Misspent Youth
Encyclopedia
Misspent Youth is a science-fiction novel by English author Peter F. Hamilton
Peter F. Hamilton
Peter F. Hamilton is a British author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide.- Biography :...

.

Set in the near-future, it describes the story of Jeff Baker; an inventor who revolutionizes the world by creating the ultimate method of information storage and instead of selling it, offers it open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

. Because of this act, he is chosen as the candidate for the first use of rejuvenation
Rejuvenation (aging)
Rejuvenation is the hypothetical reversal of the aging process.Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging...

 technology which leaves him with the body of a young man. Hamilton forms a picture of a famous man with a troubled family, living in a troubled Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 - also Hamilton's home county. This is very much a character driven story and focuses on the effects that Jeff's rejuvenation has on his family.

The novel has received mixed reviews, with Hamilton himself best describing why: "I could see why it didn't appeal to a lot of people. It was an unpleasant story about unpleasant people. With hindsight, it was never going to be as popular as my other works."

The story is set around 2040. It envisions that after the invention of the "datasphere", traditional publishing industries finally lost control on their copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

, and the development of new novels, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 and movies collapsed. The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 remains a part of a more closely integrated European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

, with violent separatist movements in many member states.

The novel was first published in the USA in August 2006 in a new edition which had been re-edited for the US market.

Plot summary

Seventy-eight year-old Jeff Baker has revolutionized the world by inventing the ultimate method of information storage and allowing free use of it with no profits going into his own pocket. Because of this generous act, he is chosen by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 to be the first recipient for rejuvenation
Rejuvenation (aging)
Rejuvenation is the hypothetical reversal of the aging process.Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging...

 technology, which will leave him with the body of a young man. As part of the deal, he will support the re-election of the EU president.

Jeff's son Tim has a fairly typical frustrated life as a rich teenager, living with his famous father and distant mother. Tim is extremely happy when he starts going out with gorgeous Annabelle. She likes him, but she has a troubled home life and Tim's drink problem reminds her of her father.

When Jeff comes home from the rejuvenation he is in a 20-year-old body. Energised by his new youthfulness, he has a series of affairs, but is most attracted to Annabelle. They start a tawdry affair and fall in love. Their passionate relationship is only a secret for a short time before Tim finds them in bed together. His life falling apart, Tim runs away.

Jeff and Annabelle are happy together, travelling around the world and, it is hinted, experimenting with ménage à trois. However, they are sad that they have hurt Tim. After Tim is hurt in a reckless accident, Jeff tells Tim that the reason he gave away the information storage technology was so his ex-wife could not get any royalties. The amazing act of charity he is famous for was motivated by spite, not goodwill.

Tim talks with his aunt about the situation. He stops drinking and doing drugs, and makes friends with his mother. He finds a new romantic interest in Vanessa, one of the girls from school.

Jeff and Annabelle both attend a controversial EU conference in London so Jeff can speak supporting the EU. Tim and some of his friends are in a protest in the streets below the conference when huge riots begin. Jeff changes his mind about supporting the EU, leaves the conference behind and charges through the riots to find his son.

In the end, Jeff is dying because the rejuvenation treatment is not yet a properly functional technology. On a live broadcast, he reveals the lies of the EU government and rescinds his support for the presidential campaign. It is revealed that Annabelle is pregnant with Jeff's child. Jeff reunites with Tim, and Tim tells him that he loves him.

Reception

Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...

 was not very positive in their review saying that "scenes of passion and parent-child conflict are not particularly interesting, and the unconvincing sentimental ending likewise disappoints." Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...

 described the novel as "Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon is a science fiction short story and subsequent novel written by Daniel Keyes. The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960...

, centering on sex instead of brains."
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