The Night's Dawn Trilogy
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Author Peter F. Hamilton's The Night's Dawn Trilogy consists of three epic science fiction novels: The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. A collection of short stories, A Second Chance at Eden, shares the same universe, and The Confederation Handbook documents that universe in non-fiction style.
The sprawling narrative deals with a far future where humanity struggles and wages war against past souls flooding back into the land of the living via possession (Al Capone and Fletcher Christian are among the returnees). Hamilton's future is expansive and primarily optimistic, with huge sentient space-cities that can closely resemble a natural Eden. He extrapolates on current trends concerning the blurring of technology with biology, and environmental devastation. But Hamilton pulls no punches on humanity's darker side. Poverty, sexual exploitation and cruelty still dog our civilizations in Night's Dawn, and the coalition opposing the Possessed are faced with a particularly cruel moral conundrum; they cannot destroy them without also killing their host bodies. The conflict is eventually resolved when Joshua Calvert, Hamilton's hero, uses a powerful alien artifact called the Sleeping God to remove the Possessed from their host bodies and send them through a wormhole to the end of the universe.
Humanity in the 27th Century
In the Night's Dawn trilogy, humankind, although now united under an organization known as the Confederation, has been broken up into two major divisions, Adamists and Edenists.
Adamist Culture
Adamists are the larger of the two groups, thinking of themselves as the normal humans. They are a vast group of people of various cultures and backgrounds. Realistically, the Adamist group encompasses any non-Edenist humans. Adamists are known for their belief in religion, their use of nanotechnology (which they refer to as nanonics), and their rejection of most forms of the Edenist form of biotechnology, known as bitek.
Edenist Culture
Edenists are, for the most part, a single culture. The most important aspect of any Edenist is his/her use of affinity. Affinity is an advanced form of mental communication similar to the modern-day concept of telepathy. Edenist affinity allows them to communicate with each other as well as with their technology (known as bitek.) Unlike Adamist culture which is divided into various political units, Edenists form a single governmental entity known as Consensus. Consensus is formed when all Edenists willingly join into a temporary collective-conciousness. This allows total direct representation of their entire population in government decisions. At death, Edenists can use affinity to transfer their memories and personality into the mind of one of their bitek ships or habitats where they live on for many centuries before gradually becoming an integral part of the habitat personality. Since habitats have an indefinite lifespan - and could in turn pass on their memories and personality to another habitat if they ever did die - this is regarded as a form of immortality. Adamist religions reject this as an attempt to avoid God's judgement on the soul after death, and it is this which is the root cause of the schism between the Adamist and Edenist cultures.
Timeline leading up to the Trilogy
- 2020: Mining of Lunar resources begins.
- 2037: Large scale genetic engineering of Humans begins.
- 2044: The Christian religions are reunified.
- 2055: Lunar cities gain independence.
- 2058: Affinity invented by Wing-Tsit Chong.
- 2064: Jovian Sky Power Corporation begins mining He3 fuel from Jupiter.
- 2064: Islamic secular unification.
- 2075: Eden is germinated in Jupiter orbit.
- 2077: Research into the ZTT drive system begins.
- 2085: Eden opened to settlement.
- 2090: Wing-Tsit Chong dies and becomes the first person to transfer his memories into a habitat.
- Beginning of the Edenist culture. All persons using affinity are excommunicated by Pope Eleanor.
- 2103: Earth governments combined to form Govcentral.
- 2115: First use of the ZTT drive.
- 2118: First exploration of another solar system.
- 2125: First extrasolar colony world established on Felicity.
- 2180: Earth's first orbital tower is constructed.
- 2205: The first antimatter production station is built.
- 2210: Richard Saldana opens the Kulu colony.
- 2218: The first voidhawk is gestated.
- 2232: Twenty seven thousand people are killed when antimatter weapons are used for the first time.
- 2238: All production and use of antimatter is outlawed in the Sol system.
- 2240: Gerrald Saldana is crowned King of Kulu.
- 2271: After skirmishes involving antimatter over the last few years, the material is banned throughout inhabited space.
- The Human Confederation is formed to enforce the ban.
- 2300: Edenists join the Confederation.
- 2301: First contact with the Jiciro.
- 2330: Gestation of the first Blackhawks.
- 2356: First contact with the Kiint.
- 2371: Atlantis is colonised by Edensits.
- 2395: First contact with the Tyrathca.
- 2420: Discovery of the Ruin Ring.
- 2432: Prince Michael is exiled after he engineers affinity into his son.
- 2550: Mars terraforming reaches a point where the planet is habitable.
- 2581: The planet Garissa's population is destroyed by a series of antimatter weapons detonated on the surface.
- A thirty year isolation is placed on Omuta by the Confederation.
- 2582: Lalonde is colonised.
Technology
In the Night's Dawn trilogy, there are several unusual technologies :
Blackhawk
A bitek starship, Blackhawks are a variation of the Edenist Voidhawk which were created by reverse-engineering the Voidhawk gene and modifying it. The aim was to produce a vessel with more combat capability. Blackhawks are frequently used for smuggling and mercenary operations since they and their captains do not often have the same ethical grounding that their Edenist equivalents have. As a result they tend to have a somewhat unsavoury reputation. Blackhawks and Voidhawks can interbreed.
Combat Wasps
One of the standard weapons used by all spacecraft, the combat wasp is essentially a highly advanced missile. They are armed with a variety of energy weapons and kinetic energy weapons, thermonuclear warheads, sensors and electronic warfare systems. The computer controlling each wasp is capable of analysing tactical situations and plotting the optimum way to reach the target, engaging other wasps on the way if needed to ensure success.
Most combat wasps use fusion for their engines and weapons. Antimatter wasps are available and are far more powerful, but these are highly illegal in the Confederation.
Cosmonik
A Cosmonik is a cyborg - a Human who has spent so long in zero gee conditions that large parts of his or her body have atrophied and been replaced with technological systems. Some Cosmoniks are little more than augmented Humans, but at the other end of the spectrum they are more like miniature spacecraft with a brain inside.
Fission Blade
Although not described in detail, fission blades appear to be some form of powered knife which are capable of cutting through more or less anything - only materials protected by a molecular binding force generator can resist a fission blade. The blades glow brightly when in use.
Medical Nanonics
Appearing something like green plastic bandages, medical nanonics are able to treat a wide variety of ailments from simple disease through to reconstruction of deep burns or broken bones. They are non-specific in function - that is, any nanonic package can be used to treat any condition.
Molecular Binding Force Generator
This technology projects some form of forcefield across a structure, greatly reinforcing its strength. Starship hulls are generally protected by this technology.
Neural Nanonics
A set of Neural Nanonics is a computer network which is implanted within the Human brain. The user controls his or her nanonics directly by just thinking about it. Nanonics can be used for a very wide variety of applications. New skills and knowledge can simply be downloaded into the nanonics, becoming instantly available to the user. Messages can be sent to other users in a process analogous to present day email, giving a form of technological telepathy. They can allow the user to control pain and regulate bodily functions. Unarmed combat programs can take control of the user's body, calculating and even implementing the optimum attacking and defensive moves. Other programs allow direct interface with external hardware from personal weapons through to spacecraft.
The Neutronium Alchemist
A weapon developed by Dr. Alkad Mzu, the Alchemist is capable of either snuffing out a star or causing it to go Supernova. Near the end of the second book from the second part of the trilogy, appropriately named The Neutronium Alchemist, Hamilton has a long scene describing the effects of the supernova, as it is used to destroy a pair of Adamist cruisers sent by the possessed.
Voidhawk
A bitek starship, Voidhawks are sentient beings who are bonded to their captains at birth via affinity. Whilst growing up both Voidhawk and captain can communicate with one another through affinity, and generally have a very loving and affectionate relationship. A Voidhawk will conduct a mating flight at the end of its life, producing ten eggs which it leaves in orbit of a gas giant to mature. Voidhawks are far superior to the mechanical starships used by the Adamists.
Zero Tau Pod
A form of suspended animation chamber, the zero-tau pod actually stops time from passing within the chamber. Anything placed inside will therefore not age or decay in any way for as long as the pod is active. For some unspecified reason the possessed remain aware in a zero-tau pod, experiencing something akin to utter sensory deprivation. This is highly unpleasant for them, so much so that a possessing soul will abandon a Human body rather than remain in zero-tau. Zero-tau is commonly used by starships to place passengers in stasis for long or crowded journeys, and most interstellar spacecraft have at least a few such pods. Zero-tau technology forms part of the Neutronium Alchemist weapon.
ZTT Drive
The faster than light drive used throughout the Confederation, the ZTT drive allows spacecraft to generate a wormhole through which they can pass, covering large distances in moments. For Human-built craft a single jump can cover anything up to 21 light years, though 12-15 light years is a more usual maximum. Tranquility, an independant habitat, can jump several thousand lightyears. It was implemented into the habitat as an emergency escape system in case of danger. ZTT technology also forms part of the Neutronium Alchemist weapon. Engaging a ZTT drive deep within the gravity well around a star or planet is difficult, and attempting it will frequently result in permanent damage to the drive system of a Human spacecraft. This limitation does not apply to the artificial "gravity" produced by rotating habitats.
Characters of the trilogy
Samual Aleksandrovich
Commanding officer of the Confederation Navy, Admiral Aleksandrovich is in command of the military response to the possession crisis. A realist, he understands that military force is fundamentally unable to deal with such a problem. He is reluctant to agree to support the attempt to reclaim Ombey from the possessed for this reason, but agrees to the mission because he recognises the political necessity of securing a victory against the possessed for the purposes of public morale.
Joshua Calvert
Captain of the starship Lady Macbeth, Joshua Calvert is one of the main protagonists of the story. Captain Calvert, along with Captain Syrinx and others is one of those directly responsible for ending the posession crisis.
Liol Calvert
Estranged older step-brother to Joshua Calvert. He seeks to take Joshua's ship, the Lady MacBeth, which he believes is rightfully his. He eventually comes to understand that Joshua is the better captain after flying with him on the mission to the Sleeping God.
Al Capone
One of several well known historical figures to return from the Beyond, Al Capone constructed an organisation which quickly gained control of New California. He attempted to spread to several other planets, with varying degrees of success. Capone's Organisation was most notable because he tried to force both the possessed and non-possessed to continue to work together.
Dariat
An descendent of Rubra, Dariat despises his ancestor for trying to manipulate him through affinity in order to turn him into the perfect heir. When the possessed arrive on the Valisk habitat, Dariat committs suicide in order to join their ranks. Eventually he becomes disenchanted with the possessed, and gradually joins forces with Rubra to work against them.
Quin Dexter
One of the major antagonists, Quinn Dexter is a man wholly lacking in redeming qualities. A Satanist, he is a dedicated sadist who takes great pleasure in inflicting physical and emotional pain on others. He is the first person to become possessed by a soul from the Beyond. When the possessing soul balks at the pain and horror it is inflicting on Humans, Quinn manages to regain control of his body whilst retaining the energistic capabilities that possession confers. He dedicates himself to gaining revenge on those who he feels have betrayed him and, ultimately, to inflicting the maximum possible amount of suffering on the whole of Mankind. Quinn is the most powerful of the possessed, developing abilities which no other can match, and all attempts to thwart him fail. Ultimately, Joshua is able to defeat Quinn and all of the other possessed by employing an advanced alien technology.
Andre Duchamp
A French trader, Captain of the "Villeneuve's Revenge". Duchamp is an amoral character who will perform more or less any task for the right price. His less savoury actions included piracy, trading in antimatter technology, and working for Capone's Organisation to defend New California. He nearly dies in an antimatter explosion near Trafalgar asteroid set off by Hudson Pryor, a non-Possessed working for Capone. He is later sent off to a penal planet.
Ashly Hanson
A member of Joshua Calvert's crew, Ashly is the pilot of the Lady MacBeth's shuttlecraft. Although he was 67 years old at the time of the first book, he was actually born prior to 2229. Born to reasonable wealth he had signed his trust fund over to a bank in return for the long-term use of a zero-tau stasis pod. Ashly subsequently alternated fifty years in stasis and five years travelling the Confederation.
Ralph Hilch
The head of station for the ESA on Lalonde. Ralph battled the return of the possessed almost from the very beginning of the first outbreak. After evacuating Lalonde he travelled to Ombey and fought the infiltration there. He was unsuccessful in preventing the possessed from gaining a foothold on the planet, but became grimly determined to defeat them. To that end he convinced both the Kulu Kingdom and the Edenists to join forces in building a massive army to take on the possessed on Ombey.
Louise Kavanagh
A beautiful teenage girl, daughter of Grant Kavanagh. Louise grew up in the Cricklade Estate on Norfolk, largely ignorant of the rest of the Confederation. She slept with Joshua Calvert when he stayed at the estate, and became both pregnant by him and infatuated with him. When the possessed took over Norfolk she managed to escape and make her way to Earth along with her sister Genevive and Fletcher Christian, one of the possessed. Louise eventually reunited with Joshua, and he abandoned his previous life to live with her.
Laton
An Edenist, Laton was one of the greatest criminals known to his culture. Self confident to the point of arrogance, he was a leading expert in biotechnology. He sought to develop a process whereby he could use affinity to spread his consciousness throughout multiple bodies and so become effectively immortal. When he was discovered Laton covered his escape by releasing a virus into his habitat's brain, destroying it and killing many thousands of Edenists. Laton went into hiding on Lalonde, where he remained until discovered by Quinn Dexter. He attempted to frame Dexter and his group for the murder of a child, leading ultimately to Quinn's possession. Laton was himself possessed, but managed to gain the upper hand over his possessor. He subsequently committed suicide to halt the spread of the possessed through an Edenist planet.
Dr. Alkad Mzu
A resident of the planet Garissa, Mzu developed a super-weapon known as the Neutronium Alchemist which was capable of making a star go nova or turning it into a black hole of the sun's origional mass. Whilst attempting to deploy the weapon during a war with the planet Omuta, Mzu's ship was disabled by an Omutan attack. The surface of her planet was subsequently wrecked by 6 high-yield antimatter planetbuster bombs which killed the entire population. Mzu ended up in the Tranquility habitat; she agreed to remain there under observation by various intelligence agencies so that the secret of the Alchemist would not become generally available. During the course of the trilogy Mzu escapes Tranquility and attempts to retrieve the weapon so that it can be used on Omuta; instead she helps Joshua Calvert use the device to ingite a gas giant so as to facilitate their escape from ships under the control of the possessed.
Rubra
An Edenist, Rubra germinated the Valisk habitat. He retro-engineered the Voidhawk genome and manipulated it to create the first Blackhawks. Using Valisk as a Blackhawk base for trade and transportation, as well as smuggling and mercenary activities, made Rubra extremely rich. After death Rubra transferred his memories and personality into Valisk’s neural strata, as was common for Edenists. He used affinity to try and manipulate his descendants into near identical copies of himself so that they would be worthy heirs. Each attempt was a failure in Rubra's eyes, and he became exceedingly bitter as his financial empire disintergrated. It was widely believed that Valisk/Rubra had become insane.
Ione Saldana
Also known as "The Lord of Ruin", Ione is the granddaughter of Michael Saldana, a crown prince of the Saldana royal family and creator of the Tranquility habitat. The Saldanas had been staunch defenders of the Adamist culture for centuries, and Michael's betrayal caused a considerable scandal which led to the exile of himself and all of his descendants. Ione is the absolute ruler of Tranquility, with complete dictatorial power over every aspect of life. She kept her presence on the habitat secret for some years, concerned that her youth and seeming inexperience would cause a crisis of confidence amongst the economic community if she revealed herself. Joshua Calvert is one of Ione's lovers and the father of her unborn children.
Gerald Skibbow
A colonist on Lalonde, Gerald was one of the first people in the Confederation to be possessed. He was captured and placed into zero tau for return to civilisation; the time in the pod forced the possessing soul to leave his body. Gerald was left deeply traumatized by his possession, and became obsessed with finding his possessed daughter Marie. He spends much of the trilogy trying to find her.
Marie Skibbow
An extremely beautiful teenaged girl, Marie was deeply unhappy when her family moved to Lalonde to become colonists there. When she turned 18 she abandoned her settlement and went to work in Durringham, the capital city of the planet, to try and raise money to leave for good. She dealt with Joshua Calvert when he visited Lalonde, and was possessed shortly afterwards by the soul of Kiera Salter. Kiera left Lalonde on the Yaku. She worked with Al Capone's organisation for a while and attempted to take control of the Valisk habitat.
Syrinx
An Edenist, daughter of Athene, and captain of the Voidhawk Oenone. Syrinx served a two year term in the military, where she conspicuously failed to catch Joshua Calvert smuggling contraband, before becoming a commercial trader. She runs into Calvert on several more occasions throughout the books. Syrinx travels to the Kint home world to investigate their knowledge of the possession phenomena, and undertakes various other missions for the Confederation.
Planets
Atlantis
One of the only planets colonised by Edenists, the surface of Atlantis is completely covered in water. The settlements consist of large islands which are grown by the Edenists using the same basic technology as their space habitats. Seafood is the planet's primary export.
Avon
The capital world of the entire Confederation.
Earth
The original home of Humanity. Earth's environment has long been devastated by heat pollution, which causes massive "armada storms" to rage across the surface periodically. The large population live wholly within sealed arcologies.
Garissa
Dr. Mzu's home planet. Garissa's population was eliminated by a series of antimatter warhead strikes which polluted the biosphere.
Golomo
A gas giant planet, home to a species of airborne amoebas.
Jobis
The supposed home planet of the Kiint. Jobis has three moons orbiting the Lagrange One point, rotating around a common centre. This triad was created deliberately by the Kiint in what they called an old experiment. The planet is not heavily populated. Syrinx visited Jobis to question the Kiint concerning their knowledge of possession.
Jupiter
The largest planet in the Sol system, and one of the major Edenist worlds. More than four thousand Edenist habitats orbit Jupiter, including Eden itself.
Kulu
The capital world of the Kulu Kingdom. Kulu was settled by Richard Saldana, and is still home to the Saldana royal family. The capital city Nova Kong is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the whole Confederation. One of the most technologically advanced worlds in the whole Confederation, Kulu was one of the few worlds which managed to resist the attempts of the possessed to infiltrate it. Kulu also built their own fusion mining system so that they werent dependant on the edenists for fuel.
Kursk
A planet conquered by Capone's organization. Kursk is located six light years from Arnstadt. The conquest was quick and easy, as the planet had no strategic defence network.
Lalonde
A relatively new colony world several hundred light years from Earth and twenty two light years from Ombey. Lalonde was home to a large Human colony and a much smaller Tyrathca settlement. Lalonde has an extremely hot and humid climate. It was the world Quinn Dexter was sent to after his conviction for smuggling, and was the first world to fall to the possessed.
Mars
Fourth planet in the Sol system, Mars was colonised by the Lunar government. The planet has been terraformed over a period of centuries, leading to a near-Earth environment.
Mastrit-PJ
The home planet of the Tyrathca, Mastrit-PJ was abandoned many thousands of years ago.
Mirchusko
A gas giant, home to the Tranquillity habitat and the Ruin Ring.
New California
The first colony whose immigration was limited on ethnic grounds, New California was settled by the Govcentral state of California. It was the first planet to fall to the Capone Organisation, and was home to the organisation throughout the remainder of the possession crisis.
Ngeuni
A colony world.
Norfolk
An agricultural world, the Norfolk government forbids the use of most high technology in favour of a more traditional style of living. Norfolk is home to Norfolk Tears, one of the most expensive alcoholic drinks in the Confederation.
Nyvan
The first habitable planet settled by Humans, Nyvan was a mutli-ethnic colony. As a result there is a history of much civil strife on the planet as the different ethnicities struggle to live together. Quinn Dexter successfully infiltrated the planet and spread possession there before raining asteroidal material on the planet to wreck the ecology. It was his hope that the possessed population would therefore live under conditions approaching a living hell. Quinn planned to repeat this process on other worlds across the Confederation.
Ombey
A colony of the Kulu Kingdom. Ombey was almost able to resist infiltration by the possessed, but one section of the planet was taken over. The Confederation mounted a massive military campaign to recapture the area; this came close to success, until the remaining possessed removed the area from the normal space time continuum.
Omuta
An enemy of Garissa, Omuta was threatened with Dr. Mzu's Neutronium Alchemist during the brief war between the two. They managed to prevent the attack and retaliated with an antimatter warhead strike against Garissa, killing the entire population. Omuta was placed under complete isolation for thirty years in punishment for the attack.
Oshanko
Capital world of the Japanese Empire, and the home port of the Confederation's 4th fleet.
Saturn
Another major planet with many habitats.
Yosemite
A gas giant planet in the same system as New California, home to 30 Edenist habitats. The Capone Organization attempted to take control of Yosemite after capturing New California. Unknown to Capone, the Yosemite habitats had turned a large part of their massive industrial capacity over to military production when the threat became apparent. They met the attack with overwhelming force and destroyed it utterly.
Habitats
Add lots of stuff
Tranquility
Germinated by Prince Michael Saldana to research the Ruin Ring, an ancient Laymil habitat annilated some 2000 years ago. This was because if they did it to themselves, they had a good reason too, and Micheal knew that we would find out too. If it was inflicted on them, however, whatever did it was still out there, and he wanted to be ready if they ever found it. Currently run by Ione Saldana, Tranquility has a tax free policy to attract richer people to it, as Micheal was basically shunned by his royal family for using bitek.
Valisk
An independant habitat run by Rubra.
Eden
First ever habitat, germinated by JKSP in Jupiter's orbit.
Pallas
Very little is known about this habitat orbiting Jupiter.
Perseus
Very little is known about this habitat orbiting Jupiter.
Remus
Orbits Saturn.
Romulus
Orbits Saturn