Feb 2013 Read: The Reality Dysfunction

[Jason]

The great The Reality Dysfunction is our random read for February.

Hamilton is known for his epic sci-fi bricks ... um, I meant books, and I've been meaning to read this one for a while.

So, let's dig in, see where Hamilton takes us, and discuss what we find.

[Jason]

I guess nobody could see this because I forgot to pin it. Sorry folks. Now we can discuss.

[Zac]

So - the "edition" of this that I've been hanging onto meaning to read is actually printed as 2 separate books: Part 1: Emergence and Part 2: Expansion . I'm about 40 pages from finishing Emergence, which I guess means I'm nearly half way through the book (though being it's own print, I feel a bit more accomplished! haha).

Anyway - in typical PFH fashion, I'm LOVING his 'cast of thousands' approach and enjoying this immensely. This one seems a little more 'fun' and tongue in cheek than the Commonwealth stuff - what with our handsome, raffish cocksman Captain Calvert. And I'll never get over Hamilton's world building - the epic bundle of 'big ideas' this guy packs into his books is astounding.

[Joshua]

An OK book, There were so many characters and everything was so loosely connected that I felt lost for half the book.

The sex scenes were gratuitous and unnecessarily graphic. If i wanted to read about throbbing members I would have read a book with Fabio on the cover.

The story did become more interesting in the last half of the book, with this mysterious entity coming into focus and characters becoming threatened.

All in all this book felt like a 500+ page preface.

[Zac]

Joshua wrote: "An OK book, There were so many characters and everything was so loosely connected that I felt lost for half the book.

The sex scenes were gratuitous and unnecessarily graphic. If i wanted to read..."


I wonder if you only read Part 1: Emergence? That's 585 pages, but it's not like Part 2: Expansion is really even a sequel - they were originally published as a single 1223 page novel. So if it seemed like a preface, it really kinda is.

I don't entirely disagree with you on the book being oversexed though - I was surprised by how prevalent and graphic it is. Not bothered by it, per se, but definitely surprised.

[Joshua]

I will continue on with the second book then. Cause i do find these xenoc beings very interesting

[Zac]

hahaha enough to tolerate Calvert? The Psychic Sexaholic in Space!?!

I'm definitely reading the next half, I'm intrigued. Not really sure where this is going, but I'm intrigued.

[Carole]

Hi I'm new to the group and I know I'm a few days late starting but I couldn't resist a re-read of my favourite series.
I first discovered the Reality Dysfunction by accident, having been sent it in error. Now I can't even remember what I did order but I will be forever grateful they got it wrong and sent me this instead!
I look forward to discussing it.

[Zac]

hahaha - I just came across one of the most awesome/ridiculous/over-the-top passages in recent memory:

"The gaussgun's fragmentation round hit the man full in his chest, and penetrated to a depth of ten centimetres, already starting to crater the flesh, impact shock pulverizing the entire mass of organs held within his rib cage to mucilaginous jelly. Then it exploded, silicone shrapnel reducing the entire body to a spherical cascade of scarlet cells.

Will Danza grunted in acute satisfaction. 'Try rebuilding yourself out of that, my xenoc friend,' he told the slippery red leaves."

[Beezlebug (Rob)]

Carole wrote: "Hi I'm new to the group and I know I'm a few days late starting but I couldn't resist a re-read of my favourite series.
I first discovered the Reality Dysfunction by accident, having been sent it..."

I had a similar experience years ago. I thought the cover looked intriguing but the "dead posessing the living" theme sounded too supernatural for me. I bought the book from B&N because I needed one more for an order I was placing and it ended up being one of my favorite series ever. I've reread the whole series twice and will probably queue it up again here in the near future.

[Hettie]

I picked up this book ages ago and it has been sitting on my shelf since. The size of it kept putting me off.

Thanks to the group I have now started. I am as yet only 300 pages in. The first chapters I found frustrating. I just got involved with the characters and then it was a new chapter and a new set of characters.

At least I have got to the point when the characters start reappearing. Although I have to agree already that Calvert is just slightly annoying.

I do dislike the parts based on the colony at the moment. Not really found a character there that I have connected with. I am sure that it is really important to the overall story though.

[Hettie]

Joshua wrote: "The sex scenes were gratuitous and unnecessarily graphic. If i wanted to read about throbbing members I would have read a book with Fabio on the cover. ..."

I completely agree. It seems just a bit out of place. I have tended to skim over those scenes.

[Zac]

This has quickly made it, quite unexpectedly, into perhaps one of my top 5 favorite zombie novels of all time. haha

[Zac]

It was probably inevitable, but I was forced yesterday to order bargain copies of The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God. [Shakes fist at sky] Damn you, Peter F Hamilton for being so infinitely readable, addictive and entertaining!

[Richard]

Zac wrote: "This has quickly made it, quite unexpectedly, into perhaps one of my top 5 favorite zombie novels of all time. haha"

You hit the nail on the head. I read this series a few years ago and enjoyed most of it, some chapters I had to skim, but for the most part it was very entertaining.

Funny that no one here has mentioned Al Capone yet.

[mark, personal space invader]

he was actually my least favorite part.

although overall I really loved this series and look forward to rereading it.

[[deleted user]]

I read this last year and enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as some of his later work (The Commonwealth Saga is my favorite of his). I have the second book (broken into the two novels) but I haven't read them just yet. I think it might be time to do that.

[Zac]

I just finished the Void trilogy and it was awesome too. I just love PFH's stuff - it's incredible.

[Gerry]

The problem I have with the Void trilogy, Zac, is the writer's prose. It's barely serviceable and often clunky. His vision of technology also seems a little too Star-Warsy. The society that exists in the story lacks the underpinnings of a plausible history. Of course, this is my own taste, which, as my wife often insists, is short on enjoyment for enjoyment's sake. I always look for the point of a thing. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Gerry

[Zac]

Gerry wrote: "The society that exists ..."

...meaning the Commonwealth or Makkathran? Just curious