The Fall of Hyperion is a sequel. I swear. It says so right there on the cover of my mass market paperback, right above the cheesy artist’s rendering of Sol Weintraub presenting Rachel to a rather unimpressive Shrike.

But I’ll tell you, it sure doesn’t feel like a sequel. It feels more like the first book, the main book, of a series, and it makes Hyperion feel like a prequel -- a superior prequel, but a prequel nonetheless. And I really wish I had read The Fall of Hyperion before I read its predecessor. I think I would have liked it more.

I did like it, though, despite my negative tone. I even loved some parts of it. The political machinations of Meina Gladstone, the in-fighting between the AIs (Stables, Volatiles and Ultimates), the early battles of Kassad and Moneta, the conversations with Ummon, all of these elements were fascinating, and the radical excision of the Core from all human affairs and the subsequent cost of victory blew my mind. In fact, this latter element may have been my favourite moment in either of the first two installments of Simmons' Cantos.

But these elements don't entirely mitigate my disappointment. I loved the characters from the first book; those who made the Pilgrimage to the Shrike had background stories so rich in detail, emotion, thrills, you name it, that their shift to banal plot devices, players present only to move the action along, disappointed me deeply.

I don't think I'd feel that way, though, if I'd met them in The Fall of Hyperion first. If Simmons had dropped me into the middle of the war between the Hegemony, the Ousters and the Core, if he'd thrown me into the midst of the Time Tombs, if he'd introduced me to the Shrike and the Keats persona and the Pilgrims -- without the baggage of what got them there -- I think I would have cruised through The Fall of Hyperion and loved it with fervor. Then I would have hungered to go back and find out what brought the Pilgrims to Hyperion, and I would have been thrilled by a prequel that was even better than the original.

Sadly, there's no going back now. But if you are someone who's planning to read these books for the first time I beg you to ignore the official order and start with The Fall of Hyperion. I am convinced you'll get more out of it if you've got nothing to compare it to and a healthy sense of wonder and confusion about what you are reading.

I'm really not sure I should continue reading the Cantos, but the temptation of finally understanding the purpose of the Shrike may be too tantalizing to ignore.

Certainly an epic Epic. If you enjoy SciFi with the sort of grand sweep found in Dune, for example, then I think this saga will be to your taste.
This volume continues directly from volume 1 (Hyperion) and builds upon the excellent ‘world building’ in that book. The pilgrims we were introduced in #1 now face dilemmas and tasks individually or in small groups, on the mystery world of Hyperion and its sinister Shrike creature.

I missed the excellent Canterbury Tales story telling format of #1, but the several POVs we’d been introduced to in detail as pilgrims to Hyperion do have their own stories to follow now so that’s fine and necessary. There are also a couple of other non-pilgrim POVs we’ve been introduced to. But despite the large number of characters involved in the tale I had no trouble keeping up with their individual storylines. They are all very well defined.

In addition, this is an epic involving literally billions of people across hundreds of planets in the future, a stage for a story which might sound far too grand to handle. Again I think the author manages the epic stage very well, with the overall story being told through the experiences of the POVs.

However, a couple of issues do knock this volume back a bit for me. One is inevitably trying to resolve the plot lines behind the grand scale of the story, with so many people and especially the enigmatic AI world. This does lead to mind blowing events, things so naturally outside the human mind’s experience that any author is going to struggle explaining them in a way that’s easy to follow. Even here I think the author does a reasonable job, especially with the creation of a part human, part AI POV, one foot in each of the important ‘worlds’. This character is based on the real, early 19th century, Romantic poet John Keats - I know, sounds weird but it makes sense if you read it! The author does like his poetry…

God is thrown around as a concept too, quite a bit. Usually as a future super intelligence who it appears is likely to be created both by humans and AI at some point in the future, rather than a conventional present day version of a deity. However, the theological themes sometimes used were probably the second issue that bugged me a bit in this volume. A number of human religions are shown to still exist, albeit to a limited degree, some hundreds of years in the future. Given the role of various religions in everyday life it’s fair to consider their role, even of a new one associated with the Shrike creature! However, the author treads a narrow path with his choice of religious themes to include in detail, and almost entirely Judeo-Christian which I found limiting. Two prominent characters are Roman Catholic priests. As a personal preference I’m always twitchy about catholic priests featuring in heroic roles given my own youthful experience of Irish Catholicism as a child, but at least the author has chosen fairly laid back versions of priests who don’t seem concerned about what happens in the bedroom! Another theological aspect that concerned me a bit involved the poignant story of a Jewish POV, Sol, who spent ages analysing the biblical story where Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son. Yes, there is a link to a personal dilemma he faces but his regular agonising on the story itself seemed only worth doing if you thought it had some basis in reality. I guess you can see that I found the theological themes less than interesting.

Anyway, I don’t want to overdo my concerns with these aspects of the story. If you read a grand epic like this I guess there are always going to be some themes that don’t click with an individual.

I should restore the balance by saying that I thought this volume almost lived up to the excellent preceding volume to which I gave an easy 5*. For such a detailed epic story I really think that this author continued it very well here. Even the important but almost incomprehensible AI ‘world’ was fairly well handled. It’s only my doubts about the importance given to some theological themes that mean I’m inclined to knock one star off my rating. And after two volumes I’m still not too sure about the role of The Shrike, a central component of the story! But it is certainly a compelling type of monster!

It seems that these first two Hyperion volumes form a complete story - the other two volumes linked to this (Hyperion Cantos #3 and #4) form another story set in the future. I certainly plan to read them but maybe after a bit of a break.

The sequel to the classic "Hyperion" is in many ways even more ambitious than the original book. The style of the story has changed as well. Instead of being presented in a Chaucerian style Canterbury Tales it is just a continuous story.

What a story it is. Without getting too spoilery, there is a war going on. The Ousters are invading the Hegemony. But, all is not as it seems. It turns into a story that is partly hard sci-fi and partly a religious story about a Messiah. The sheer scope of it was quite impressive.

Written in 1990, there are some very interesting parallels with modern society. From the way the Web works, to society being fixated with their Web experiences, to even the subtle (or unsubtle?) way Tech companies and their corporate media ilk manipulate information and influence society. Bearing in mind the technology of the 1990's, this is a very forward looking concept.

Now what about the story? Well the original pilgrims have their individual encounters with the Shrike. For the record, I am a huge fan of Col Kassad. The rest? I did like the Keats cybrid, but the rest all have their own issues. But as they interact with the Shrike, more and more of the story develops.

The interplay between the Core-Hegemony and the Ousters is very interesting and well done, since it isn't till near the end that you understand just what exactly is happening. However, on top of the conflict between the forces (which I did enjoy), to me the best part was the concept behind the UI conflict. The fact that there is an Universal Intelligence, one for humanity and one for the AI's is brilliant. The inherent conflicts between the various "sides" of the AI and even their UI and its goals are truly great sci-fi material, though bordering on the metaphysical.

In summation, hard without spoilers, the second book is surprisingly different and surprisingly epic as it develops. If you enjoyed the first book, you will appreciate the second. The story is a grand one- in scope, in the underlying themes and in the war that breaks out.

Dan Simmons did try to give a warning about the vast majority of humanity and its overwhelming fixation on the Web, this in time, will breed dependence. A man far ahead of his time and a prescient one at that. Well worth the time of anyone who appreciates hard sci-fi with a grand storyline.

n  "In the end--when all else is dust--loyalty to those we love is all we can carry with us to the grave."n

The Fall of Hyperion, the second part of the amazing (and I do mean AMAZING) Hyperion Cantos, by the superb Dan Simmons. Why, oh why did I wait so long to read this book? Honestly, I feel like I should be guilty of a criminal offence with a hefty prison sentence.

First things first. You really need to know this book is the second part of a series. Can it be read as a standalone? No! Not under any circumstances. It will make absolutely zero sense if you do. By all accounts the two books were written as one story and the publisher talked Simmons into splitting them up. So you understand why that's the case.

A brief word about Hyperion (the first book) before we move on. That book is sensational. One of the best books I've ever read. An absolutely amazing literary achievement as the author blends six stories into a cohesive storyline, mashing up genres and crafting a unique and vivid landscape. If you in any way can handle sci fi read it now! Then you can read this one pronto.



n  "Every age fraught with discord and danger seems to spawn a leader meant only for that age, a political giant whose absence, in retrospect, seems inconceivable when the history of that age is written."n

So back to the Fall of Hyperion. This one picks up exactly where the last novel left off, on the verge of intergalactic war between the Hegemony and the Ouster swarm. Simmons left the reader on an absolute cliff-hanger with the pilgrims reaching their destination, leaving a myriad of loose ends. What will happen when the Time Tombs open, what will happen to Sol's daughter, what is the Shrike, will Brawne and Silenus have a fight? The author satisfyingly answers all these question, blending together the different story lines to provide a fantastic, emotional conclusion.

The format for this story is a little bit different. There's initially two settings told from two POVs. We have the introduction of a new character in Joseph Severn, who is a cybrid and has been imprinted with the personality of a character from the first book. He's working with the leader of the Hegemony, CEO Gladstone, as they prepare for war. We then have our six pilgrims arriving at the Time Tombs, minus the inconspicuous Het Masteen, whatever happened to him? Simmons incorporates a link between the two parties and it really is brilliantly written as the story bounces between the two perspectives.



n  "Pain, he discovers, has a structure. It has a floor plan. It has designs more intricate than a chambered nautilus, features more baroque than the most buttressed gothic cathedral. Even as he screams, Martin Silenus studies the structure of this pain. He realizes that it is a poem"n

So what has this story got going for it and why should you read it? The action and plot are non-stop. Simmons ramps up the tempo and keeps his foot flat to the floor. It's very exciting and frenetic. This takes place in perhaps the most creative and well thought out world I've ever come across. The level of detail is astonishing. The story is multifaceted and you get horror, comedy, romance along with great, great sci fi. Add to this a fantastic set of characters that you truly care for and you can see why this book gets such high praise. Honestly, my words will not do this story justice so you're just going to have to read it.

I'll finish by saying I did this as part of a buddy read and I thoroughly recommend it as there's so many mindblowing ideas you'll want to talk non-stop about it. Simmons is a top level writer and story teller and I've never been let down by anything I've read of his so far. But this Hyperion series is on another level. This novel is part of a four book series and I'm absolutely going to be continuing with the next one...Endymion. Who wants to join me? Five of the biggest stars out there.

Mit diesem Band bringt Simmons die Geschichte der Pilger zu einem vorläufigen Abschluß, das Geheimnis des Shrikes und viele andere Fragen bleiben jedoch offen.
War der erste Band noch ein Episodenroman, der die Geschichte der Pilger beleuchtete, beginnt dieses Buch direkt nach den Ereignissen an den Zeitgräbern von Band 1, der Charakter dieses Buches ist jedoch ein völlig anderer, hier geht es im Kern um den Kampf um die Menschlichkeit, der Posthumanismus bedroht die menschliche Art und das Techno-Core, die künstliche Intelligenz die aus der Menschheit hervorgegangen ist, erweist sich als trügerisch

The Fall of Hyperion, a sequel to Hyperion, although it doesn't feel like it. The first book was mainly about the history of the pilgrims, and this one has a new protagonist named Joseph Severn, who dreams of the pilgrims. As a result I struggled to get into this one, as I was more interested in the fates of the pilgrims than this new character. There were long sections of dialogue as Joseph sits in on war briefings, which I found uninteresting.

However I feel about halfway through the tides changed and I became completely invested in the fates of this world and the people within it as I got to know the amazing character that is Meina Gladstone, CEO of Hegimony, and a woman that holds the fates of billions in her hands.

You ask, what is our policy? I say to you: It is to wage war, in space, on land, in the air, by sea, wage war with all our might and with all the strength justice and right can give us. That is our policy.

Dan Simmons is again at the top of his game, and had me with his beautiful prose even when I wasn't completely interested in what was going on. But unfortunately I can't say I liked this as much as the first, even after the strong conclusion.

4 Stars

Great conclusion to the first Hyperion duology. The story continues right were Hyperion ended and there's a lot happening in this. While Hyperion was more or less a collection of backstories told by each character, The Fall of Hyperion is told by only one narrator and continues the story in the present time. Somehow this made the story move quite slow at times and sadly the audiobook does not have an ensemble of characters anymore (the one narrator in this does a great job though).
The Fall of Hyperion still contains all of the elements I loved in the first book: the characters are enjoyable and diverse, the stories of Hyperion and the Shrike are full of mysteries, the world is well built and interesting and its politics are full of intrigue.
Overall this was an completely satisfying entry of the series, although not quite as awesome as the first one.

Ovo je drugi deo jednog od najvecih, ali kada kazem najvecih mislim u top 5 najvecih serijala fantastike ikada. Ima svojih mana, na primer nije dobar koliko i prvi deo xaaxxaxaxax pa zar ista moze biti bolje od prvog dela Hiperiona! Popicu jedno pice za Konzula, Martina Silenusa i Srajka :D

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this as a reading experience but I DO know that I will never read a John Keats poem in my whole life, purely out of spite. Eat your heart out, Dan Simmons.

This would probably be a one or two star read if it wasn't for the Scholar stuff.

If you read Hyperion and want to know what happened next, save yourself from hundreds of pages of travelogue, Keats' poems in loop ad nauseam, confusing/overexplained scenes that did not move the story forward, and even more unanswered questions at the end, just read the wikipedia entry instead. Or you could always skim the book after halfway when it turns into a galactic word vomit.
Overall, an imaginative, thought-provoking concept, albeit with poor execution.

Lots of recapping in the first quarter, but eventually it gets going. Very different in structure than Hyperion, but what it lacks in unique structure it makes up for in fascinating ideas. There are so many other works that have remixed these ideas conceptually, or visually: The Matrix, Doctor Who (new who), The Expanse, The Interdependency etc. Whether they originated here or Hyperion just falls somewhere in the middle of the SF idea lineage (almost everything goes back to Asimov and Heinlein, and filtered through Niven, etc) I don't know.

This was a very satisfying conclusion, with just enough bait to get me to read the sequel series.

No spoilers here, but n  Hyperionn ends in smack-dab in the middle of the story. After loving the first book I knew that I had to rearrange my reading plans and dive directly in to The Fall of Hyperion. Dan Simmons initially submitted Hyperion Cantos as a single volume, but was advised to split the book in two for publication. It's a decision I agree with more after finishing The Fall of Hyperion because it feels, at least stylistically, quite different from Hyperion.

Compared to its predecessor, the sequel expands its scope as it ties together pilgrims' storylines with the greater Hegemony through a new narrator. At first I was taken aback by this narrative shift, but was also disappointed to see the first novel's experimental form get replaced by chapter-to-chapter POV shifts. Once I got into the swing of things I was more than happy to intermittently check in with Martin Silenus as I was the new players. The quick changes between characters work for the pace as the novel clicks along, leading to a blistering and brain-rending ending. All same, would have it been too much to ask for just one more pilgrim-like story?

The shift to expansive space opera also took me aback a little bit, but I needn't have worried that Simmons would abandon his literary musings on religion, art, and human nature. Indeed, much of the first novel's philosophical roots extend out into the sequel and make it feel part of a whole. As the Time Tombs open and everything gets all topsy-turvy, I found myself appreciating the breaks for, say, Sol Weintraub to ponder his moral dilemma. It makes for an ending that wraps things up narratively as well as thematically.

I was a little disappointed in The Fall of Hyperion at the start, but was dialled in by the end. If Hyperion was a continuous jolt of bizarre energy, The Fall of Hyperion offers more vibrations from this plane with occasional blasts from some foreign world. Hyperion lays the foundations of mystery and The Fall of Hyperion does a lot of solving but still leaves room for interpretation and obscurity. There's horror beside philosophy, space opera neighbouring romance, and crazy action next to slow-burn cyberpunk. In the Hyperion Cantos it seems like there's something for everyone, but you'll definitely need to read this volume to get the full story.