globecast and personal friend of Julia Evans.
Kendric di Girolamo, 8% stake in the backing consortium of Event horizon.
Hermoine, Kendric’s wife.
Zantus Space Station;
• Lewis Pelham, dormitory commander.
• Don Howard, Security captain.
• Angie Kirkpatrick, furnace operator.
• Jenifer and Diana, Angie’s daughters.
• Norman Knowles, furnace operator.
• Kurt Schimel, providing the malware.
• Alexius McNamara, software specialist.
Trinities:
• Royan, hotrod hacker.
• Goi, Royan’s caretaker.
• Des.
• Suzie.
• Teddy “Father”, former sergeant and leader of the Trinities.
PSP members:
• Leopold Armstrong, former PSP President.
• Nevel Turner, former minister in the PSP government.
Hotrod:
• Ade O’Donal/Tentimes, hotrod hacking Event Horizon.
• Wolf/Charles Ellis, Tentimes employer living at Castlewood condominium, New Eastfield, Petersborough.
Keep in mind that the story is written in 1993 by Peter Hamilton (currently 24 years ago) and the story is still compelling.
The setting is great, the changing of the climate raised the water levels and swamps the lower parts of England. The politic situation in England is terrible and wars are being fought in the streets of the bigger cities. The political situation changes and there is room for big companies such as Event Horizon to get a foothold in the UK helping the economy. Event Horizon is led by Philip Evans and later on by his granddaughter Julia Evans. Event Horizon is growing ferry fast and investing a lot of money in research leaving the competition far behind. The success of Event Horizon however gives rise to corporate espionage and sabotage.
Greg Mandel is a former Mindstar veteran with a military grade neural implant, which enables him to sense truth or lie and gives him an intuitive edge about almost any situation. He is asked by Event Horizon to investigate a complex case of corporate espionage and hacking attempts endangering the existence of Event Horizon.
The not so good part of Hamilton’s writing (not only in this book), is the way he describes/handles the female characters. He always focuses on sex and Hamilton misses a chance to develop the female characters.
The technology described by Hamilton is good (sometimes a little bit out-dated but hey, 1993 what do expect?)
Below an abstract of the personages:
Former Mindstar Battalion:
• Greg Mandel, former Mindstar battalion.
• Gabriel Thompson, former Mindstar battalion.
Wilholm Manor, Evans’ Estate:
• Philip Evans, Owner of Event Horizon.
• Julia (Juliet) Evans, Granddaughter
• Dillan Evans, Julia’s father,
• Adale, Julia’s maid.
Julia’s friends:
• Adrian Marler
• Karina Cowthorpe
Julia’s bodyguards:
• Steven Welbourne.
• Rachel Griffith.
Event Horizon,
• Morgan Walshaw, security Chief.
• Dr. Ranasfari, leading one of the research teams.
• Martin Wallace, institute security officer.
Event Horizon’s Hardliners:
• Victor Tyo Staff Lieutenant.
• Bruces Parwez.
• Evan Hains.
• Jerry Masefield.
• Isabel Curtics.
• Glen Dichitt.
Sean Francis, Captain of the Oscot, Cyber factory ship part of Listoel.
Jeff Graham, Sanger pilot.
Sanger, space plane used for bringing up the microgee modules.
Microgee space station modules.
The Parnell, sister ship of the Oscot.
Horace Jepson, Channel Magnate Globecast and personal friend of Julia Evans.
Kendric di Girolamo, 8% stake in the backing consortium of Event horizon.
Hermoine, Kendric’s wife.
Zantus Space Station;
• Lewis Pelham, dormitory commander.
• Don Howard, Security captain.
• Angie Kirkpatrick, furnace operator.
• Jenifer and Diana, Angie’s daughters.
• Norman Knowles, furnace operator.
• Kurt Schimel, providing the malware.
• Alexius McNamara, software specialist.
Trinities:
• Royan, hotrod hacker.
• Goi, Royan’s caretaker.
• Des.
• Suzie.
• Teddy “Father”, former sergeant and leader of the Trinities.
PSP members:
• Leopold Armstrong, former PSP President.
• Nevel Turner, former minister in the PSP government.
Hotrod:
• Ade O’Donal/Tentimes, hotrod hacking Event Horizon.
• Wolf/Charles Ellis, Tentimes employer living at Castlewood condominium, New Eastfield, Petersborough.
November 8, 2018
I've been wanting to try a Peter F. Hamilton book for while and, this being his first, it seemed a good jumping on point.
This novel is equal parts whodunnit and sci-fi near-future story complete with a swag of you-beaut gizmos and gadgets. It works on both levels.
As a whodunnit, most of the clues are drip-fed throughout the novel, and as a work of sci-fi that falls somewhere between utopia and dystopia, the science seems achievable, just not for a while. Written in 1993, his timeline of tech have mostly not been met, although cyber-faxes seem a pretty good prediction of mobile phones (and why is it that in sci-fi they so often overestimate the tech we'll have by now, but grossly underestimate what our phones can do?)
Like a number of private detectives before him (Cliff Hardy is a personal fave), the central character is a former soldier which helps supply him with ample doses of world weariness. The character types and relationships aren't terribly new to genre, but delivered quite well. I've read that Hamilton feels this trilogy was an essential part of his learning curve but not a story-line he wishes to resurrect and this might relate partly to the fact his future stories (I gather) deal with BIG IDEAS... or it could be a due to a few of the cliched elements in the book, like the buxom-as-hell young girlfriend.
But I liked it. I thought it was clever, that the mystery portion was fair and intriguing. Of the science fiction elements, I most liked the gland-enhancement that gave him his powers as a nearly psychic detective (and I love the TV show Psych, so there may be a connection). I don't know Hamilton's politics but his use of the People's Socialist Party as the Big Bad may suggest an antipathy for the Left? The rest of his works may tell me more.
But again, I liked it. I intend to see out the full series and am even keener to read what he wrote beyond that.
This novel is equal parts whodunnit and sci-fi near-future story complete with a swag of you-beaut gizmos and gadgets. It works on both levels.
As a whodunnit, most of the clues are drip-fed throughout the novel, and as a work of sci-fi that falls somewhere between utopia and dystopia, the science seems achievable, just not for a while. Written in 1993, his timeline of tech have mostly not been met, although cyber-faxes seem a pretty good prediction of mobile phones (and why is it that in sci-fi they so often overestimate the tech we'll have by now, but grossly underestimate what our phones can do?)
Like a number of private detectives before him (Cliff Hardy is a personal fave), the central character is a former soldier which helps supply him with ample doses of world weariness. The character types and relationships aren't terribly new to genre, but delivered quite well. I've read that Hamilton feels this trilogy was an essential part of his learning curve but not a story-line he wishes to resurrect and this might relate partly to the fact his future stories (I gather) deal with BIG IDEAS... or it could be a due to a few of the cliched elements in the book, like the buxom-as-hell young girlfriend.
But I liked it. I thought it was clever, that the mystery portion was fair and intriguing. Of the science fiction elements, I most liked the gland-enhancement that gave him his powers as a nearly psychic detective (and I love the TV show Psych, so there may be a connection). I don't know Hamilton's politics but his use of the People's Socialist Party as the Big Bad may suggest an antipathy for the Left? The rest of his works may tell me more.
But again, I liked it. I intend to see out the full series and am even keener to read what he wrote beyond that.
November 3, 2018
I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE AND IT IS BRITISH!!!
Ok. I didn’t get off to a good start with this one. I found the initial scene-setting like a poor (English) man’s William Gibson, but it really grew on me.
I’m used to most near-future sci-fi being a sort of Bladerunner-esque rainy Seattle. The post Global-warming tropical England is a novel setting, and Hamilton did a great job world-building without letting it distract from the plot. When the characters run up computer simulations on the Amstrads, I had a nice chuckle.
I thought the way the hero, Greg Mandel’s, Psi abilities were handled were really cool, and it cracks along at an excellent pace, with a few twists and turns.
Objections.
Whatever the revolution in political consciousness has occurred in sci-fi, the author seems to have missed out. We are immediately aware of all the female protagonist’s breast sizes and shapes, and they were all pretty keen on sex with Greg. Also, what sort of hero-name is Greg?
The goodies in this are pro-monarchy capitalists, and the other side is painted in pretty basic contrast.
Despite my quibbles, it is a masterful bit of sci-fi pulp.
Ok. I didn’t get off to a good start with this one. I found the initial scene-setting like a poor (English) man’s William Gibson, but it really grew on me.
I’m used to most near-future sci-fi being a sort of Bladerunner-esque rainy Seattle. The post Global-warming tropical England is a novel setting, and Hamilton did a great job world-building without letting it distract from the plot. When the characters run up computer simulations on the Amstrads, I had a nice chuckle.
I thought the way the hero, Greg Mandel’s, Psi abilities were handled were really cool, and it cracks along at an excellent pace, with a few twists and turns.
Objections.
Whatever the revolution in political consciousness has occurred in sci-fi, the author seems to have missed out. We are immediately aware of all the female protagonist’s breast sizes and shapes, and they were all pretty keen on sex with Greg. Also, what sort of hero-name is Greg?
The goodies in this are pro-monarchy capitalists, and the other side is painted in pretty basic contrast.
Despite my quibbles, it is a masterful bit of sci-fi pulp.
October 23, 2008
Peter F. Hamilton's debut novel is an entertaining thriller set in a near future where global warming, a Credit Crash and far left wing totalitarianism wrecked the British economy, Scotland has become independent and Wales gets no mention at all.... England's recovery from all of this is underway but it's fragile and many are still living under the influence of gangs and corruption.
The protagonist, a war vet with medically boosted empathy and intuition, is hired by the hi-tech company leading the way in dragging the economy forward out of egrarianism and bartering to solve a case of industrial espionage and illegal spoiler tactics.
It is a straightforward narrative that soon grips and is not bloated. Fun and followed by two sequels involving the same protagonists. Readers of the Night's Dawn trilogy or the Commonwealth Saga will find this something of a stylistic contrast.
The protagonist, a war vet with medically boosted empathy and intuition, is hired by the hi-tech company leading the way in dragging the economy forward out of egrarianism and bartering to solve a case of industrial espionage and illegal spoiler tactics.
It is a straightforward narrative that soon grips and is not bloated. Fun and followed by two sequels involving the same protagonists. Readers of the Night's Dawn trilogy or the Commonwealth Saga will find this something of a stylistic contrast.
May 29, 2011
Consisting of:
Mindstar Rising
A Quantum Murder
The Nano Flower
These three loosely connected novels share the same protagonist, Greg Mandel. He is a psychic former soldier who now works as a sort of private investigator/mercenary. Greg comes into contact with a billionaire named Julia Evans, a very interesting characted in herself.
Although they can be read as straightforward SciFi crime novels, there is much more depth here. The location, a post ecodisaster England recovering from climate change is a fascinating place. Add to that a brave new kind of capitalism that has superseded rabid socialism, and the social commentary becomes top notch. Highly recommended.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=789
Mindstar Rising
A Quantum Murder
The Nano Flower
These three loosely connected novels share the same protagonist, Greg Mandel. He is a psychic former soldier who now works as a sort of private investigator/mercenary. Greg comes into contact with a billionaire named Julia Evans, a very interesting characted in herself.
Although they can be read as straightforward SciFi crime novels, there is much more depth here. The location, a post ecodisaster England recovering from climate change is a fascinating place. Add to that a brave new kind of capitalism that has superseded rabid socialism, and the social commentary becomes top notch. Highly recommended.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=789
October 12, 2011
I really loved this first outing with Greg Mandel, a psychic detetctive operating in a near future Earth that Hamilton has carefully crafted. The mystery aspect is very well handled with lots of twists and unexpected revelations that kept me reading far later into the night than I should. I am very drawn to the world Hamilton envisions with it's political, economic, and technological advancements, all so plausible and enticing. As with previous titles, I can recommend this one with complete confidence so pick it up soon.
June 24, 2015
I'm reading the Hamilton series out of order. :-) I've read his big space opera's and now I started with his first series. The Greg Mandel books are more cyberpunk then the other books of Hamilton I've read. But you can already spot some of his common themes in here.
I had a hard time starting in this book. It starts with two seemingly smaller cases before the real story unfolds. But once the story really kicks off; I was really into it. the book reads like a train, and there are some twists and turns to keep everything going.
Read this if you like to enjoy your books.
I had a hard time starting in this book. It starts with two seemingly smaller cases before the real story unfolds. But once the story really kicks off; I was really into it. the book reads like a train, and there are some twists and turns to keep everything going.
Read this if you like to enjoy your books.
May 3, 2010
A fine science fiction mystery from Hamilton with thrills, suspense and action. His main character has been an operative in the best sense of action hero --working for the Army, he has a special neurohormone that makes him a telepath. Now he has to use his military talents and his telepathy to figure out who is hunting a visionary industrialist.
All the action you could want.
All the action you could want.
December 29, 2016
I did finish this, though it was an effort. Plodding & ultimately boring.
Hard to believe the same writer was responsible for the "Night's Dawn Trilogy". Though admittedly i read that 20 years ago, so i can't help wondering if i would regard it as highly if i were reading it for the first time now.
*3* stars
Hard to believe the same writer was responsible for the "Night's Dawn Trilogy". Though admittedly i read that 20 years ago, so i can't help wondering if i would regard it as highly if i were reading it for the first time now.
*3* stars
January 12, 2016
Pretty decent action-based near-future Sci-fi, especially considering it was the author's first book (I think). The sort of book I enjoy reading, but don't then feel the urgent need to go out and pursue more in the series. Will read the Night's Dawn series at some point though.
July 6, 2017
This was like nothing I have read before. The world was futuristic and at times difficult to picture but the characters, for the most part, were appealing and relatable. The storyline was compelling, progressed at a decent pace, and kept me engaged from the get go.
A very enjoyable read!
A very enjoyable read!
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