Manhattan in Reverse (2011) SSC

Peter F. Hamilton has earned both critical acclaim and a devoted following for such interstellar epics as The Night's Dawn Trilogy and Fallen Dragon. He has also created a small but memorable body of shorter fiction as compelling and carefully crafted as his longer, more characteristic work. Manhattan in Reverse, Hamilton's first collection since A Second Chance at Eden appeared in 1998, is a genuine publishing event, offering seven compact examples of their author's imaginative range and sheer narrative virtuosity.

The opening novella, 'Watching Trees Grow,' is an enthralling, multi-layered account of a murder investigation that encompasses hundreds of years, a multitude of worlds, and an astonishing array of technological advances. 'If at First...' is a witty, wholly original take on the theory--and unexpected consequences--of time travel. 'The Forever Kitten' is a marvel of compression that addresses one possible application of a nascent rejuvenation technology. The title story brings back Paula Myo, the detective heroine of Hamilton's Commonwealth novels. In this never-before-published novella, which takes place in the aftermath of Judas Unchained, Paula travels to the frontier planet of Menard, where she brings her puzzle-solving skills to bear on an escalating conflict between the planet's 'non-sentient' inhabitants and the hordes of newly arrived settlers.

Like the best of Hamilton's earlier work, Manhattan in Reverse is a treasure trove of pure narrative delights. Intelligent, surprising, and lovingly detailed, these resonant tales are the mature products of a gifted storyteller, a man with a powerful--and seemingly limitless--imagination.

Peter F. Hamilton has earned both critical acclaim and a devoted following for such interstellar epics as The Night's Dawn Trilogy and Fallen Dragon. He has also created a small but memorable body of shorter fiction as compelling and carefully crafted as his longer, more characteristic work. Manhattan in Reverse, Hamilton's first collection since A Second Chance at Eden appeared in 1998, is a genuine publishing event, offering seven compact examples of their author's imaginative range and sheer narrative virtuosity.The opening novella, Watching Trees Grow, is an enthralling, multi-layered account of a murder investigation that encompasses hundreds of years, a multitude of worlds, and an astonishing array of technological advances. If at First is a witty, wholly original take on the theory and unexpected consequences of time travel. The Forever Kitten is a marvel of compression that addresses one possible application of a nascent rejuvenation technology. The title story brings back Paula Myo, the detective heroine of Hamilton's Commonwealth novels. In this never before published novella, which takes place in the aftermath of Judas Unchained, Paula travels to the frontier planet of Menard, where she brings her puzzle-solving skills to bear on an escalating conflict between the planet's non-sentient inhabitants and the hordes of newly arrived settlers.Like the best of Hamilton's earlier work, Manhattan in Reverse is a treasure trove of pure narrative delights. Intelligent, surprising, and lovingly detailed, these resonant tales are the mature products of a gifted storyteller, a man with a powerful and seemingly limitless imagination.