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Dholcrist
Oct 3rd, '07, 05:32 PM
Just finished reading the "Reality Dysfunction Part I" of the Night's Dawn Trilogy, by Peter F. Hamilton, and was wondering if anyone on here had read it and possibly used it in a game. I've been working on a Terran Empire campaign for a while now, and while reading this I was just blown away by his use of Nanotech and the biotechnology that he calls "bitek".

The entire Edenist culture, with its living starships ("Voidhawks") and their captains that are literally born from their ships (in vitro fertilization, then the fetus is placed into the ship's "uterus", where it grows for 9 months before birthing, then moving to their real parents and being raised until the age of 18, when they are placed in command of the Voidhawk they were birthed from), and living sentient space stations are just the definition of cool for me.

I'm currently working a toned down Edenist culture into TE, but emphasizing their reason for being outcasts from the rest of the Empire, thus limiting their power in the setting. (I'm thinking that they get their biotech originally from reverse engineering Xenovore tech, which scares a great many people).

I'd also like to implement more nanotech, as he has done, but I'm worried that the importance the "Adamist" civilization places on nanotech in the series would be a hinderence in game.

Interested in hearing any reactions/ideas, or input at all really.

And for those interested in the books but hadn't read them, here's the wikipedia entry (beware spoilers): Night's Dawn Trilogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night%27s_Dawn_Trilogy#Adamist_culture)

Curufea
Oct 4th, '07, 02:15 PM
I've read them - the first two books were great. The third book made me regret ever having started reading them. I often use it as a prime example of what writers should never do.

Dholcrist
Oct 4th, '07, 09:01 PM
Hm, I was afraid of that. I've read very similar things in a few reviews of the books, but didn't have anything to read at the time, so figured might as well. I very much hope I enjoy it more than you did, though I already don't think it's a phenomenal series, so hopefully my hopes won't be dashed too far.

Regardless, I'm really in it for the background right now.

Mark Taylor
Oct 7th, '07, 02:08 AM
I've read them - the first two books were great. The third book made me regret ever having started reading them. I often use it as a prime example of what writers should never do.

Snap.

Fortunately, none of that prevents it from being a decent setting for a Star Hero campaign (not that I have used it as such).