A Hole in the Sky review: Peter F. Hamilton’s latest is an epic slice of sci-fi – with one flaw

A hole in the sky
Peter F. Hamilton, angry robot

I’m a huge fan of Peter F. Hamilton, so I was really looking forward to his new book, A hole in the skyespecially since I always love ark stories.

This ship has traveled hundreds of years and its inhabitants have regressed until they resembled a medieval peasantry, living in villages beneath the high-tech towers that their ancestors inhabited. We learn about the problems they faced – a problem with the first planet they were supposed to land on, then a mutiny on board – which left them in a desperate situation. At 65, each individual must be retrained for the good of the ship. I loved everything about this setup.

All of this is told from the first-person point of view of Hazel, a 16-year-old girl. She suffers terrible headaches because there is an actual hole in the hull of the ship (hence the title of the book) and she quickly finds herself drawn into a dramatic chain of events. But she also has time to worry a lot about boys and clothes, which I don’t really buy. Would a girl or woman of any age worry about her outfit when the lives of everyone on board her spaceship were at stake and she had a constant headache?

As you may already know, Hamilton is a genius who made his name writing big science fiction. My favorites (probably his Empty And Dawn of the night trilogies, plus sound Commonwealth Saga duology) are wild, ridiculously inventive, complicated and mind-blowing. I don’t always fully understand them, but I love the ride.

I didn’t really like Hamilton’s recent book Exodus: Archimedes enginerelated to the upcoming Exodus video game, because I thought there was footage included purely for gameplay, rather than for readers’ enjoyment, but I appreciate that this wasn’t aimed at me. I also understand that a master writer might want new challenges. (The second in the series, for those not averse to video games, will be released later this year. The game will arrive in 2027.)

This all brings me back to A hole in the sky. I was halfway through when I noticed that it was a bit, for lack of a better word, childish. Investigating further, I discovered that the book was first released as an audio-only novel in 2021 – and is generally categorized as “young adult”, meaning aimed at teenagers.

In a 2020 interview, Hamilton was quoted as saying, “Having a teenager as the main protagonist is category-defining for publishing, but I hope it appeals to readers of all ages.” » Personally, I think that a young protagonist does not exclude that a book is intended for adults. (I write this as someone who has written novels with teenage protagonists.) But will people of any age enjoy this particular book?

The set-up and plot twists are fantastic, as you would expect from Hamilton. But I wish it would have refrained from what I think are supposed to be “teen” elements. When my hero is running for his life, I don’t need interludes where she’s thrilled to be holding her boyfriend’s hand. I found myself wishing that the main character was 65 and about to be recycled – that would have carried weight.

Maybe Hamilton will find a new audience with this. If I were a film or television researcher, for example, I could imagine it transferring brilliantly to the screen. A hole in the sky is part of a trilogy, with follow-ups planned in June and December. As I wrote in my preview of the new science fiction books of 2026, this rapid schedule is unusual and I will be intrigued to see how it plays out.

Emily also recommends…

Pandora’s Star
Peter F. Hamilton, Pan Macmillan

If you’ve never tried Hamilton’s classic works, there are many possible entry points into the various universes he created, but I suggest Pandora’s Star and its follow-up Judas Unchained (they make up the Commonwealth Saga duology) as a good entry route. If you think the phrase “epic space opera” sounds cool, these are probably for you.

Emily H. Wilson is a former editor-in-chief of New scientist and the author of Sumerians trilogy, set in ancient Mesopotamia. The last novel in the series, Ninshubaris out now. You can find her at emilyhwilson.com, or follow her on X @emilyhwilson and Instagram @emilyhwilson1