: An Edenist pilot of the sentient voidhawk starship Enigma .

is the first installment of the massive Night's Dawn Trilogy by British author Peter F. Hamilton , originally published in 1996. It is a foundational work of modern British space opera, blending hard science fiction with cosmic horror elements. The Setting: AD 2600

: A charismatic but psychopathic criminal whose actions on the colony world of Lalonde trigger the central crisis.

: The traditionalist majority who use mechanical technologies, such as neural nanonics and cybernetic implants.

: The ruler of the Tranquillity habitat, which orbits a mysterious alien archaeological site called the Ruin Ring.