Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos)

By Dan Simmons

A stunning tour de force filled with transcendent awe and wonder, Hyperion is a masterwork of science fiction that resonates with excitement and invention, the first volume in a remarkable epic by the multiple-award-winning author of The Hollow Man. 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. Praise for Dan Simmons and Hyperion “Dan Simmons has brilliantly conceptualized a future 700 years distant. In sheer scope and complexity it matches, and perhaps even surpasses, those of Isaac Asimov and James Blish.”—The Washington Post Book World “An unfailingly inventive narrative . . . generously conceived and stylistically sure-handed.”—The New York Times Book Review “Simmons’s own genius transforms space opera into a new kind of poetry.”—The Denver Post “An essential part of any science fiction collection.”—Booklist

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Published Feb 1, 1990

481 pages

Average rating: 7.97

175 RATINGS

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Readers say Hyperion is a bold, imaginative sci-fi classic praised for rich world-building and standout tales—especially “The Priest’s Tale” (vivid, h...

oliviazepeda
6/10 stars
Hyperion started with one of the greatest and most compelling character background stories: The Priest's Tale must be the quickest I have ever read a series of pages. The grotesque imagery is so vividly relayed, the characters and the topics within this story are fascinating, and the end of the tale is horrific. The Priest's Tale is peak science fiction writing.

And then the rest of the book follows. I will not be reading the next book in this series due to how grueling it was getting through...everything else (save for The Scholar's Tale, which made me tear up, and was the only other part of this book that I enjoyed). The romance is so awfully written, the depth of the women in the story is toenail deep, and if I have to read the words "making love", "breast/breasts", or "almost-sixteen-year-old body" again, I might just lose it. This book is not considered romance, yet 3 out of 5 of the tales rely on romantic aspects to propel their story lines, so the romance deserves critique. All of the romance aspects were hollow shells that relied solely on physicality. I hate read through The Soldier and The Consul's Tale, and I just couldn't wait to finish Hyperion simply so I could move onto the next thing.

Thank you so very much for The Priest and The Scholar's Tale; I will be keeping these with me forever and holding them in very high regard. You can have the rest! Thanks!
David Benson
10/10 stars
Amazing book loved how every chapter we follow a different character's story with each one being almost a different genre from horror to detective. Highly recommend for people who enjoyed sc-fi. One character's pov chapter will stay with me for a long time.
Gyadzilla
10/10 stars
Great read. Canterbuy Tales in space! I do recommend at least reading this and the second book, as they are kind of a package deal.
Jonathan Willis
8/10 stars
Wow, I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was a bit of a slog to get through but halfway through the first of the pilgrims stories I was hooked. After that each story gave new understandings into the world. Some were noir feeling, others kind of a weird love story and one that absolutely breaks my heart. The way the world feels so lived in, so totally unknown and at the same time perfectly familiar, is just amazing.
Laura
2/10 stars
I had to read this for a work bookclub - the chapters were too long and I didn’t really care enough about all these pilgrims . The world was super confusing. I don’t even care enough to read the second book even though the ending sort of left you on a cliffhanger? What really did happen except we heard long 3 1/2 hour chapters about each of these people? Definitely this book must be just for men because I just found it boring as hell!!

Of course the one man in our bookclub selected this one. While this is my least favorite genre - I have listened to some dystopian books that were 5 star reads - like WOOL by Hugh Howey.

The futuristic world in Hyperion was compared to The Canterbury Tales and I remember absolutely hating that book in High School.