Little Beast - Shop now
Buy used:
$9.94
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Saturday, December 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Wednesday, December 18. Order within 6 hrs 12 mins.
Arrives before Christmas
Used: Good | Details
Sold by Zoom Books Company
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime!

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Peter F. Hamilton
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Reality Dysfunction: Emergence - Part I Mass Market Paperback – July 1, 1997

by Peter F. Hamilton (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 135 ratings
See all formats and editions
In the far future, humanity has divided into two diametrically opposed groups. The Edenists are genetically engineered space-dwellers with telepathic affinity for their biotechnological homes and ships. The Adamists, effectively the Luddites of the future, are willing to pioneer new worlds, much as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. The two groups, peopled by fascinating characters, clash on a primitive world called Lalonde, setting in motion a tale of adventure unparalleled in this universe.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    592 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Aspect
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0446605158
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0446605151
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is space opera on an epic scale, with dozens of characters, hundreds of planets, universe-spanning plots, and settings that range from wooden huts and muddy villages to sentient starships and newborn suns. It's also the first part of a two-volume book that is itself the first book of a series. There's no question that there's a lot going on here (too much to even begin to detail the plot), but Hamilton handles it all with an ease reminiscent of E. E. "Doc" Smith. The best way to describe it: it's big, it's good, and luckily there's plenty more on the way.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aspect (July 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 592 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0446605158
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0446605151
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 135 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Peter F. Hamilton

Peter F. Hamilton

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Peter F. Hamilton is the author of numerous novels, including The Abyss Beyond Dreams, Great North Road, The Evolutionary Void, The Temporal Void, The Dreaming Void, Judas Unchained, Pandora’s Star, Misspent Youth, Fallen Dragon, and the acclaimed epic Night’s Dawn trilogy (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God). He lives with his family in England.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
135 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the plot intriguing and imaginative, exploring various ideas about different technologies. They praise the writing quality as well-written and fantastic. The book is described as fun and engaging by readers. However, some customers feel the characters lack depth and the conversations between them are too cheesy. Opinions differ on readability - some find it compelling and interesting, while others find it depressing and difficult to read at times due to its realistic content.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Plot varietyWriting qualityEnjoymentReadabilityCharacter development
7 customers mention "Plot variety"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the plot variety intriguing and imaginative. They appreciate the non-stop action, various ideas about different technologies, and the diverse universe with lots of space and adventure. The book is well-written.

"...The future-tech is fantastic, the action is non-stop, the plot twists are imaginative... and the bang for the buck is excellent...." Read more

"...No gratuitous (sp ? ) offensive stuff. The plot is dense. If you can skip hundreds of pages, and still think that you read the book...." Read more

"...He also explores various ideas (both old and new) about different technologies, their uses, and their effects on future society...." Read more

"...Hamilton has built an impressively diverse universe complete with scavengers, ethereal psychic aliens and living space ships!" Read more

7 customers mention "Writing quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality good. They say the story is well-written and engaging. The characters are believable and intriguing. There is a good mix of sci-fi technology material.

"...The overall quality of the writing is high. The world building is amazing. Characters, from monarchs to street rats, are believable and intriguing...." Read more

"...Lots of space Lots of adventure. Oh and it is well written." Read more

"Not well known in the US this British author is writing the best epic SciFi on the market...." Read more

"...There is a good mix of sci-fi technology material (organic spaceships and habitats, space ships and lasers) with primitive fantasy style elements..." Read more

3 customers mention "Enjoyment"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging and fun, covering new ground. The story is well-written.

"Quite simply, these books are a heck of a lot of FUN. The overall quality of the writing is high. The world building is amazing...." Read more

"...The story is well written and engages the reader...." Read more

"An enjoyable book that covers new ground...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"3 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the book's readability. Some find the world-building compelling and interesting, while others find it depressing and difficult to read due to its realistic content. They also mention typos and lack of an overview plot as issues.

"...is so unremittingly nihilistic and pessimistic, it's downright depressing to read: sadistic violence, gratuitous and graphic sex, and hedonistic..." Read more

"...The overall quality of the writing is high. The world building is amazing. Characters, from monarchs to street rats, are believable and intriguing...." Read more

"...It was jarring.It is difficult to give an "overview" plot, because there is simply too much going on...." Read more

"...brilliant and mega-individualistic, and the world-building is beyond compare. Does thou thinketh I spew forth TOO many superlatives?..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the characters two-dimensional and unrealistic. They also mention that the conversations between characters are cheesey and wear on them quickly.

"...has dozens of characters, locales and plots going on, to the point where it is almost..." Read more

"...The conversations between characters are very cheesey, and wore on me quite quickly. I felt as though I was reading a book for a young teen." Read more

"The characters were two-dimensional and the future culture unbelievable. The plot was interesting enough to keep me going, however...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

AWAbooks
5.0 out of 5 stars An unabashed cornucopia of fun...
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2006
Verified Purchase
Quite simply, these books are a heck of a lot of FUN. The overall quality of the writing is high. The world building is amazing. Characters, from monarchs to street rats, are believable and intriguing. The dialog seems natural and the humor is funny (this is rare in ANY genre, trust me.) The future-tech is fantastic, the action is non-stop, the plot twists are imaginative... and the bang for the buck is excellent. (Okay, I'm no prude, but the sex scenes didn't do much for me. They're mercifully short though.)

Call me sub-genius, but I think one critic said the bad guys were "too violent." Hmmm, keep that cold pack right there on your temple, Johnny...

Yes, I occasionally lost track of a character thread that hadn't "been around" for a while. It never took more than a few paragraphs for the setting, character or plot line to refresh the connection though.

Overall, very fun stuff.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
L. A. Veronie II
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm sold. Hamilton for President....
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
It is truly difficult to relate the scale of Hamilton's imagination...epic just doesn't quite cut it. His ideas flow as if launched from a waterfall, separate in their own right, but always blending into a semi-cohesive whole. The scientific aspect is flawless, the characterization brilliant and mega-individualistic, and the world-building is beyond compare. Does thou thinketh I spew forth TOO many superlatives? Not on your life pal. The Reality Dysfunction IS the very definition of space opera extraordinaire!
Helpful
 Report
daidhaid
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable book that covers new ground.
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 1998
Verified Purchase
I liked the book for all it's complexity and meandering thru worlds and characters on a large scale. I've read the other reviews and almost didn't buy the book. Some made it sound as if you could skip hundreds of pages others complained about sex and or violence. IMHO This is really a romp thru space with lots of characters, all of whom were interesting to me. There is violence and sex but from my point of view it is in context with the plot. No gratuitous (sp ? ) offensive stuff. The plot is dense. If you can skip hundreds of pages, and still think that you read the book. I can only estimate the size of your ego with a road atlas. Lots of space Lots of adventure. Oh and it is well written.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marcus B
4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007
Verified Purchase
This review is of the entire Night's Dawn trilogy.

The Night's Dawn trilogy is definitely worth the read. Hamilton does a wonderful job of making the characters come to life. He also explores various ideas (both old and new) about different technologies, their uses, and their effects on future society.

The trilogy focuses mainly on the dead coming back to possess the bodies of the living, and the battle between the living and the possessed. The idea put me off a little at first, but it gave rise to some unique circumstances.

I was slightly disappointed by the ending. The entire saga ends in about eighty pages, which is disappointing after reading over three thousand pages worth. But the story is well worth reading, especially the adventures of Joshua Calvert (the main character). Spaceship battles, other dimensions, interesting aliens and artifacts, zero-G sex, and technology's influence on society. Definitely worth reading, as it includes aspects finer pleasantries as well as its worse perversions.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Zachery Reed
5.0 out of 5 stars Out of this world
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2015
Verified Purchase
The condition of the book was quite poor but the content is what really matters. Hamilton has built an impressively diverse universe complete with scavengers, ethereal psychic aliens and living space ships!
Helpful
 Report
Seppi
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic writing
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2007
Verified Purchase
Not well known in the US this British author is writing the best epic SciFi on the market.I have been reading this genre for more than 50 years and he is a breath of fresh air and this series is beyond a doubt his masterpiece.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Michael Mastic
5.0 out of 5 stars I'd buy from them again
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
It's a great series and the product arrived as advertised
Helpful
 Report
GpaRudy
1.0 out of 5 stars Overrated Drivel
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2001
Verified Purchase
PLEASE people. If you're going to wax eloquent over something, at least make it something worth while! What a disappoinment. Don't get me wrong, I like a good space opera as much as the next person, but this thing by Peter Hamilton is a total dysfunction. At 58 years of age I still come back to SF because of that frisson you feel run up your spine when some SF writer throws an idea at you that so fries your brain you almost feel the little grey cells fizzle. While Mr. Hamilton does have a few good ideas, he just doesn't match up well to people who can REALLY throw off imaginative stuff(Verner Vinge, Cherryh, Brin to name a few). Like most space operas, it's not the destination that counts(after a couple hundred pages you can pretty much figure where this one is going), it's the journey. Mr. Hamilton's journey is so unremittingly nihilistic and pessimistic, it's downright depressing to read: sadistic violence, gratuitous and graphic sex, and hedonistic satanism abound. Someone suggested that if he cut at least half that stuff, he wouldn't have needed six volumes to complete it. I agree! None of the characters seem to have any redeeming value. They all seem to be motivated by greed, power, money, or the next lay for goodness sake. There wasn't a single character that I felt the least bit of empathy for. A space opera without a hero! Read the next five installments? Not me folks. I've had enough.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
macca45
5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous Space Fantasy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
Hugely original and wide reaching story line with so many different threads all connecting.
Report
Mayank Sagar
5.0 out of 5 stars The best from the master of British sci-fi
Reviewed in India on February 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
The best from the master of British sci-fi! A must read for any sci-fi lover. Would suggest to buy the whole series.
Report
Martin von Gagern
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein komplexes Universum
Reviewed in Germany on October 26, 2009
Verified Purchase
Ich habe die kompletten sechs Bände dieser Trilogie jetzt schon seit längerem in meinem Regal stehen, und in der Zeit mehrfach gelesen. In meinen Augen die fesselndste Science-Fiction, die ich bisher gelesen habe.

Das auffälligste an der Geschichte ist die Komplexität und Weitläufigkeit des Universums, in dem die Geschichte spielt. Bei vielen anderen Geschichten sieht man deutlich den einen roten Faden, die nähere Umgebung der zentralen Handlung, und entfernte Orte, Dinge und Konzepte werden vielleicht mal erwähnt, wirken aber platt. Hier hingegen hat man den Eindruck, dass es jenseits der beschriebenen Gebiete genauso dicht und lebendig weitergeht. Statt eines einzelnen Handlungsfadens gibt es etliche, geschickt verwoben, und es entsteht der Eindruck, dass der Autor aus einem viel größeren Universum einen Teil ausgewählt und in ein Buch gequetscht hat, dass außerhalb des Buches noch sehr viel mehr ist.

In dem von Hamilton beschriebenen Universom gelten ein paar interessante "Spielregeln". So gibt es beispielsweise überlichtschnelle Raumschiffe, aber sonst keine überlichtschnelle Kommunikation. Im übertragenden Sinne also kein Telefon, nur die Postkutsche. Dadurch ergibt es sich recht natürlich, dass die Charactere in der Story mitunter schlechter informiert sind als der Leser, trotz aller Fortschrittlichkeit.
Eine zweite wesentliche Spielregel ist die Zweiteilung der Menschheit in Edenisten und Adamisten. Erstere nutzen intensiv Biotechnologie und verfügen über telepathische Fähigkeiten, während zweitere ihrem Körper eher durch elektronische Implantate auf die Sprünge helfen.
Als Dritte Spielregel will ich die Kolonien erwähnen, die in den Randbereichen des besiedelten Universums eingerichtet werden und sich überwiegend selbst versorgen müssen. Ihre primitiven Technologien werden nur vereinzelt durch High-Tech-Gerätschaften ergänzt. Die entstehende Mischung wirkt zwar etwas bizarr, aber nicht gezwungen.

Ich sehe die Geschichte als eine Welt, in die man eintauchen und den Aufenthalt dort genießen kann. Große gesellschaftskritische Analysen sollte man nicht erwarten. Die perfekt und problemlos funktionierende Biotechnologie ist Zutat zu dem Universum, aber in sich nicht Thema der Bücher. Auch die Kriese, die sich als roter Faden durch die Bücher zieht, wirkt teilweise eher wie ein Mittel zum Zweck. Ein Buch braucht nunmal einen roten Faden, an den die anderen Handlungsfäden angeknüpft werden können. Für mich ist dieser aber nicht das Wertvolle an diesen Büchern. So war ich auch von seinem etwas unbefriedigenden Ende im sechsten Buch nicht allzusehr enttäuscht.

Die Darreichungsform in sechs Büchern statt in dreien ist sicher leichter zu handhaben. Hier haben die Taschenbücher diesen Namen noch verdient. Man sollte sich jedoch bewusst sein, dass die Story ursprünglich nur auf drei Bücher verteilt war, und ggf. rechtzeitig den Nachfolgeband bestellen, wenn der erste zu Neige geht.
Report
Leslie Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
Excellent
Report
Starbuck
4.0 out of 5 stars Space opera at its best - but veeeery long...
Reviewed in Germany on October 22, 2003
Verified Purchase
I have to confess that I had some problems getting into the Nights Dawn epic. Not that ist was boring or not interesting - but it definitely seemed to be a little bit too long, too big, too confusing. The first three chapters are hard to read, because you don't know where the story is supposed to go, which are the main characters and which parts are the really important ones.
It is when the colonist land on the far away planet of Lalonde when the drama begins to unfold. Then, the story gets deeper, much more thrilling and finally we find out which characters really make the difference. Still I needed two approaches to read this first of five books. I laid away the book three years ago and it was impossible to get back in because of all the characters, planets and plots. So I had to start all over - this time I got through and was very content to see how the story got better and better and how dramatic the main plot turned out to become.
So the complexity of the book is certainly one thing that is part strenght, part weakness at the same time: It is tough to follow all the plot threads, but it is rewarding. It can happen that you don't read about a main character for over 300 pages - still if he returns you get back into his subplot and still yearn for the other plots to continue...
Maybe Hamilton overexerted the number of subplots a little bit. It takes a long time for the story to speed up, and it is often braked down again by new plots unraveling. So it is a tough read - but a good one, and I am very excited to see how the story continues in the following books!
Report