Young man can reshape his city and turn back time....

[sarasti]

Hi all,
can anyone please help me recover this novel from the depths of my befuddled mind? I read it roughly 10 years ago. As in the title of my post, the main character would go into the depths of his city to manipulate and reshape it with his mind. The plot went repeatedly back in time as our hero tried to repair and affect things gone wrong. I also seem to remember something about 'golden angels' causing a lot of trouble.

Sorry, I know it's not much to go on, sounds fairly generic, but any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[PaulMmn]

In "The City and the Stars" aka "Against the Fall of Night" (two versions of the same story by Arthur C Clarke) Our Hero lives in a city that is preserved by 'eternity circuits,' so nothing changes. Our Hero is at odds with the civilization as it exists. His mentor gains him access to the controlling computers of the city, deep in the depths of the city. In the control center he sees what appears to be a model... but is in reality a projection of the current state of the city, as preserved by the eternity circuits. One of the machines he now has access to lets him rewind the existence of the city, to let him view the way the city existed at times in the past, as changes are unwound from the machine's memory; in effect, to turn back time.

He wasn't allowed to make changes, but learned secrets of the city that most people weren't aware of. He discovers a way out of the city, and discovers the only other civilization on Earth.

 

[Venusian Broon]

It sort of reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven. But in this novel the man changes reality in his sleep. His doctor tries to manipulate him to make changes that are good for humanity or (increasingly) benefit the doctor. But it's sort of like a "Genie's wishes" that don't quite turn out the way you really expect. So for example, he gets angry about someone attacking his black girlfriend so 'wants to rid the world of racism' - when he wakes up everyone has grey skin. He gets asked to 'rid the world of war between nations' and the next day aliens invade (which makes all nations join in alliance against them) etc.

 

[tobl]

plot of dark city, greatest movie pre-matrix

 

[hitmouse]

The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton. First book in a trilogy.

 

[psikeyhackr]

The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton. First book in a trilogy.

Never read that.

 

[sarasti]

Thank you all very much for your suggestions, some interesting future reading there, but I think hitmouse has it nailed, I'll grab a copy ASAP and see, but it does ring a bell.

Thanks again.

 

[sarasti]

plot of dark city, greatest movie pre-matrix

Yes, one of my favourite SF films too. "Shut it down!"

 

[hitmouse]

Never read that.

Not his best. Iffy combo of sf and fantasy imho.
If you want to read Hamilton then go for the Night’s Dawn trilogy, which is exuberant space opera.

 

[Peter V]

Not his best. Iffy combo of sf and fantasy imho.
If you want to read Hamilton then go for the Night’s Dawn trilogy, which is exuberant space opera.

Loved Nights Dawn but do think the first two in the Commonwealth universe are better - Pandoras Star and Judas Unchained. Effectively prequels to the Void trilogy.

 

[williamjm]

The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton. First book in a trilogy.

I agree, although I think the specific bit sarasti describes is from the third book, The Temporal Void.