He can write for miles and miles

I have been harping on the virtues of brevity of late, so it is only fitting that my current reads are all behemoths and smiters of forests. I am reading three non-fiction works (more on them later) and one telephone book thick bit of scifi. The book in question is Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton. I am on page 200 and we are just about done ( I think) introducing characters and technology concepts. Now the plot may commence, unless we are going to have a few hundred more pages of exposition.

This is the sort of space opera that you will either love or make you want to set fire to the book. Thanks to his popularity, his editors let him get away with aside after aside that helps detail his world. We learn about innumerable planets, the corporations and nations that either started them or continue to rule them, the aliens of the universe, the rumors of aliens, the state of marriage (contractual and short term,) lifespan (the middle classes and up can afford rejuvenation in new bodies, making people nearly immortal) lots of social commentary, and plenty more, including descriptions of hang gliding on low gravity worlds. You can tell Hamilton is having fun with this and if you think you will too, then by all means pick this up. This is good space opera.

Oh there is a plot too, of course, the titular Pandora's Star which suddenly winks out of sight thanks to some form of energy field. The somewhat stagnant humanity of the 24th century decides to sally forth and investigate. Can't say how that is since they haven't left yet. Still adding characters....