Judas Unchained (2005)

by Peter F. Hamilton

What a galaxy Peter F. Hamilton has created with the Commonwealth! This series was my first exposure to his writing and the immensity and vivid detail of his not-so-distant human civilization has few rivals on my bookshelf. It’s easy to picture it serving as the setting for additional novels (which I am greatly looking forward to reading) while still sparing plenty of room for yet more riffs exploring the nooks and crannies of its patchwork of worlds. Let’s put it this way: William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Kim Stanley Robinson could each write characteristic novels that slot perfectly into the Commonwealth without breaking its canon. It’s a shame that they’re never going to as I would die to see a seedy cyberpunk thriller cut out of the underbelly of the cloth used for Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained.

In many ways I feel that Judas Unchained did not do the Commonwealth justice. Where Pandora’s Star was subtle and intriguing, Judas Unchained was blunt and overbearing. Characters were more repetitive and stereotypical. Sex scenes were more explicit and prolific. Battle scenes were less compelling and felt closer to what you might find in this year’s Marvel movie. For me the climax of the series came at the end of Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained was a long coast back down from that peak like a hyperglider returning to Far Away from its apex above Mount Herculaneum. The ending was clear from hundreds of pages out and all that was left to be done was to flip through chapter after chapter of what boiled down to a flashy car chase.

Now, I should clarify that I did not find Pandora’s Star to be at all boring, which should indicate my preferences as a reader. If a thunderous plot unfolding is more interesting to you than character development, careful world building, and mystery, then Judas Unchained might be the book in the Saga that resonates more with you.

Viewing Judas Unchained as merely a single path through the rich tapestry of the Commonwealth, even though I was ultimately disappointed with its storytelling I still view the series in an overwhelmingly positive light. The Commonwealth for me stands as a benchmark demonstrating just how audacious and full-featured a fictional universe can be while still being packed full of relatable and fallible humans like the rest of us down here on Earth.