The Reality Dysfunction Part 2: Expansion [Mass Market Paperback]

Peter F. Hamilton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Reality Dysfunction | Publication Date: August 1, 1997

In the far future, on a primitive world called Lalonde, two groups of humans clash in an epic confrontation. The Edenists are genetically engineered space-dwellers with a telepathic affinity to their homes and ships. The Adamists reject advanced technology, but are willing to pioneer new worlds. Under the watchful eye of mysterious aliens, humanity must confront its most bitter enemy--itself.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This second volume of Hamilton's two-part book The Reality Dysfunction is as fast paced and densely packed as the first. It picks up the many plot threads left hanging in Emergenceand runs with them, ending some subplots and beginning other more interesting ones. Joining the large cast of characters is Graeme Nicholson, a reporter stuck on the backwater planet of Lalonde, where mud and wood seem to be the only things in great abundance. But Lalonde is fast becoming the focus of an invasion that seems to defy time and logic, and soon Nicholson will regret ever learning about the biggest story to hit the galaxy in a thousand years.

About the Author

Peter F. Hamilton was born in Rutland in 1960, and still lives near Rutland Water with his wife and daughter. He began writing in 1987, and sold his first short story to Fear magazine in 1988. He has also been published in Interzone and the In Dreams and New Worlds anthologies, and several small-press publications. His previous novels include the Greg Mandel series: Mindstar Rising, A Quantum Murder and The Nano Flower and the 'Night's Dawn' trilogy: The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God, which established him as Britain's bestselling writer of science fiction and a major name in global science fiction writing. His ten novels and one handbook (a vital guide to the 'Night's Dawn' trilogy) have sold almost two million copies worldwide.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446605166
• ISBN-13: 978-0446605168
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #512,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Series, But Not For Everyone, February 24, 2005

By 

David A. Lessnau (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Reality Dysfunction Part 2: Expansion (Mass Market Paperback)

There are six books in Peter F. Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" series:

- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 1: Emergence,"
- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 2: Expansion,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 1: Consolidation,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 2: Conflict,"
- "The Naked God - Part 1: Flight," and
- "The Naked God - Part 2: Faith."

Be warned: you CANNOT read these books individually. They are, essentially, chapters in one whopping great book. If you like the first book, then you'll have to read the other five books in order. There's no tie-up of any sort between any of the books. The publisher just broke the story up because it totals over 3,000 pages. If you pick up a book before you've read all the previous books (in order), put it down. It won't mean anything to you. Since these books are entirely dependent on each other, I'm writing this review on the series as a whole, not on the individual books.

This is one of the greatest science fiction sagas written. It ranks up there with David Brin's "Uplift Saga." It is literally a story of good vs evil and shows some of the potential (and pitfalls) of the human race. Over the years, I've read the whole series five times, and I still love it. I really only have two gripes with the book. First, and this is unavoidable in what Hamilton is doing, the evil in the series is definitely, graphically evil. This is not a book where the villain twists his mustache and laughs "nyah hah hah" as he forecloses on the orphanage or ties the heroine to the railroad tracks. The writing is fairly graphic in a lot of places. After five readings, this gets a bit wearing. My second gripe is one which somewhat limits the audience of the series (even more so than the evilness presented, and it's why I've given the series four stars instead of five): there's too much sex and the writing about it is too graphic. This is a problem with all of Hamilton's books, but it seems more prevalent in this series. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend the book for your children to read. But, as long as you're aware of that, I highly recommend the series and give it 4 stars out of five.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sequel!, July 18, 1999

By 

Adam Ruddermann (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Reality Dysfunction Part 2: Expansion (Mass Market Paperback)

When I finished reading the first Reality Dysfunction book, I was left wondering what was going to happen next since Hamilton tends to end his books as abruptly as they begin. There was no decernable main character in the first book, but, about halfway in you realize that Josh Calvert is definetly the binding factor for most of the numerious storylines that wind their way throughout the book.

Any writing issues that were in the first book were long gone in this one, leaving the writing much better and giving the story a much better scense of direction.

As usual, the story is amazing, letting you get ahead of yourself saying "oh, that's easy, they're going to do bla bla bla next" and then it turns out they do something totally different, adding another layer to the story in the process.

I'm very glad that Hamilton exended the Possesed's characters more, offering an interesting prospective of the human spirit, if you like to think that deep... =)

Either way, if you were slightly disapointed by Emergence, read this before you form any opinions about Hamilton, you'll be pleasantly surprised of what Hamilton is capable of.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate "Starship Theatre"; Pt. II, March 24, 2001

By 

GRIZZLY "Grizzly" (Yuma, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reality Dysfunction Part 2: Expansion (Mass Market Paperback)

Without taking up a lot of everyone's time and space (One can read my basic review under the first volume) I merely post this Advisory and WARNING!!: Do Not begin reading this Epic anywhere except at the Beginning!! Acquire the ENTIRE "Night's Dawn Trilogy" before you begin to avoid the frustrations that I did (and be glad that you won't have to wait for the final Triad to be published, as I was forced to do) Have the entire work ready on your bookshelf, and be prepared for one of the best and WILDEST experiences of your life!!!