A Second Chance at Eden

A collection of short stories set in the Confederation universe, but unrelated to the trilogy.

SONNIE'S EDGE. The popular sport of 'beastie-baiting' involves contests to the death between artificial monsters controlled via human affinity bonds. Sonnie's team is particularly successful...but then her monster, 'Khanivore', has one special advantage.

A SECOND CHANCE AT EDEN. A bitek habitat which orbits Jupiter, mining the fusion fuel on which Earth is dependent, Eden is a mini-nation of radical politics -- and even more radical technology. Then its creator is murdered in full view of the whole population, but nobody can identify the perpetrator -- or the motive.

NEW DAYS OLD TIMES. Settlers came to the planet Nyvan hoping for a lifestyle free of Earthbound hatreds. Alas, though environments may change, human nature does not.

CANDY BUDS. The crime-lord Laurus rules Kariwak with an iron fist, jealously guarding control of the bitek trade. But when an astonishing new substance appears on the streets, virtual reality takes on an entirely new dimension.

DEATHDAY. On a desolate planet, a man wages an obsessive campaign of retribution against the last survivor of an alien race. But vengeance can cut both ways.

THE LIVES AND LOVES OF TIARELLA ROSA. A passion that spans two generations of women...and endures beyond.

ESCAPE ROUTE. The starship LADY MACBETH encounters a long-abandoned alien spacecraft, with its escape route still intact -- but leading where? And is the craft as empty as it seems?

This is a superb collection of stories from Peter Hamilton, set in the same universe as his excellent, bestselling epics Reality Dysfunction (Emergence and Expansion) and The Neutronium Alchemist (Consolidation and Conflict). It's hard to pick favorites here, because every one of the stories is superbly plotted, exciting, and full of fresh ideas. The novella "A Second Chance at Eden" is a classic detective story with unpredictable twists and turns. "Escape Route," which also appeared in The Year's Best Science Fiction, marks the reappearance of the starship Lady Macbeth and her crew, who must figure out a xenoc relic before they run afoul of some heavies. Hamilton favorites like bitek, affinity genes, xenocs, and Edenists are threaded throughout the collection, weaving detail into the epic tapestry of his universe. A Second Chance at Eden is perfect for Hamilton aficionados and novices alike. --Therese Littleton