I just recently finished reading this one. It is part 1 of a trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton. Large scale sci fi space opera w/some fantasy type elements to it. It's a good story approaching great in certain spots. I say good because, without giving away any spoilers here, Hamilton utilizes real world tie-ins in the story that I'm not particularly thrilled about. That's mostly because I think usage of real world historical figures in sci fi is kinda lazy, especially when your story takes place very far into the future (2600 CE). It is a little irksome that almost all of Hamilton's real world tie-ins are from ~1900 give or take 100 years. :/Mini book review completed, on to the real reason for this post: Organic telepathic spaceships and why they make me giggle/smile in parts of the story where that is not at all an appropriate response to the goings on. In the story, there is a type of new technology called Bitek. Bitek is sort of genetically engineered life forms that function in place of standard metal and wires technology. So: a living, thinking, telepathic space station, for example. Or a spaceship. The funny part of all this is that these Bitek creations all have very cute personalities. So cute that I cannot help put picture them with smiley faces, flying around shouting, "Yay! :D" and making verbal "vroooo0mm! whoosh! pew pew pew!" noises when they are fighting other spaceships. It's hard to take the super grim life and death battles seriously when all I can picture is a bunch of these guys zipping around in the scene. Like this (sorta close to as described, flattish asymmetrical with a "crew toroid" for people to ride in):
Or better yet, ramp the cuteness up even further with my interpretation like this:
pew pew pew ratta tatta zoooooooommm! xD------------- Next week:
Post E3 rundown: Specifically two-ish upcoming vidya games that I am all gosh darn golly gee omg yes excited about playing.
