The Abyss Beyond Dreams

Chronicle of the Fallers, Book 1

By: Peter F. Hamilton

Narrated by: John Lee

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. 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.

©2014 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2014 Tantor

And from Nigel's Perspective...

The Abyss is the start of a third series all set in Hamilton's incredibly dense and imaginative Common Wealth, a futuristic society of humans set after humans have mastered worm hole travel and the ability to live indefinitely.

If you haven't read Pandora's Star + Judas Unchained and The Void trilogy, the Abyss isn't the place to jump in. The events of the The Abyss take place before and during the events of The Void, but from the perspective of the playboy capitalist, Nigel Sheldon, and a few new comers. The starts with Paula Mayo, the closest thing to a main character to the expansive cast as she's tasked with finding Sheldon on behalf of the Raiel to enter the Void. We're re-introduced to a few old faces but mostly a new faces.

The events take place within the Common Wealth, and the world of the Void, and a new threat, The Fallers.

The strength lies in the story's meta-fantasy and Hamilton's ability to world build a universe where the humans still feel human despite thousands of years of technology. I've yet to find a series that I can compare to Hamilton's Commonwealth. It's hyper sexed, crass, occasionally violent, dense, sometimes confusing with the amount of detail but ultimately the best series I can name I've read with some truly memorable characters

Wonderful! But don’t start your Hamilton journey with this book!

I adore all of Peter F Hamilton’s series! When I found Hamilton’s books, i was looking fora new series to start and I did a little research to see the order recommended by others. I started at the beginning with the Commonwealth, then the Void Trilogy, on to the salvation series and came back to this. There were SO MANY reviews for this book by people that didn’t like it, and if this was first or only book by Hamilton I get it. Although it’s not required, to truly appreciate the depth that Hamilton builds into all his characters and storylines, you should start first with the commonwealth series and then move on to this or the Void series.

I truly appreciate the way Hamilton can narrate several storylines and build so much depth into his characters (and their pasts)throughout his books, and then have the characters storylines collide and suddenly it all makes sense! It feels like you truly get to know the characters in his books- and when they pop up later in another series it’s like welcoming back old friends! I just can’t say enough about how much I enjoy reading his novels!

I wish I could give three and a half stars.

it was a very good listen. Had a good storyline and interesting characters. However, it was not as riveting as previous void series. Still an excellent book well worth a listen.

Cant wait for second book

Wonderfully painted world and some very memorable characters. Narration was top notch. Really digging the Void concept. The alien race is brutal and perfectly adapted for complete domination of all civilizations. Just a great book overall.

Great First book, but it left me wanting more

loved the complex development of characters and deep dive into the political systems of Bienvenido. Could it be an allegory to the US? Really want to read the next book 🥺

peter f Hamilton and John lee = a good bet.

a person visiting the commonwealth for the first time here would be lost. peter hamilton and John Lee always delivers for me.

Good but too much of the void for me

It's overall good but I personally never was a huge fan of the story in the void and was hoping more of this story would take place out of it or move beyond it.

Awkward to get into, but sturdy by the end

I jump at the opportunity to experience more of the Pandora's Star universe, and was pleased with the the opening scenes of this book.

After that, the story structure was pretty confusing, but eventually you have an opportunity to comprehend it. I was worried as I was 2/3s of the way through that this whole thing was just a feeble grab for Void-like storytelling with no clear bigger picture, but I was glad to discover that there is indeed a goal for this whole storyline. This story felt necessary to frame future events and make them feel connected to the bigger universe.

This book is a thing that is good as a whole, not necessarily because any given slice is a 5-star wonder. I do recommend it, but I suspect the followup stories will be the heavier hitters.

great reader and an amazing story!

I've got 4 series by this author I love his writing so much! I completely disappear in to a whole new world every time. love it.

Best yet!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Abyss Beyond Dreams to be better than the print version?

Since I don't have the print version, I can't make that comparison. But John Lee's performance is 2nd to none.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

Fantastic. I can't imagine that it could be done any better.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended to all scifi fans.