Misspent Youth
Readers have learned to expect the unexpected from Peter F. Hamilton. Now the master of space opera focuses on near-future Earth and one most unusual family. The result is a coming-of-age tale like no other. By turns comic, erotic, and tragic, Misspent Youth is a profound and timely exploration of all that divides and unites fathers and sons, men and women, the young and the old.
2040. After decades of concentrated research and experimentation in the field of genetic engineering, scientists of the European Union believe they have at last conquered humankind’s most pernicious foe: old age. For the first time, technology holds out the promise of not merely slowing the aging process but actually reversing it. The ancient dream of the Fountain of Youth seems at hand.
The first subject for treatment is seventy-eight-year-old philanthropist Jeff Baker. After eighteen months in a rejuvenation tank, Jeff emerges looking like a twenty-year-old. And the change is more than skin deep. From his hair cells down to his DNA, Jeff is twenty – with a breadth of life experience.
But while possessing the wisdom of a septuagenarian at age twenty is one thing, raging testosterone is another, as Jeff discovers when he attempts to pick up his life where he left off. Suddenly his oldest friends seem, well, old. Jeff’s trophy wife looks better than she ever did. His teenage son, Tim, is more like a younger brother. And Tim’s nubile girlfriend is a conquest too tempting to resist.
Jeff’s rejuvenated libido wreaks havoc on the lives of his friends and family, straining his relationship with Tim to the breaking point. It’s as if youth is a drug and Jeff is wasted on it. But if so, it’s an addiction he has no interest in kicking.
As Jeff’s personal life spirals out of control, the European Union undergoes a parallel meltdown, attacked by shadowy separatist groups whose violent actions earn both condemnation and applause. Now, in one terrifying instant, the personal and the political will intersect, and neither Jeff nor Tim – or the Union itself – will ever be the same again.
Readers also enjoyed
Peter F. Hamilton
Peter F. Hamilton's name resonates with fans of sprawling, intricate science fiction tales that blur the boundaries of human ambition, artificial intelligence, and the vast reaches of space. Born in Rutland, England, in 1960, Hamilton has transformed the genre with his ability to weave grand narratives that span centuries and galaxies, all while exploring the intimate threads of human emotion and conflict.
Hamilton’s journey as a writer began in the late 1980s, with his first short story sold to Fear magazine in 1988. But it wasn’t until the release of Mindstar Rising in 1993 that he first captured the imaginations of readers. From there, his reputation skyrocketed, especially with the monumental success of The Night's Dawn Trilogy. This epic space opera marked him as one of the key voices in modern science fiction. His works, often set in detailed universes brimming with complex characters and world-shaking events, quickly made him a fixture on bestseller lists, with millions of copies of his books flying off shelves worldwide.
Commonwealth Universe
The tale of the Commonwealth universe starts with Misspent Youth (2002), which sets the stage for the Commonwealth Saga, consisting of Pandora's Star (2004) and Judas Unchained (2005).
The Void Trilogy is set in the same universe, fifteen hundred years later.
Commonwealth Universe consists of 1 total books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Related series The Commonwealth Saga
Related series The Void Trilogy
Related series Chronicle of the Fallers
