The Commonwealth Saga

  This is a giant space opera by Peter Hamilton, although only two novels(Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained), each one packs near 1000 pages.

 The story builds, and builds, and keeps on building-- Hamilton describes a future humanity spread out among the stars via wormholes, with hundreds of inhabited worlds and immortality for any that can afford it.  Pretty depressing to still see such a capitalistic society.

 Yet for all the distance mankind has come from Earth, few aliens have been encountered, and none with any galaxy spanning civilization.

 Enter Dudley Bose, an astronomer watching the night sky, he records two distant stars as the suddenly go dark(On/Off star from Deepness in the Sky anyone?).  Scientists in the commonwealth decide that the only thing capable of causing such an event would be an advanced civilization-- leading to the decision to send a ship 1000 light years to investigate.


+Incredibly detailed galaxy, Hamilton creates many interesting worlds
+Plot that builds and builds, with strong control by Hamilton

-Juda's Unchained, the 2nd novel is weaker than Pandora's Star.  At times it devolves from space opera into much ado about police investigation.
-The ending is too drawn out



 9.0/10