The Reality Dysfunction
First edition
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| Author | Peter F. Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jim Burns |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Night's Dawn Trilogy |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishers |
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Publication date
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26 January 1996 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback), E-Book |
| Pages | 955 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 59651803 |
| Followed by | The Neutronium Alchemist |
The Reality Dysfunction is a science fiction novel by British writer Peter F. Hamilton, the first book in The Night's Dawn Trilogy. It is followed by The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God. It was first published in the United Kingdom by Macmillan Publishers on 26 January 1996. The first US edition, which was broken into two volumes, Emergence and Expansion (the UK paperback is not), followed in July and August 1997 from Time Warner Books. The second US edition, published by Orbit Books in October 2008, is published in a single volume.
In some countries, the paperback editions were split into two (Germany and the United States), three (France) or four volumes (Italy) per book. Usually the first volume is a translation of "Emergence".
The novel is set in the 26th and 27th centuries. The opening chapters cover a period of some thirty years, with the bulk of the story set in the years 2610 and 2611 AD.
A timeline in the appendix briskly covers the future history of the human race, from the settling of the Moon and the opening up of space to commercial exploitation to the founding of the Confederation. Essentially, humanity has split into two strands, the Adamists and Edenists. The Edenists possess the affinity gene, which allows telepathic communication between one another and the construction and use of bio-technological (or 'bitek') constructs, including sentient, living starships (voidhawks) and enormous space habitats. The Edenists have a much greater standard of living than their Adamist counterparts. The Adamists are 'classic' humans who employ mechanical and cybernetic technology and use implants (including 'neural nanonics', essentially computer systems built into the brain which allow anything from enhanced memory and entertainment access to controlling starships) to achieve their ends. The Adamists reject bitek for religious and cultural reasons, but it is later revealed that certain individuals working within Earth's government have discouraged the use of bitek for fear of losing their ability to influence the development of mankind. Some Adamists still use bitek, such as 'blackhawks', advanced living spacecraft similar to Edenist voidhawks but with enhanced combat capabilities.
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