Hyperion: A Novel

Hyperion is phenomenal! The writing is so eloquent that it was actually shocking to believe that this was written in 1989, it felt like this had easily been written and released this year because nothing felt dated about the story, the characters or really anything involved with the storyline. It’s described as The Canterbury Tales in space, though I’ve never read The Canterbury Tales, I can’t exactly say that. What I can say is that this was truly something unique to me, as I’ve not really experienced a type of story telling like this where it felt like six different novellas tied into one large story. After reading this I can truly say that Simmons is a master of the science fiction genre by writing such a masterful tale that had me reading every chance that I got and frothing over his beautiful writing style. Hyperion’s setting of a 29th century world has such an intricate plot with a very rich and detailed universe where humanity has colonized numerous planets. One of my favorite things is spotting references, and Simmons has a lot of them placed within the story, at one point I would say “oh this reminds me of this” and then Simmons would point that out later letting you know that’s why it’s similar, part of that is using historical themes such as Greek and Biblical Hebrew to help tell a part of the story. Hyperion has a perfect pacing that never felt sluggish or too fast moving at any point and if you’re looking for a story that is much more character driven than plot, as the focus is on learning about the characters, this is definitely the story to read. Within each story, Simmons does a great job of weaving in action and drama with stories of political power, familial love, religion and fate. What intrigues me the most is that while the story of the characters is happening, a war is underway with the Ousters, that could destroy Hyperion. “Words bend our thinking to infinite paths of self-delusion, and the fact that we spend most of our mental lives in brain mansions built of words means that we lack the objectivity necessary to see the terrible distortion of reality which language brings.” The story follows six pilgrims and their expedition to Hyperion, my worry with how this story was told is that I could end up not liking one or more of these stories within, but that was not the case, each story is well established and thought provoking while also being dark and tragic to their own extents and always leading back to one thing, the Shrike, a terrifying creature that is sent back in time. The differences in the style of each story is what made this so unique, one story felt somewhat like Westworld or Ready Player 1, one was a bit more comedic, another one felt like a nod to Isaac Asimov’s iRobot, while another had a Benjamin Button, 50 First Dates quality about it to give multiple parallels to how different each one of these characters are. Simmons attention to focus on these characters that are deeply complex and so very flawed is what makes this stand out the most, on top of that there is the mysterious Shrike creature that is sent back in time, a creature that is described almost like Galactus the world eater, but with a more sinister xenomorph look to it. With everything that’s been revealed about the characters, there’s still quite a bit of mystery still left to figure out in the rest of the series and its sequel since the story ends on a bit of cliffhanger with the group reaching their destination as all their stories have now been told. I’m not a big fan of cliffhangers, but this series is old enough that all books are available, so there’s no reason for panic. Another thing I’m always leery about is multiple narrators, because if one is bad, it can put a damper on the story, but again, this was not an issue because all five narrators, Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, Jay Snyder & Victor Bevine were terrific. They made this story even better with superior performances that got me in my feels and had my spine tingling from theme sheer terror that they felt, this was perfect in every way imaginable. As Dwight would say, perfectenschlag.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons is the first book in the Hyperion Cantos series and folks, its a good one! I've always been looking for a good sci-fi book that deals with some type of mythical creature and whatnot. So when I read the description of Hyperion and the Shrike, I was sold. It also helped that I've seen this series posted on many "must read" lists online. Like many reviews have stated, this first book in the series serves nothing more than an "introductory" of the characters. Basically, each character has their own story to tell and when one is done, a small break back to reality is given until the next story is told. Think of it as several novella's. Either way, I think it's a pretty good way to start off the series. It gives the readers a good chance to get familiar with the major characters. Whether you think each story is interesting or not, well, that's obviously a different thing altogether. The book does start off a bit slow but after reading the first story of the characters, I knew I was in for something special if all the other stories followed suit. The common ground is that each character's story has something to do with the character's pilgrimage to the world of Hyperion where they will eventually meet with the legendary Shrike creature. Father Hoyt - I absolutely loved his story. It was mysterious and haunting at the same time. It gives the readers a first glimpse of the Shrike. Kassad - His story gives the readers a taste of the powers the Shrike wields along with how dangerous they can be. Martin - One of my least favorite stories to read although it did have some funny moments here and there. As with every group, there has to be one guy that seems to piss everyone off and in Hyperion, it's Martin. Sol - I'm sure his story will be a fan favorite for many readers. It's sad to read what happened but does give us another glimpse to the mysterious ways of the Shrike's power. Brawne - Her tale involves the most action. Also, it does take some patience to read through during the later part as it requires quite a bit of imagination from the reader. The Consul - Definitely a very weird story at first but pans out nicely towards the end. I appreciate the author spending a lot of time giving details of the world around the characters. I do have to admit though that there were many times throughout the book where the author would use a "technological or sci-fi" term without explaining the details or giving a explanation. The only way of knowing what that term means is to hope that the author uses it more than once and piecing the context in which it was used to predict the definition. It's definitely not bad enough to the point where it would drive one crazy though. The world the author builds is your standard affair of stuff where Old Earth is no more but instead hundreds and thousands of planets are now inhabitable. Travelling via farcaster portals to different planets definitely gives this book the "sci-fi" feel. Some readers didn't like the cliff hanger ending but I felt it ended exactly as I thought it would. In fact, I wouldn't even consider it a cliff hanger at all. A cliff hanger to me would be if a major character in the story was shot by a mysterious person and it ended right there. With Hyperion, I believe the choice is up to the readers on whether they want to continue with the series or not based on the ending. If they chose not to continue, I think the author did enough to close out the stories of the characters so that the readers don't feel cheated with having to purchase the next book in the series to find out what happens next. If they choose to continue, which I consider myself in this category, then I'm sure the next book will continue right where this one ended. The Shrike legend will definitely continue!

Hyperion tells the story of a vast intergalactic society through the series of seemingly random POVs- Much like the Canterbury Tales. The scope of the book is vast, and each POV incredibly unique. ------------------------ The book is so varied, with topics that i would never connect to each other, that i like to guess/assume/joke that this book came around as a dare. You see, i bet the author and a buddy were sitting around drinking... and boasting. Author: I can write about anything, and it will sell. Friend: Ha! Keep telling yourself that. Author: Im serious, come on, give me an idea. Anything. Friend: Hmm... Ok. You know how i love the poet Keats? So i want you to write a book about Keats. BUT! It has to be Sci-Fi, and in interstellar space. Author: Well...that's interesting...hmm... Friend: And, you have to include a real life account of the battle of Agincourt. And there has to be immortal androgynous humans. And electric/tesla trees. And an inter-dimensional death entity. AND. AND. DINOSAURS. REAL LIFE DINOSAURS. Author: Hold my beer. ------------------------ A Catholic Priest, a Jew, a drunk poet, and a military Colonel walk into a bar... sounds like the start of a bad joke- But these characters, along with a detective, a mysterious EcoFriendly-Templar, and a Consul/Planetary-Governor form a expeditionary group to make contact with the Shrike, and investigate time capsules. At best, only one of them will survive, and history shows that none are likely to... and yet all seven go willingly. The story begins with the Consul, abit of a recluse, who is the only living person on a wilderness planet dominated by reptiles. The story beginning/prologue is perfect and not one to rush read. A descriptive painting, it describes an extremely vivid picture that not only sets the tone for the rest of the novel but gives a ton of subtle hints about our POV character. The novel quickly pivots and gives short stories for each character. These stories are interesting in themselves and serve as both characterization and as clues to the mystery of the Shrike. While it is a totally different genre, there are interesting parallels to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None"- and "The Canterbury Tales" both in setup and execution. Positives: + POV/Characters. Each POV reads completely unique versus the one before it. Not only does each character act different, but the writing in each section changes to perfectly match the current POV character. + Plots. Each plot is unique, some even floored me. For example, Sol's story? Wow. + Storyline. The story isn't linear, but more a series of random snapshots. Have you ever seen one of those image mosaic compilations from Mars/Ceres/Pluto etc, where a number of pictures are joined together to show a whole? Think of each of these frames being revealed one by one. That is how this book is structured. While completely unique in there own right, each story also reveals one frame of the whole. As the reader progresses through the book, more and more connections are made, and when finished, the picture/mosaic/storyline is awesome. Negatives: - Bit of a cliffhanger at the end. - The structure of two of the plots. The Catholic Priest's plot is from a series of journals, which makes it distant and hard to connect with. The Consul's jumps around and isn't linear, which is a bit confusing. Neutral: +/- The reader is thrown into the story, and has to learn on the fly, because of this there are alot of terms etc which the reader has to infer. +/- Mature themes. Sex, gratuitous violence, etc. +/- Religious references.

I don't really know where to begin here. I have loved science fiction books since childhood, and anyone who reads the genre will know there are many styles and stories beneath that umbrella. Does the author abuse open ended approaches to science? Maybe an overuse of the fantastic in pursuit of good fiction? Is there a point to the story beyond "kill the baddies"? Anyone who loves sci-fi knows sometimes a series or an author fails to live up to they hype. Saying that this series "lives up to the hype" simply does not say enough. To me, this is a masterpiece on form with Frank Herbert's DUNE. The author weaves an incredible story through some of the most inspired world creation I have ever had the pleasure to experience, through any medium. Simply every facet of the universe that Dan creates for the reader is just right, he knows when to stop and let the minds eye fill in the gaps while providing the materials for it to do so. As i read, I wanted to highlight entire chapters for their sheer literary beauty, worlds in the work of Dan Simmons are more than altered and recycled earths. The story he weaves in this universe is shrouded in mystery through to the very end without being confusing, relevant without grinding an axe, and nuanced without being understated. There are some authors that simply stand out in their ability to emotionally involve the reader in their story, and Dans Hyperion series stands in another league in that regard. I write this review having finished "The rise of Endymion" only minuets prior, and I feel as if I have just parted with a dear friend. Goosebumps covered my arms and emotion filled my eyes throughout the series, but the true master work to me is in the conclusion, a brilliant tying together of an immensely complicated story that covers thousands of years in story time in a way that does not leave the reader wanting. To watch him do that with such measure as an author makes me never want to write again. One of my great regrets is having been born too late to meet Frank Herbert. To make an estimation of the artist that created a series that nobody waned with such finesse that it swept the literary world and demanded their attention to the genre. Frank told more than a nice story in his writing, DUNE to me is more than a diversion of my time. DUNE to myself and others was a beautiful questioning of what it means to be a human explored through a literary medium. I didn't think it possible but Dan Simmons has written his Hyperion series to the level of great authors like Frank Herbert. The amount of real world work it must have taken to tie together the incredible detail in science, religion, and relationships is staggering, and highlights his mastery of his craft. He approaches the fictional science much as we approach the realities of our modern world, giving enough detail to understand without having to resort to hand-wavium. His understanding of human religions and his postulations of their future growth and adaptation highlights a far more than cursory understanding of the topic, and his characters feel like people i would deeply like to know. Thank you Mr. Simmons for this book and this series. If humanity is meets an untimely end and our society is exhumed at some later date by some later life, I hope that they find your book. The Hyperion series is more than a sci-fi novel, its a love letter to humanity from a man who invested the years in understanding it.

Give it a try. I've never wrote a book review before, but I want to aid in recommending people to reading this series, of which Hyperion is a part of. The first paragraph sort of sums up my review, the rest is a tangent more or less about Simmons and his style of writing (maybe it'll help you get a feel for his works and if you would like this book). It was an absolute blast. Dark, funny, gruesome, surreal, sad, thought provoking, and erie; it was an incredible journey for me. It's almost as if you are watching a play that has a grey shadow over it, even in the happier parts. Theres always this looming darkness, emptiness, and desperation (those of you who've read it know what I mean), that's wrapped around all of the cast. I think this stems from both the cold void of space and the decaying stagnancy of the universe, not to mention their own tragic lives. It is a plight of seven pilgrims and their actions that would affect all of civilization. But as a few readers have mentioned; there is a hope that burns in each of these pilgrims that warms you and fights at the desperation like only hope can. I think there is a lot of dimensions in Simmons's work that resonates with the human soul. If you have ever read romance (keats kind) or tragedy, it's like that (but with a happier outcome than tragedies). It is similar to the grandeur I felt reading the Divine comedy or Canterbury tales. At least for me, by the end of a majority of his books, especially this one, there is an attachment to his characters. Everyone has their flavor, I get it. But let me just say that I consider myself a person who has read a variety of Authors: Dickens, Robert Jordan, Coolidge, Homer, Stephen King, Koontz, J.K. Rowling, Michael Chriton, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Lovecraft, H.G Wells, Doyle you get the gist, too many authors to name. Anyway, Dan Simmons is great, FOR ME, way better than Stephen King. To use an analogy it's as if when I try to read King, it's like walking into a well kept house that belongs to old people; muted colors, stiff air, slow and boring, I really fail to see the big deal with him.... Simmons is the complete opposite. His characters are lively and charismatic, his worlds vast and fascinating, his scope unbound and breathtaking. Having read what is, considered by many, "Great works", I think that Simmons has wrote a masterpiece with this Cantos. I don't think this review came out quite the way I intended it to, not being a writer myself, I find it hard to put into words exactly how I feel about Simmons, and more specifically this series. If you have read any great works (the odyssey, divine comedy, rime of the ancient mariner) etc, I think you'll like these books, even if you do not like space (which I love). The canto elicits a strong, emotional response that mimics what all of which humanity endures. I hope this helps and for a more descriptive summary of the books see some of the other reviews, they helped me with my decision. Enjoy, and later alligator.

I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, either in movies or books, but this book had me hooked from the go. Dan’s prose is rich, sometimes confusing, and the Hyperion plot is complex. As he intended, I was a bit confused for most of the book, and the ending did not answer many of my questions. Then I discovered that books one and two were split from a single novel, which is why the ending is such a cliffhanger. I see why this book is highly acclaimed. Plot & Story Structure: 4.5 Character Development: 4.5 Writing Style & Quality: 5 Emotional Impact: 4 Originality & Creativity: 5 Pacing & Flow: 4.5 Overall Satisfaction: 4.7 Final Rating: 4.6/5.0 (Exceptional - ★★★★★)

This sci-fi novel is on several "Best SciFi lists". I've been meaning to purchase it for quite some time. I finally purchased it (for a cheaper price than on Ebay) and began reading it. It was only then, did I realize that I already read the book! Lol! It's just as good the second time around.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a rare example of a book I don’t enjoy but that I respect immensely. Hyperion is a work of art. It is regularly ranked amongst the top 15 science fiction books of all time. Simmons employs an innovative narrative structure that really serves to build the tension and mystery. There’s a lot that I really like about the book. Yet, as a whole, the story just didn’t speak to me. The book starts off around 700 years in the future. Seven pilgrims – a captain, a priest, a soldier, a poet, a scholar, a detective, and a diplomat – travel to the planet Hyperion to visit the Shrike, a mysterious, murderous, quasi-religious figure. While en route, the agree to tell each other their backstories and their reasons for wanting to visit the Shrike (a la Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). The majority of the book is then split into each pilgrim’s tale. In reviewing Tolkien’s The Book of Lost Tales, Part I, I explained how an intrusive frame narrative could detract from a story. In Hyperion, Simmons provides an excellent example of how a well-constructed frame narrative can enhance a story. The entire pilgrimage to Hyperion is essentially a plot device to tie together six short stories. However, it’s not just a plot device. The frame narrative is intimately connected to each of the stories. The stories explain the motivations of the characters and why they decided to embark upon the pilgrimage. In a sense, the frame narrative begins as an enigma and the stories eventually help the reader make sense of it. The frame narrative is brief but effectively increases the tension and informs our reading of the short stories. The way secondary characters on Hyperion fear the Shrike, the chaos of a brewing war with off-planet marauders, and the arduous nature of the pilgrimage tell us much about the seven pilgrims, even before they tell their stories. They are desperate and willing to take risks. They have already suffered much. The fact that they still fear the Shrike makes the Shrike all the more intimidating. Simmons tells each of the short stories in a unique style. Each of the six stories falls into a different genre. For example, the detective’s tale is noir, complete with the private investigator sitting in her office on a dark and rainy day. Some of the stories are told in first-person narrative, while others are in third-person, again as befits the story and the characters. Simmons even manages to explain why the stories do not contain awkward pauses or fillers (the diplomat transcribes and edits the stories). As much as I love the frame narrative, I felt the stories themselves were a mixed bag. The best stories engaged with larger philosophical and religious issues. Despite my usual inclination against horror, I actually found the priest’s tale the most memorable. The story and complies with many conventions of the horror genre (i.e., the initial mystery, the building dread, etc.), but it also manages to managed an innovative and shocking twist. It had me thinking about faith and resurrection in ways I never thought possible. The scholar's tale is an analogue to the biblical story of Abraham, but with a very different kind of sacrifice. The scholar is aware enough to question the virtues of blind obedience to a god. I found myself somewhat less interested in the tales that focused on plot or action. The detective's tale seemed like Simmons' attempt at fight scenes, but I didn't think this book really needed so much action. It almost strained credulity that the detective could take out so many combatants at once. The diplomat's tale features two lovers who age at different rates due to the effects of relatively, but I never understood why the characters were in love, especially after spending most of their lives apart. The poet's tale is basically a history lesson on the Hegemony, but it manages to be entertaining because of the poet's dripping sarcasm. In several places, Simmons’ world-building lacked a sense of verisimilitude. I get the sense that Simmons had a lot of great ideas and threw them all into this book, but without making sure that they fit together. For example, on the one hand, Simmons is careful to keep track of the relativistic effects of space travel. Characters who travel faster than light age slower than those planet-bound. In fact, Simmons uses this scientific principle to great dramatic effect, especially in the diplomat’s tale, when two lovers age at different rates (certainly the best use I’ve seen of relatively until Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar). Yet, the interstellar government, the Hegemony, also has devices called farcasters, which allow people to instantaneously teleport between planets. These devices are not only accessible, but actually mundane. Simmons describes one house as spread out over 18 different planets, connected by farcasters. Simmons explains that the Hegemony needs to install farcasters and that planets outside its jurisdiction do not have any. Still, the dramatic effect of relativity is somewhat undermined. It’s like learning about two lovers who live far apart, only to learn that if they moved a few towns over they’d be connected by a high-speed train. The characters make an unrealistically large number of references to 19th and 20th century culture. For example, I have trouble believing that people in the 28th century are going to be so obsessed with John Keats that they name a planet “Hyperion” and try to build a cyborg persona of him. These allusions kept taking me out of the story. In our own world, the average person’s knowledge of major cultural figures from 700 years ago is quite limited (aside from Chaucer). Another reason why I didn’t “enjoy” reading Hyperion is because of the excessive level of violence and sex. This book is very graphic and at times disturbing to read. Simmons seems intent on finding new ways for human beings to suffer. I admit, some of the deaths in this book were quite clever, but also quite shocking. The most violent scenes often include sex, frequently somebody being killed during the act of sex. This is certainly not a book you want to read in public. I actually had to stop reading midway through the book so I could recharge my emotional batteries. As I said above, Hyperion is a well written and engaging book. Simmons use of a frame narrative sets the standard for how to use a frame device effectively. Hyperion is a challenging read, but it will certainly make readers think and feel. You might feel depressed, but you will feel. I'm intrigued enough by the cliffhanger ending to read the sequel, The Fall of Hyperion, but I don't think I'll be coming back to this universe frequently without lots of Prozac. [also posted on the NardiViews blog]