Hyperion

Rating:
Summary: engrossing story of anguish, set in one of the best SF world
Review: In 'Hyperion', we are introduced to seven pilgrims making their way to see the Shrike, also known as the Lord of Pain. Each has an intensely personal reason for making this pilgrimage. Together, they may be able to stop the entire galaxy from erupting in interstellar war.

The book primarily consists of the tales of the pilgrims, as they explain to their fellow travellers why they were chosen to go. All of the stories are fascinating; two of them are utterly unforgettable. As their stories unfold, we get a view of the galaxy as a whole and their corner of the galaxy in particular.

All told, the book is extremely well-written. The individual tales of the travellers could easily have been separate novellas. In between the tales of the travellers, the story progresses naturally. The story ends, leaving you hanging. Do the pilgrims meet the Shrike? Will any of them survive?

I don't know the answer to this question yet, as I haven't read the next book in the series. I am extremely glad that the person who gave me this book gave me all four books in the series, instead of leaving me to have to wait to find out what happens next.

Rating:
Summary: A classic of its kind
Review: What does the word 'brilliant' mean when applied to a work of literature? Is it brilliant in terms of a novel's narrative style? Brilliant in terms of scope? Theme? Concepts? Brilliant as entertainment?

There are many, many definitions, each distinct, and each debatable. Arguments may ensue as to what 'brilliance' means at any given moment.

Let me then make a sweeping remark;

HYPERION is, in every single definition of the word, brilliant.

Dan Simmons has become a jack-of-all-trades in the literary world, traversing genres as easily as some would traverse a street. He has tackled: horror (SUMMER OF NIGHT, SONG OF KALI, CARRION COMFORT); historical fiction (THE CROOK FACTORY); hard-boiled noir (HARD FREEZE). He has won awards (the Hugo Award, the World Fantasy Award), and acclaim (Stephen King is "in awe of Dan Simmons").

However, HYPERION may well be his masterwork, a magnificent science-fiction epic that manages to squeeze in elements of every genre he has conquered, as well as others he hasn't gotten to yet.

In a nod to PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, Simmons relates the past tales of a group of travellers, set forth on an interstellar religious pilgrimage. They seek the Shrike, a mythical beast on the planet Hyperion which has lately refused to stay mythical, and has instead been slaying the population. As they near their destination, each recites what events set them on their path, attempting to discern some common element which may bind them in their quest.

In the tales, Simmons manages to award the reader with stylistically distinct narratives. Brawne Lamia's story is science-fiction Raymond Chandler, as she tries to find the killer of an cybrid artificial intelligence. Father Lenar Hoyt gives the reader an in-depth study of futuristic theology. Martin Silenus is an artificially aged poet who has lived hundreds of years, and whose master work of poetry may have something to do with the Shrike's return.

Colonel Fedmahn Kassad delivers a stirring account of galactic warfare. Sol Weintraub provides a melancholy elegy of loss in a TWILIGHT ZONE-type scenario. Finally, the mysterious Consul tells a simple love story made complicated through the vagaries of space travel.

Besides his skill at storytelling (each tale makes a complete novella on its own), Simmons provides genuinely unique observations to the realities of space colonialism. Remembering Einstein's theory that times slows the faster a person goes, Simmons envisages entire relationships wherein the participants age at different rates. Parents are younger than their children. Because of faster-than-light travel, one lover ages two years, while the other dies of old age.

Simmons also nicely develops the idea of teleportation, and the hazards it could bring to cultures. Formerly remote civilizations become swamped with tourists in a matter of years, destroying both themselves and the environments. Rich people own houses with 'farcasters' for doors, resulting in each room being found on a different planet.

Simmons delves into theological issues with the same unique passion. The Shrike itself, a being of terrible power, of spikes and thorns and bloodlust, could be an original god of lore. It could be an artificial life-form's attempt to resurrect God. It might be the culmination of one man's search for ultimate narrative. Or, it could be a monster. Simmons presents a god as malleable concept, the 'eye of the beholder' scenario. Whatever the creature may be is not as important as what it represents, regardless of its form or intention; salvation.

HYPERION does not end on a high note. It does not end at all, merely finding a logical point at which to pause the story, a la J.R.R. Tolkein's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. However, an ending isn't necessary. A tale never ends, it just finds new avenues from which it can continue to be told. Whatever the Shrike is, whatever it wants, will have to wait. It is what people believe it is, as HYPERION itself is to the reader. It is brilliant, illuminating, an awe-inspiring foray into realms too often ignored. It adds true depth, true heft, to the science-fiction narrative. It is the equal to Frank Herbert's DUNE, and Isaac Asimov's FOUNDATION. It is a world unto itself, perfectly realized.

Rating:
Summary: mysterious and chilling
Review: Dan Simmons combines horror, science-fiction and very real literary intelligence to produce a fascinating story about the mysteries of the planet Hyperion. Structured loosely like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, "Hyperion" is the account of seven pilgrims journeying to seek answers at the Shrine of the Shrike, the mysterious and cultic killing machine that is somehow inextricably tied with each of the pilgrims' secrets. As they journey to the Shrine, they share their stories.
Simmons' fascination with the poet John Keats and the almost tangible presence of his poetry throughout the story only adds to the strangeness of his tale.
I highly recommend this book to those interested in imaginative and intelligent science fiction, or lovers of Keats (hee hee).

Rating:
Summary: Does It Get Any Better Than This?!
Review: I would rate this book 6 stars on the 5 point scale.

This book will keep you up late and have you dropping your jaw on occassion. It is set in the far future and a completely believeable one at that. You have a creature called the Shrike who likes to cut people to pieces. Time tombs which have this strange property of aging in reverse and a group of pilgrims with very interesting pasts.

If you are not a science fiction fan, you might be after reading this tour de force by Dan Simmons. Don't waste your time reading any more reviews, just read the book.

Rating:
Summary: Best English Lit of 20th Century
Review: Never what I thought I'd ever write about a sci-fi novel. But then again, I've never read one with so much depth. I won't go into the story; you'll have to do that on your own. Simmons shows, however, a remarkable grasp of the sweep of modern and postmodern philosophy, theology, literature, and history. These books are certainly worthy of commentaries as in-depth as anything ever put together about Finnegan's Wake, and these books are much more accessible. Here are just a few of the real-life plot lines turned into epics in this series: 1. The plight of Teilhard de Chardin's persecution at the hands of the Vatican (1930's); 2. A very personal rendering of Soren Kierkegaard's questions posed in "Fear and Trembling" (the Abraham problem); 3. The aesthetics of modern poetry (John Keats); 4. The betrayal and conquest of Tibet by China; 5. The mystery surrounding the death of Pope John Paul I. Throw in a fascinating story line, a tribute to Chaucer and Dashiell Hammett in the process, and you're reading from one of the most brilliant writers in the English language since Faulkner or Hemingway. If you don't understand it, go back to school, and try again. This isn't sci-fi, this is the Iliad, Oddysey, and Aeneid of our generation.

Rating:
Summary: Hyperion, et. al.
Review: For lovers of Science Fiction, the Hyperion series ranks only slightly below the Foundation/Robot series (slightly,only). I liked book two and book four best; however, I enjoyed all four of them. "The Fall of Hyperion" is the best SciFi novel since "Foundation's Edge." There is good fiction and bad fiction; there is good Science Fiction and bad Science Fiction -- writers like Dan Simmons and Vernor Vinge make life worth living. Read the Hyperion series. Enjoy it. There ain't no more

Rating:
Summary: Richly mysterious
Review: After reading all the other reviews on this excellent and frustrating novel, I tried to think of anything I could add that hadn't already been said. Although I am probably repeating someone else's words anyway, it is this: you will be sorry if you never experienced the fantastic worlds therein.

Hyperion is but one world in the midst of a gorgeous mess of a universe conceived by Dan Simmons. The plot, which roughly mirrors The Canterbury Tales' format, involves the telling of personal stories from the points of views of six pilgrims visiting Hyperion. Each knows that there is a probable chance that he will die without ever having his request granted by the Shrike, a menacing creature/machine which seems to exist for no other purpose than to randomly murder people on Hyperion and which can travel through time and space masterfully well. As the pilgrims' tales unfold, information about this future Hegemony of human planets and the circumstances surrounding it starts to leak out and simultaneously reels the reader in. Frankly, I was sorry to leave Simmons' seductive world-building more than the characters themselves.

I purposely did not read the Fall of Hyperion sequel, which many others say is necessary to understand Hyperion's events, because I wanted to review this as a stand alone novel. This can be a very confusing book without those latter reveleations, but it stands well indeed. Read it if you are more than a little adventurous and enjoy a satisfying mystery with your sci fi action.

Rating:
Summary: Inventive and compelling
Review: First, my only complaint about Hyperion: It's really only part one of the story. Make sure you have The Fall of Hyperion handy for when you complete the book.

Hyperion is one of those rare SF novels that has a truly human face. It is a well-imagined story about a society in chaos facing a difficult hour. At the same time, it is a particularly deftly-told story of the main characters who populate the novel. There aren't too many SF novels that are so personal in nature. The various worlds are also nicely drawn and the portrayal of the Hegemony and it's social fabric are compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: Dan Simmons had successfully digusted, horrified and completely grossed me out. Yet, I find myself eager for the next book because the ideas within his story are just amazing!

Hyperion is a story within a story. It takes place many years in the future after humans made their "big mistake" and had to flee earth to colonize on other worlds. In the future, the many human colonies are united under the umbrella of the Hegemony. The Hegemony is on the brink of an interstellar war that will be on the scale of Armageddon. The war is fought becuase there is dispute over the planet of Hyperion and the mysterious Time Tombs and Shrike that live there. Their last hope (kind of) is a group of seven pilgrims who set out to understand what the function of the time tombs and the Shrike are.

The focus of the story is actually on the seven pilgrims themselves. Each one tells their own story about what drove them to take on a mission that most people consider a suicide mission. Each of their stories are unique and guaranteed to bring about a reaction from the reader. Whether you are appalled, amazed, or in awe, you will be touched somehow someway.

Rating:
Summary: The best science fiction novel I've read in recent years
Review: Where to start? First of all, this is a wonderful book and Dan Simmons is a very good writer, if this work is any indication of his talent. I haven't read anything else by Simmons but I have ordered another title and will add it to the front of my queue.<

While I obviously enjoyed the book thoroughly (more on that in a moment), I must comment o on some areas I didn't particularly enjoy: (1) The Consul's story is not at all believable, nor does it lay the groundwork necessary for the plot turn. (2) The final scene, with the characters linking arms and singing tunes from "The Wizard of Oz" is unpleasant and unworthy of the rest of the book. (3) Simmons' frequent references to twentieth-century events and persons taxes the reader as well; for the obvious care and planning that went into this work it is disappointing that Simmons couldn't do better. (4) Finally, Simmons makes an unforgivable error in his use of the word "penultimate" as a synonym for "the most." How this could have slipped past his editor is beyond my comprehension, but the fault lies with Simmons for making the mistake in the first place. Perhaps this is an inside joke or Simmons did it on purpose to win a bet?

All that said I'm still able to say that Hyperion is the best science fiction novel I've read in years. It compares favorably to the works of the masters - Heinlein, Bradbury, Ellison - in its scope, its artistry and its ability to deliver visceral impact to the reader. This work, like much of theirs, transcends its genre and belongs in the library of anyone who enjoys good fiction and great writing.

I had a friend, an educated and very well read woman, who once asked me for recommendations in the science fiction genre. I regret losing contact with her for many reasons, and now I have another: I wish I could have recommended this book to her.