Mass Market Paperback, 482 pages

English language

Published Dec. 17, 1995 by Bantam Spectra.

ISBN:
978-0-553-28368-6
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Goodreads:
77566

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4 stars (38 reviews)

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.

On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

7 editions

reviewed Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Far better than I recalled

5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable, and vastly better than I remembered from when I last read it 25 years ago. There were so many details I didn't recall. I somehow callowly missed all the obvious link the Canterbury Tales amidst the other literary allusions.

The world-building was exceptional, even if things like the world web now seem like a product of the era when it was written. To wit: the the writer and academic describe work conditions in several hundred years from now that seem firmly rooted in the past, let alone the present.

From memory the rest of the series declines in quality, but wow, this was good.

Review of 'Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

TL;DR removing one star because it falls into some classic uncritical usage of colonialist + imperialist narrative, misogynist plot devices + characters, and ableist language + lenses. without downplaying these core issues, i still have to say this book (and its sequel) are some of the most impressive, ambitious, & compelling hard sci-fi i've ever read. more specifics:


in particular "the soldier's tale" and "the consul's tale" were both totally uncritical of their feminine muse characters-as-plot-devices, and the sex scenes felt shoehorned and pointless because of it. "the detective's tale" starts by centering a dope & hyper-competent woman character but she too is eventually shrunk into a confused & lovesick wench. the book in general also has a poorly-hidden enjoyment of militarism & military aesthetics without much of a critical eye, although I think the sequel does more in this regard. "the priest's tale" could have done without its offensive …

Review of 'Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

For years people have been telling me “Oh, you love Space Opera, you’ll love Hyperion”. I finally read it.

The story is pretty okay, a little unexciting, but generally sort okay. I have 3 main problems, which stopped it being really edifying for me.

Firstly, it’s essentially a bunch of people sitting round telling stories. Like seriously, couldn’t you think of a better bridge between story arcs.

I also don’t feel the universe was described match the social effects of technology with the technology in it. For example there are fully sentient AIs, but however it’s never explored as to what it’s like to be a sentient AI or the differences in experience for them of us. There’s instantaneous travel, which apparently is expensive, but is also ubiquitous (not sure that makes sense). It all feels a little untidy.

Finally this story could practically be set now, with on major …

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