Oh, Hiperion.
Serijal nakon kojeg sam rekao i fantastika ima svog Dostojevskog da se njime podici.
Neprevazidjeno pismen, prefinjen i inteligentan nacin pisanja krasi jednog od najvecih pisaca ikada Dena Simonsa. Ajde sto covek zna da pise i sto bi od price o klikeru na petsto strana napravio remek delo nego ovaj covek u svojoj glavi poseduje i najnenormalnije i najoriginalnije ideje koje tim svojim superiornim pisanjem svodi u celinu - knjizevno delo koje u ovom slucaju nazivamo Hiperion.
Uz Rogera Zelaznog, Orsona Skot Karda i jos par pisaca svakako najveci sin fantastike!

Some books should be read at their time. Had I read this before PFH’s and Al Reynolds’, I would have been amazed. However, reading it now, after I read almost all works of the two and more, almost nothing amazed me, except the house with 38 rooms on 36 worlds with portals instead of doors. My, how I would love to have one of this!

My guess about "Hyperion" is that it was a huge inspiration for both above-mentioned authors, because I found a lot of resemblances with both Commonwealth (world building, alien landscape, portals/gateways) and Revelation Space universes (the horror touch, ancient alien artifacts, modified humans – Ousters/Ultras, whip weapons). But I also think it was inspired by Christie’s "n  Murder on the Orient Expressn" style in telling the tales and plot and Fitzgerald’s "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" story.

We have a war on the brink with the Ousters – a human modified faction -, an ancient alien entity - the Shrike -, some mysterious gates through time - the Time Tombs - and seven pilgrims summoned to uncover the secrets of the Time Tombs and the Shrike before the Ousters do. Why were these particular seven chosen? We learn from their tales (each very different from the other) that they all had some encounter, directly or tangential with the Shrike. And one of them, presumably, is a traitor…

The thing is this: although I didn’t find any flaw to the writing, more than half of the book bored me. Even if I’m not a fan of action-packed stories, the whole let-me-tell-you-the-story-of-my-life setup was stretched too much. Indeed, we get to know almost all the hidden agenda behind the characters but some are told in 3rd person instead of 1st (I don’t get why, because the personal touch is nonexistent this way) and two of them have way too much intimate details to be shared with others, which doesn't sound plausible. Anyway, the only story I was touched by was Rachel’s and her parents’.

Like King’s Dark Tower series, based on Browning’s “n  Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Camen”* (which I think is the only poem I could listen endlessly), this one is based on John Keats’ unfinished epic poem “n  Hyperionn”**, which I tried to read but failed (poetry was never my thing). I know what it is about but, so far, I found no connection between the two, so, again, I failed to see why the fascination for Keats – the whole story and worldbuilding revolve around it, even some characters names are from his works (the next in the series are based on Keats' works as well). But, as this volume has no ending, I hope to find an answer in the next one.

Albeit all I said so far are mostly things which did not work for me, the book is masterfully woven. Keep in mind it was written almost 30 years ago. It’s not the book’s fault that I got to read it now.

It has everything a sci-fi lover would want in a story; it just wasn’t enough for me. And the main reason is how the story was told. For example, the treeship Yggdrasill is a wonder, but so little is said about it; it’s all about the characters and their stories. But I chose to see it as half of the book and hope that the next half will have no more stories within story and I’ll get to know more of the Shrike and Time Tombs and less of the characters background.

That being said, I’m on to the next one…

PS.: if what I said dishearten you to read it, try Jo Walton's review. She loved what I did not: http://www.tor.com/2009/05/27/better-.... It has some spoilers but they don't reveal much.


* Robert Browning’ s poem: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Childe...
** John Keats’ “Hyperion” and his other works: http://keats-poems.com/poems/hyperion/

Hey, I have a booktube channel (youtube for book reviews, etc.), and I include Hyperion in my top 10 fantasy books list here. Please subscribe if I've earned it!

This book is a bit crazy. I started out reading (listening really) and it was kind of boring. Not to mention, it starts throwing around unfamiliar terms and jumping you into this world. Then suddenly, these pilgrims who've been brought together mysteriously start telling their stories, one by one. And I was sucked in.

The world starts to open up as each of these perspectives shares their relation to Hyperion, which is their final destination, specifically the Time Tombs where the Shrike is said to be present (live seemed to much).

Each story unfolds and I thought for sure I'd be back in boredom town because it's a whole new cast of characters,etc, but I was even more intrigued with each one (excepting the Consul's maybe). Mysteries start to clear up or form as more details are known and the Shrike is ever looming.

This book is the book of the stories of the pilgrims, but that only tells the set up. I've started reading Fall of Hyperion, which apparently contains the rest of the story, but I'll let you know.

4 out of 5 stars (highly recommended)

My brother and I now have a booktube called The Brothers Gwynne. Check it out! The Brothers Gwynne

This couldn't have been any more different to my expectations than it was, but a remarkable and fascinating sci-fi that tackles a broad range of themes regarding war, religion and many more. It doesn't surprise me that this is a cult classic - Simmons sure can write! And what a cliffhanger to end on. Very interested in continuing the Hyperion Cantos.

6.0 stars. One of my ALL Time Favorite novels. This is easily on my list of top 5 GREATEST Science Fiction novels ever written. Superb combination of grand, "big idea" space opera with incredible characters and deeply emotional writing. A PERFECT NOVEL!!! HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!

Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1990)
Winner: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1990)
Nominee: Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1990)
Nominee: British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel (1990)
Voted to Locus "All Time Best" Science Fiction Novel (10th)

One of the best books I've read. Wow.

2.5

I wanted to love this book so bad. I really did.

Reading this book definitely wasn't easy. So many times i didn't know what the hell was going on. Most of the time I was confused or frustrated, and many times I thought about giving up. If this wasn't a library book, I would definitely put it down, and read it again when I'm in a mood for reading this kind of book.

The book is written in 'short stories' form, and I think that was my problem with it. I got bored at beginning of each story, and as soon as things got interesting, the story would end. Only story I enjoyed from start to finish, was Sol's story. I think he and Rachel were the only characters I got attached to. I didn't care what would happen to others.

And one of the reasons that I didn't give up reading is that I hoped we would get at least some answers at the end. But nope. It ended on a cliffhanger and not a single answer was given... Did I mention how much I hate cliffhangers? 'Cause I do.

For now, I don't think I'll be continuing on with the series. Maybe some time in the future I'll decide to give it a second shot, and hopefully, I'll like it more than I do now.

“Hyperion” was an interesting book, but it’s difficult to convey what the story was about in a summary. It’s one of those books that gradually reveals its purposes as the plot progresses. In a nutshell, a handful of POV characters journey to Hyperion – an enigma of a world made even more mysterious by the presence of the Shrike (see cover for visual – it’s the big metallic being). As each character expands on their connection to this world, you start to get a sense of what’s really going on.

“Hyperion” is definitely a thought-provoking book. Although it started out with heavy religious overtones (the first perspective being the religious POV), it soon captured my imagination with a complex mystery and only got more engaging from there. It was not a feel-good story. It was the kind of gritty, morbid tale that kept me page-turning well into the night despite the ever growing knot in my stomach. Then it kept me up even longer as my brain tried to sort out all the information learned about this world, the Shrike, and their effects on time itself. It’s ironically exhausting… and kind of brilliant.

Time manipulation in stories is a tricky thing. It can go from a clever idea to convoluted in a heartbeat. I often find myself finishing such books or shows slightly confused, wondering if I missed a critical detail somewhere or if the author just failed to communicate it clearly (it’s usually a bit of both). In “Hyperion,” Simmons did a decent job of presenting his concept in segments which were easier to digest. In fact, his overall presentation of all pertinent information was very carefully placed and effective. It allowed me to build my own theories alongside the characters based on every new revelation. That’s the sort of engaging interaction I always enjoy within books. Overall, it’s one of the better conceptual time-manipulation novels I’ve ever read.

Another note in “Hyperion’s” favor was its timelessness. It was written when I was 4 years old (O_o) yet read as though it was written within the last couple of years (and will likely do so for many to come). It illustrated just how smart Dan Simmons is at story construction. Surmising from just the text, Simmons comes across as a very well read, intelligent person. It was awesome to pick up on all the literary references throughout the plot, and I’ve always been impressed with authors who can present POV characters with such integral differences in perspective on complex issues such as religion and politics, and do so convincingly. I have no idea where the author’s personal stances are on these issues, and that something I oddly love about his writing.

I can easily see why classic sci-fi lovers rave about this book and defend their 5 star ratings to the ends of the earth. My conservative 3 star rating, however, hopefully conveys appreciation for the book while acknowledging that it didn’t quite blow me away on all accounts. I think the culprit might be the fact that there’s no silver lining or hope in this book. It definitely doesn’t leave you with anything but gloom and that aforementioned knot in your stomach. Now, I don’t need books to be about butterflies and rainbows to enjoy them, but I do need at least a tiny ray of sunshine to give me hope that the story could end well and that the characters are working towards something meaningful. Part of this can be attributed to the format of this first book – the multiple POVs were presented in a reflectional format where all the focus was on what came before. While interesting, it didn’t leave a lot of room for plot advancement, and in fact made most of the book read like a collection of prequel novellas leading up to the actual beginning of the story.

Overall, I liked “Hyperion” but it didn’t land among my favorites. It is still an awesome contribution to classic sci-fi and worth your time if you like the genre.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com

4 Stars

Well the reread brought it back to 4 stars. Am I on crack and don’t know it

This was a bleak and intense sci-fi set in a far flung future. With war looming seven pilgrims are chosen to journey to the mysterious Time Tombs, located on the far flung world of Hyperion, to petition the dark and enigmatic Shrike.

The story is told using the "frame story" format. Each pilgrim tells their own individual story while they are traveling to the Time Tombs. It proved a surprisingly effective method of storytelling and allowed each individual pilgrim's tale to be told in a different style. Some worked better than others.

Each pilgrims tale was interesting to a greater or lesser degree. My favorite was probably the Scholar's tale. It was compelling and emotionally engaging. The others provided a bit of everything. Action, romance, philosophy, mystery, and more.

The world building was excellent and the plot was suitably complex and epic in scope. Simmons is the type of author who likes to drip feed the reader essential information. This has the side effect of making the start of the story both dull and slightly confusing. You learn as you go and it makes some of the weird sci-fi terms and technologies easier to understand, but I would have preferred a bit of careful info dumping at the start to make the beginning of the novel more enjoyable to read.

The ending makes one glad there is a sequel.

Overall I was happy enough with this story. It had some fantastic moments and some dull ones. The good outweighed the bad by the end.

Rating: 4 stars

Audio Note: This audiobook was narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, Jay Snyder, and Victor Bevine. I'm a big fan of Marc Vietor and Jay Snyder and both delivered fantastic performances. It is the first time I've listened to Kevin Pariseau, but he also did a great job. Allyson Johnson was competent enough and Victor Bevine was his normal self, competent but weirdly dull sounding.

I'm a little worried that that Bevine is the sole narrator for the Hyperion sequels.

Don't you just love it when you get to the end of a book, you've invested a couple of weeks of your life, maybe you've neglected your family or job a little because you wanted to read instead of adulting, and you're left with a cliffhanger, an unresolved ending, a non-ending. Its BULLSHIT!!! You spend 500 pages with these characters building to a climax, waiting for, wanting, and deserving an ending, and when you finally get there, when all your hard work is about to pay off, you're dumped on, and you're cheated out of what you deserved. At this point, you're left with 2 options. Option one, you can learn to live with the unresolved feelings. (probably end up in therapy learning how to move on and cope with the empty feeling) Option two, you could invest another 500 pages into the second book. (and probably be left on a cliffhanger again because I think there's 4 or 5 books in the series) I understand that's how a series works.....kinda. But to leave the reader with more questions than answers in the end is just wrong, if you ask me.

Now Jesse, why did you give it 3 stars with such a negative review? Well fellow reader as I'm sure you'll agree it's not always about the ending so much as it is about the story, and Hyperion is a great story.  The characters are vivid and the stories are amazing and weave together to make a great slow-burning book that hooks you and takes you right to the end.

I can't say I loved it and I can't say I hated it. I was disappointed and felt cheated out of an ending but the story was good and that somewhat redeems the lack of an ending. Not sure if I'll continue the series but you never know.

Ten Stars !

Completely brilliant, inspired, literate, clever, poignant, and illuminating. A masterpiece, a work of genius.

A n  Canterbury Talesn for the future, with lessons for our times.

The Clergyman's Tale was superb. Far deeper at the end, with wonderful insights into religion and spirituality and life.

The Soldier's Tale - short and intense. Very different from the first tale, with a wonderful and strange romance, along with a poignantly twisted ending. Superbly written as well. I am impressed.

The Poet's Tale. What starts as an egomaniacal exhibition of the author's literacy turns out to be the ego of his Poet. The author completely brings to life his "Poet", and then plugs him into the reality of publishing, fame and fortune, rejection, and the sad truth of the human condition:
Mostly stupid and don't care.

The Scholar's Tale. The ordinary becomes the extraordinary. Those of you with children, especially older children, will weep.

Each tale so far has a morality and a lesson, an insight into what it means to be human.

The Detective's Tale. It starts as a gumshoe-flavoured tale and develops in unexpected ways. The use of Keats works and life are clever and engaging. The literary references and poetry are sometimes informative about the plot, and sometimes about who we are today. New to me:

Keat's short poem On First Looking into Chapman's Homer - marvellous --
Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star'd at the Pacific—and all his men
Look'd at each other with a wild surmise—
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

and finally, The Consul's Tale. In many ways the weakest of the stories. The concept is wonderful, but apparently glossed over in service to the plot. I would love to know more about the girl, Siri, her life and how her lover shaped it, why she was so loyal, why she received such accolades in her life, what was in her soul. We only catch glimpses of her, just as her lover did in his life.

The later life of the consul is almost mechanical in purpose. Perhaps in the sequel n  The Fall of Hyperionn (actually, a continuation) we shall see more subtlety for his character and story.

Starting the sequel now. (...Was mostly terrible)