- HYPERION ★★★★☆

- THE FALL OF HYPERION ★★★★★

- ENDYMION: My feelings towards this book are extremely mixed. I had a great deal of enjoyment from the parts that I liked, yet I absolutely detested the parts that I didn't. Right from the start, it has one of the most awkward beginnings among all the books I've ever read. It takes an inordinate amount of time to get going. All Simmons does is set up what is essentially a hero's journey. However, he is too afraid to present it straightforwardly and instead wraps it in layer upon layer of self-deprecating and self-aware nonsense. In fact, at this stage of the saga, Simmons seems to have developed a strange fear of not being original enough. So, his clichés, which, be warned, have returned with a vengeance, are now always accompanied by awkward justifications, something like “I know this sounds like something that might happen in a bad movie, but…”. Honestly, I would have preferred the clichés to be presented straightforwardly. This new approach just leaves me confused. In this book, we follow three of the most dull and uninteresting characters in the entire saga on an interplanetary game of cat and mouse. At its worst, it reminded me of the outdated goofiness of The Thirty-Nine Steps. Raul Endymion is a rather sorry excuse for a protagonist. His diverse resume is like the backstories that Dwayne The Rock Johnson's characters are given in action thrillers to conveniently explain why he knows how to fly a helicopter, pick a lock, hack a satellite, and build IKEA furniture. I was much more rooting for their pursuer, Father Captain De Soya, one of the more complex and interesting characters in the saga. Anyway, things do eventually improve. Simmons is still the same old Idea Lunatic and he is far from running out of ideas. The adventure on Sol Draconi Septem ranks highly among my favorite moments in the saga. ★★★☆☆

- THE RISE OF ENDYMION ★★★☆☆

Centuries after the events of \\n  The Fall of Hyperion\\n, and three and a half years after I read that book, Endymion takes place and I read it.

I had actually forgotten that there was a book between this one and Hyperion; I described this as the second book in a series when friends asked me what I was reading. Oops! And it has been so long since I read the first two that my memories of the series were distant and vague.

Thankfully, this proved not as much of a barrier as I worried it would be. I’m still trying to figure out why I am so ambivalent towards Dan Simmons’ other work but loving the Hyperion Cantos. It isn’t the classical allusions—as much as I love the classics, that doesn’t work so much for me. But the books in this series are just so well constructed, characterized, and compelling in their depth and scope, that I’m happy to claim that this series represents some of the finest far-future space opera of the nineties.

It took me a little while to get a feel for Endymion. I wasn’t enjoying the introduction to Raul, his meeting with Martin Silenus, etc. However, once Simmons introduces Father Captain de Soya and the hunt for Aenea, things pick up considerably. The way in which he cuts between the two perspectives of hunter and hunted works quite well. Ideally, when an author does this, they manage to make you constantly yearn for both perspectives: just as it switches from Raul to de Soya we’re supposed to wonder how the fugitives will get out of their latest cliffhanger. I admit to some preference for de Soya’s story—but that’s mostly because I was so intrigued by the internal affairs of the Pax.

When we last saw the Pax, it was a growing political movement on Pacem—but now it has taken the place of the Hegemony in the former Web worlds. Thanks to the collapse of the fatline and data spheres, the Pax has an information monopoly that allows them to manipulate public perception (e.g., of things like the Ousters). Yet Simmons hints that, despite the piety implicit in Pax life, there are more sinister elements in the upper echelons of the Church. In Father Captain de Soya he creates a great antihero: sincere in his belief and devotion to God and the Church, de Soya nevertheless has enough independent thought to begin questioning when the facts stop adding up. He is an antagonist in the sense that he is working against our protagonists’ ends—but he is not a bad man or a villain by any means.

I didn’t really warm up to Raul. He’s not a bad character, in that he isn’t too whiny. He’s just not the type of main character I want to identify with too much … I never got any grasp on his personality beyond a sense of competence and occasional references to his grandmother. I found that I best enjoyed the chapters with him, Bettik, and Aenea touring the River Tethys if I ignored the overall plot and just focused on the dangers they faced on each planet.

These subplots turn Endymion from what could be a weak-but-sprawling space opera into a fluid-but-lengthy adventure story. The three fugitives face a new challenge on every world, always escaping by the skin of their teeth. Simmons finds the right balance between no exposition and too much as he reveals just enough to keep us guessing about the identities of those who are helping Aenea and their relationship to the Pax, which is so concerned with apprehending her. There are plenty of allusions to the events of the past two books—and I’d recommend reading them before reading this one—but by and large, Endymion is much more about Aenea’s personal development than wider galactic affairs.

She keeps referring to being guided towards an architect who can teach her. Simmons hints that Aenea will be a messiah, someone special with “powers.” Fortunately, he avoids the temptation of turning her into a creepy child who manifests those powers early. Aside from a psychic episode here or there, she has to rely on her own determination and resolve—plus the help from Raul and Bettik—to survive. I loved the moment where she pointed out that, from the moment she stepped from the Time Tombs, it has all been one “very long day” for her.

Endymion is long. But I actually like that about it. My weariness was sympathetic with the weariness the fugitives felt after their long journey, and with the weariness of de Soya and his minions for their constant deaths and resurrections. Simmons underscores how gallivanting through the galaxy is not a game for the merely human: space travel of any kind places demands on us that exceed what our bodies and minds evolved to handle. Though the TechnoCore’s role in this book is greatly reduced, Simmons reminds us that the existence of AI is a thorny existential issue for humanity.

In some ways, this book feels like filler between the conflicts begun in The Fall of Hyperion and what will hopefully be the resolution in The Rise of Endymion. I still enjoyed it, though, and heartily recommend it to those who read the first two books.

My reviews of the Hyperion Cantos:
← The Fall of Hyperion | The Rise of Endymion →

\\n  \\n

Well, for me it is definitely weaker than both Hyperion books. However, the further expansion of the world is interesting.

The story seems to lack the depth and complexity that made the Hyperion novels so captivating. The characters, while not unlikable, don't have the same level of development and charisma.

Nevertheless, the author has managed to create a unique and engaging world that keeps pulling me in. The details and lore are丰富 and add to the overall atmosphere.

Despite its flaws, I'm still curious to see where the story will go and how the world will continue to evolve. Maybe in the next installment, the author will be able to address some of the issues and bring the series back to the level of the Hyperion books.

If I hadn't already read (and been completely amazed by) the first two books in this series earlier this year, I would have been extremely impressed with this book.

But as it stands, even though it is very good, exciting, has great characters, poignant themes, and hints at more to come, it seems to fade when compared to the complexity and wild storytelling of Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion.

Those two books were filled with numerous stories, characters, and layers of meaning. There were about five to six plots running simultaneously that all intertwined into one big plot, and the whole thing came together like a beautiful symphony of words.

Here, there are two main story threads, and they come together like in a normal book. There is only one plot, which is still quite great, complex, and makes you think, but still... in comparison. It's just... not what I've come to expect from Simmons.

Also, you simply can't read this book without reading its sequel. The story is not over when this book ends, even though it has an ending. But that ending is just the end of what was happening in this book, not the end of the overarching story of this duology and the four books as a whole.

Endymion actually begins 300 years after The Fall of Hyperion. So, technically, you don't have to read the first two books in the series* if you're curious, but I really wouldn't recommend it.

Due to time travel complications, the twelve-year-old daughter of Brawne Lamia (a pilgrim from the first two books) has arrived in the present day, and a galactic conflict has erupted over her presence.

For mysterious reasons, she is important. In fact, the fate of the galaxy rests on her shoulders. This is why two men follow her.

The first is Raul Endymion, who gets a first-person POV in his sections. Raul is contracted to protect Aenea (as she calls herself) and help her achieve her goals. They are accompanied by A. Bettik, a 600-year-old android, and occasionally, the terrifying Shrike, which has left the planet Hyperion for the first time in living memory.

The second man is Father Captain Federico de Soya. He is a priest for the Catholic church, which is now a galactic empire. The church regained its power in the 300 years since the first two books, largely due to the cruciform parasite that provides literal eternal life to its bearers. Father de Soya has been tasked with tracking down Aenea at any cost and turning her over to the church.

*Although, maybe it could work? This book is much simpler than those, and it might pique your interest. The only problem is that you'd be completely spoiled for the first two books. Anyway, it's not ideal.

The dual POVs really worked well here. Simmons managed them skillfully to maximize the tension in the story. I also thought he did a great job with de Soya, who could have been a disastrous villainous character. Instead, he's a complex but ultimately sympathetic guy who is simply caught up in events beyond his control. His story also contains some bone-chilling body horror. What he sacrifices in the name of his belief is astonishing.

There were parts where I felt Simmons went on too long about certain events, lingered too long in POVs, and it felt like filler. As mentioned earlier, the previous books were so full of stuff that filler wasn't necessary. Here, it seemed like with only two POV characters to focus on, Simmons overcompensated.

Regardless, this is top-notch science fiction. It just doesn't quite reach the standards set by its own predecessors. I can't wait to read the last book later this year. (I think I'm going to save it for Thanksgiving so I can have days of uninterrupted reading.)

This is a truly disappointing fall for Dan Simmons.

Endymion is a dreadfully tedious and ultimately pointless sci-fi chase novel. It seems to recycle rather than expand the concepts from Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. Simmons begins by resetting the environment. It is now 247 years later, and the reader is left in a state of complete ignorance about everything. A group of travellers are compelled to embark on yet another journey of even more obscure purpose. This is because one of them has "dreams", a completely unexplained plot contrivance. They are pursued by a new and one-dimensional galaxy-spanning organisation modelled on the Catholic church, which is hardly original. I would describe it as a story detached from Hyperion, but I can't be certain as it ends before anything of real significance occurs. However, not before subjecting me to an extended and dreary travelogue that brought back memories of Tad William's idiotic Otherland series and the excruciatingly described, never-ending Wheel of Time treks by the late Robert Jordan.

The characters in Endymion are incredibly annoying. The narrator is not only ineffective but also prone to fits of hyperbole and enervating navel-gazing. The heroine is a poorly sketched teenager who attracts dei ex machina like flies. And the pursuer is one of those annoyingly naive idealists, despite being supposed to be a hardened soldier and an implacable foe. The Shrike, once a figure of dread and horror, is wheeled out whenever the protagonists find themselves in trouble, serving as a kind of plot-crowbar. In a dunderheaded reversal, the invincible killing-machine actually works to help them out of tight spots.

Hyperion was successful as a partial story due to its interesting concepts and the steady revelation of the setting and situation. In Endymion, there are only a handful of new concepts and almost no progress in the derivative and contrived storyline. We've seen it all before, and it was executed better elsewhere.

Simmons has a tendency to tell rather than show, a problem that is prevalent and harder to avoid in the genre. When he claims that the Pax is far more powerful than the Hegemony, I can't help but compare those few words with the scale and scope of the entity that was sketched over two books, and I find myself shaking my head. Another common sci-fi problem present here is the needless technicality of his metaphors. Non-technical situations are described using science-heavy references that disrupt the flow of the prose.

The only reason to read Endymion would be to get to The Rise of Endymion. Unfortunately, this is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, as the final book is just as bad. It's best to stop after The Fall of Hyperion and consider the Endymion books as juvenile non-canon fanfiction.

I was well aware that entropy existed in the universe. However, "Endymion" has shown that it can also apply to great book series. After finishing this book, the only word that comes to my mind is disappointment. The series has taken a nosedive into oblivion for me with this installment. I struggle to find the words to fully express my disappointment, especially since I really liked the first two books in the "Hyperion" series.

Some of the weak points of the book include:

1. The story seems to be going nowhere. The book starts strongly with the introduction of the lead character, Raul Endymion, and his background story. Simmons initially uses the solid world and some of the pilgrim characters from the previous books make a comeback. But once the chase begins, the problem with the book emerges. This book could have been titled "Hitchhiker's guide to hegemony" as the protagonist travels through different planets without a clear motive. The travelogues consist of detailed descriptions of the planet's atmosphere, flora, fauna, and civilization, which becomes repetitive.

2. Flat characters. The previous books were interesting because of the amazing characters and their stories that explained the world of hegemony. However, in this book, I was unable to connect with any of the characters. I cared about the previous characters and wanted to know what happened to them, but in "Endymion," I didn't really care about what was happening to the characters.

3. Deus ex machine syndrome. Having a Deus ex machine like the Shrike in the previous books was acceptable, but in "Endymion," the author uses this strategy to solve every problem. Also, having three Deus ex machines throughout the story seems wrong to me.

Although I didn't like this book at all, I'm still going to give it 2 stars because I really liked the first two books in the series and hope that the last book will be better.

Such a disappointment after the first two books. The story seems to have lost its charm and momentum. Pages and pages of utter boringness unfold, eventually leading me to skip entire passages and pages. There is nothing special revealed in this book, despite the numerous questions and possible futures that the first two books presented. The vital information about the TechnoCore, the Ousters, and everything that matters comes very scarcely and in what appears to be the random babbling of Aenea between her random chores of setting up a campsite or brushing her hair. Whenever asked to reveal anything about the bigger picture, the why and how, her usual reply is just "oh, I don't know", "oh, I dreamt of it" and so on - the same old crap we get from Simmons throughout this entire book, postponing all the important revelations for the last book in this series, The Rise of Endymion.

The Shrike, that very thread of the Hyperion book that had me turning page after page and finishing the book in an instant, is a pure joke here. It has lost its menacing and mysterious allure. The 600 pages could have easily been condensed into 150 - 200 pages, making the reading experience much more efficient and engaging. This book is very, very disappointing, to the point that I'm hesitant to read the last book in the series. I'm left wondering if it will be worth the effort or if it will just continue to disappoint.

Hyperion is the third part of the saga, and it is undoubtedly the best fantasy saga I have ever read.

From the very first word to the last, it is written magnificently. There are zero forgettable characters and the ideas are simply brilliant.

This is science fiction at its finest.

No, I do not agree that the sequels are not up to the standard of the first two volumes. Endymion and The Rise of Endymion must be read to fully understand the events and to enjoy to the fullest the extraordinary inventiveness of this remarkable writer.

One cannot help but adore Raul Endymion. Perhaps he is the only ordinary man (not to say mediocre) compared to the huge stature of the characters who populate the saga.

He brings a sense of relatability and humanity to the story, making him a truly endearing character.

The entire Hyperion saga is a must-read for any fan of science fiction or fantasy. It will take you on a journey through a rich and imaginative world, filled with unforgettable characters and thrilling adventures.

Whether you are a seasoned reader of the genre or new to it, Hyperion is sure to captivate and delight you.

I truly have a deep affection for Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion. They are captivating and engaging works that have left a lasting impression on me. However, when it comes to Endymion, my experience was completely different. It was an absolute letdown.

The book consisted of a whopping 500 pages filled with excessive exposition and story elements that seemed almost entirely superfluous to the main narrative. There was very little in the way of character growth or change, which made it difficult to become invested in the characters. Additionally, there were internal inconsistencies within the storyline, even within the same book, and the meshing of the overall timeline was rather poor.

Reading Endymion felt like a burdensome chore. It took me approximately six weeks to complete, whereas a book of this nature would typically only require a week. Overall, I only persevered and read it to bring the overall storyline to a conclusion. But if I were to offer advice, I would more or less tell people to stop at Fall of Hyperion and not bother with Endymion.

I like it...I think?

This simple statement holds a certain degree of ambiguity. It makes one wonder what exactly it is that I like. Is it a thing, an activity, a person, or maybe just a feeling?

The "I think" part further adds to the mystery. It implies that there is some doubt or uncertainty in my liking. Maybe I haven't fully explored or understood the object of my affection, and thus I'm not entirely sure if I truly like it.

It could also suggest that my initial impression is positive, but upon further reflection, I'm not so certain. This kind of hesitation is common in our daily lives. We often have fleeting moments of liking or interest, but as we take a closer look, we may discover aspects that we don't like or that make us question our initial reaction.

In conclusion, "I like it...I think?" is a phrase that captures the complexity of our emotions and the process of determining what we truly like. It reminds us that our feelings are not always straightforward and that we should take the time to explore and understand them before making a final judgment.

This book is truly a tedious read. The characters are flat and unengaging. One of them, in particular, is this rather boring pedophile who drones on and on through his narrative, attempting to convince us that he isn't one. All the while, he bombards the readers with his inappropriate observations of a twelve-year-old's bare flat chest and such. The story also features uninteresting logistic listing and a tiresome cat and mouse space chase.

By the end of the story, there's some sort of ace card pull that is supposed to be a knockout, but in all honesty, it just doesn't make any sense. There's no tension, no mystery, nothing to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Basically, it feels like a filler. However, the saving grace of this book is the gorgeous architecture of River Tethys and the lavish worlds connected by it. These descriptions are truly captivating and add a touch of beauty to an otherwise lackluster story.

Overall, this book fails to deliver in many aspects. The characters are dull, the plot is uninteresting, and the ending is confusing. While the descriptions of the setting are nice, they aren't enough to save the book from being a disappointment.

And now for something completely different!

Heee, I've just noticed the book's cover art. Shrike is standing all casual on the makeshift raft and Endymion is all casual, rowing with a stick at leisure. But hold on a moment! SHIRE WEIGHTS SEVERAL TONS, YOU LOONIES. There is no possible way for Shrike to go rafting or kayaking, or I don't know, windsurfing. It's quite a humorous image that makes you scratch your head.

But I digress. This is a completely different book from the first two in the series. The plot takes us several hundreds of years forward, yet some old characters still are rolling along. What we get is a road trip, a catch me if you can, assassin-murder-thriller drama, and some weird babblings about lions and tigers and bears. It's like a complete zoo if you ask me. This is probably a spoiler, but there you go.

It's a really good sci-fi book. Dan Simmons excels at world building. I liked the multilayered storytelling, with constant action and unpredictable plot twists. The characters are strong, likable, and well... hate-able? Some characters seem to be created just to hate them, and I hated them immensely. The dialogues, though, are still good. They could be better, but they are good. At least there's very little talk about poetry.

The main heroine is twelve (12), yet her ramblings about carnivorous mammals of the Felidae and Ursidae families remain the single display of immaturity. And there are no pedo vibes, thank you cruciform (a parabole of religion being a parasite). The author writes a child and we see her growing up. I liked tigers in my teens too.

My favorite character is the diligent Father Captain, Frederico de Soya, of the Pax. He is going after the runaways with no regard to any human and material loss. He dies a lot, and I liked that. A lot. It's all part of the multilayered storytelling, as I said.

Completely different and done good. Very very good.