Misspent Youth

by Peter F. Hamilton

Book Overview

From bestselling science fiction author Hamilton comes the deeply human storyof the first person to be rejuvenated into a younger body--and the unexpectedresults that ensue. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345461649
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Del Rey
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent setting, but the characters can be a let down

Jeff Baker is the creator of the ultimate storage device, the memory crystal. Able to hold masses of information, it has caused the downfall of copyright: everything is now public access. With this freedom the world is living in an age where anything can be stored, from constant security footage to the entire backlog of all media ever created. But Jeff is not only famous for the creation of this crystal, his fame comes from the fact that he didn't patent the crystal and gave away the technology to whoever could build it, making him known the world over. Now, after years of research, rejuvenation is possible. Jeff is chosen as the first subject because of his past achievements and also the promise of working toward a superconductor once treatment is complete. After months being rejuvenated Jeff wakes up to a face he hasn't seen in fifty years, with family and friends having to adjust to his younger appearance, new outlook on life and behaviour to go with it. Misspent Youth is the story of one family's experiences after a historic landmark and all the problems and consequences thrown up by it. The world created by Peter is once again full of ideas and has a history that is evident in the writing. This is something that I always enjoy when getting into one of Peter's novels - I don't want a flat world that isn't alive past the immediate surroundings of a scene. Some of the highlights of the novel are the background things - an ongoing race to get a commercial vehicle to space, the build up to the European presidential election and the imminent (and superbly realised) Million Citizen march in London. Combine this with a history where copyright has crumbled and all data is free in a society with instant access to anything you can imagine and you've got a great setting, one that doesn't come much better. Of course, this helps to set the tone of the novel, which is noticeably split due to the perspectives it is told through. Jeff, a 78-year-old with a brand new body already has lifetime of experiences, and now with a youthful body he knows how to get what he wants, if not always how to do it the right way. Jeff can be a nice character at times, while at others he just doesn't seem to think straight and the actions caused by this lead to some very interesting and awkward situations. Tim, Jeff's son, is just 18 and has his fair share of problems when it comes to girls and partying. Because of this he can be more than a little annoying at times, although he does have some redeeming qualities that are enough to make him bearable and someone you can relate to. Most other characters are a joy to read, although the exception is Annabelle, Tim's first love. Without giving anything away, she certainly doesn't appear to care much for those she hurts. I'm sure everyone out the knows someone like Annabelle - a slapper with no care of how her actions affect others. Perhaps a little harsh, but she isn't a likable character and the weak link. Despite all the fau

Nice but thin treatment of regeneration

The back-cover blurbs would have you believe that this is a Dune/Foundation-level epic. It's not - there's nothing epic about it. But that doesn't mean it's a bad book. Peter Hamilton is a somewhat uneven writer - from an interesting but not engaging Fallen Dragon to the very strong The Dreaming Void (The Void Trilogy). Here, he turns his attention and talent to the use of genetic therapy to regeneration and a second youth. The writing is smooth, the characters interesting and realistic, the science plausible (well, stretched a bit), and the future environment nicely presented. Hamilton credible captures a near future society and politics, and even some new slang, without irritating. The motivations of the government in responding to the posited society are not entirely clear, but it doesn't get in the way of the story too much. This is a nice, short novel, but one does wonder whether it might not have been better off as a novella. It's well done, but there's not quite enough story here to make a novel.

fascinating thriller

In the near future former RAF pilot Jeff Baker invents the memory crystal that led to the datasphere, which replaced the Internet. Jeff Baker made his creation available to everyone placing him on a par with Mother Teresa for altruistic adulation. In 2040, the European Union scientists make an incredible breakthrough in genetics; they developed a new biotechnique that enables them to replace aged genes. Jeff is the chosen one because of what he did with his memory crystal and the theory that his brilliance could solve the home energy crisis. The conversion works as Jeff goes from a septuagenarian to a twentyish person. Only Jeff finds his sex drive supersedes everything and everyone else including his used to be much younger wife and his teenage son. Discounting some unnecessary English terrorists detracting from the fascinating thriller, MISSPENT YOUTH is an interesting look at the unintended consequences of science finding a Fountain of Youth. The story line focuses on out of control Jeff who finds his former peers ancient and only sex matters. In terms of relationships he succeeds as a born again sex machine, but the only intelligence he brings back from his years of experience is sex; thus narrowing the scope of an intriguing premise. Harriet Klausner

Workmanlike.

In some senses a sad fable set in a similar universe as Hamilton's earlier Mindstorm/Nanoflower books, this almost Faustian tale of a man bring given his youth veers from wild descriptions of exactly what a non-Viagra enhanced 20- going on 80 year old man can get up to when the flesh as well as the spirit is willing, to a damning indictment of the future of the European union project, especially as visions of seccession of England from the EU are raised. Less turgid than his Reality Disfunction, Hamilton manages to return to his roots and deliver a great story in a single book. Though some of its scenes will no doubt be be considered by some as voyeuristic, the plot has some deeply thought provoking moments.