Endymion

Rating:
Summary: Simply the BEST ! A Master Piece !
Review: I always had the thought that sequels are usually worse than the first original idea. Dan Simmons has managed to prove me wrong twice in a row! Hyperion is definitely a "10" and I felt it was the Ultimate Science Fiction Experience reading the book. But the Fall of Hyperion is even BETTER! Endymion is even more Mind-Blowingingly wonderful and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I would like to thank Dan for writing such an amazing series. I'm disappointed that Fall of Hyperion did not win the Hugo award but I hope Endymion will win an award! I'm looking forward to the coming release of the Rise of Endymion. The Hyperion books is definitely in the same class as classics like the Foundation books. Better in fact

Rating:
Summary: ...a master storyteller...
Review: Wow! This is one of the most engaging novels I've ever read. Simmons is a master storyteller. Endymion is one of those rare books, which manage to create a truly believable futuristic world, regardless of how "alien" the technology and setting might appear. It's a world you have to tear yourself away from. If you enjoyed the Hyperion books, then I really think you will like this. Simmons weaves another complex and highly original plot involving the three travelers, the Pax Church, the TechnoCore and the mysterious entities inhabiting the outer reaches of the megasphere. He reveals information slowly throughout the book and by the end you really have more questions than answers, so if you're anything like me you'll definitely want to read the final part (Rise of Endymion) of this wonderful saga as soon as possible to find out what's going on. By the way, some people find this book less action-filled than the two first, which is partly true. The novel is slightly slower than its predecessors, but in my opinion there is more than enough going on, and, as stated above, the story is a real page-turner.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the Hyperion Cantos ...
Review: ... primarily due to poor characterization and a less developed plot than Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion. Here are my chief complaints:

****** Warning - spoilers ahead ********

While this (and Rise of Endymion) was still a largely enjoyable read, it was frustrating and disappointing in many ways.

1. The primary character (Raul) is an incompetent idiot who never demonstrates an expert ability at pretty much anything. I think Simmons was trying to create a "lovable loser" or "Joe Average" persona and failed badly, not just with poor dialogue/action but also because this was the wrong type of character for the role. This character's stupidity really ruined portions of the book as I could figure out many plot developments/connections several pages in advance of Raul's "reasoning".

I couldn't understand why Raul was chosen for the role he played as he never did anything right and escaped most predicaments by sheer luck. His two chief qualifications seemed to be that 1) He loved Aenea, and 2) He could tolerate large amounts of pain. This describes literally billions of citizens within the Pax, so exactly why did Aenea love this guy? He was just a big dumb schmuck and I got tired of him very early in the two-book series. As a previous poster here has written, even Rambo had more character depth than Raul. Bad, bad mistake by Simmons.

2. Even Aenea was not as believable as I would have liked. Too many things were left unsaid about her until too late in the book. She was not a poorly done character overall (unlike Raul), but Simmons could have done a lot better here - Alia in Frank Herbert's Dune series was a much improved 'child prodigy' character. There was more 'mystery' about what made Aenea special (in the early stages) than there should have been.

3. There were too many convenient escapes for the characters, primarily due to Raul's inability to do anything competently. Simmons goes to the well too many times for some highly questionable exits from the various worlds. For example, on the ice world with Arctic Wraiths (can't remember the name at this moment), Raul doesn't get hypothermia after setting the charges under the ice, and he's still able to march long distances through the tunnels after all that (remember that this was a 1.7g world!!!) Several times Raul just keeps on 'keeping on' after receiving various injuries and it has no credibility. There were too many plot contrivances during the extensive chases.

4. I can understand Martin Silenus being used in this series (it made sense) but why oh why did Simmons insist on bringing back Rachel, Colonel Kassad, and Het Masteen? Perhaps Simmons was aware that most of his 'new' Endymion characters sucked and tried to bring back the old ones to shore up the new series? He really overdid this, as by the end of the book you are left wondering who's really alive and who isn't? There was no real need whatsoever for Rachel, the Colonel, or Het Masteen to be in the Endymion books and their appearance here created way too many time paradoxes. I was half-expecting the Consul and Sol to be brought back to life as well. Gee, why not?

5. There was way too much religious detail regarding the Church. He goes on and on about the various church rites, clothing, officials, offices, etc and it bored me. I was really disappointed we didn't learn more about the Ousters, who were one of his best creations in the entire four book 'double-series.' It seems like he read all kinds of books on Church history and was determined to get every last research detail into his own books - bad idea!

6. I was very disappointed we didn't get to know more about the Ousters' zero-g cities and other marvels of nanotechnology. They were fascinating and all we got was tantalising glimpses of their civilization, whilst the Pax was explained to us over and over again in ponderous detail. By the way, one of my major 'logical' complaints with this series: Why did the Ousters not develop better defensive technology over the past couple hundred years? It made no sense that the Ousters had only primitive defensive abilities when they knew the Pax was trying to exterminate them. You'd think their #1 research priority would be creating defensive shielding and weaponry that could halt the archangels and other Pax forces in their tracks. Why was there so little defense for the Startree(s) which had taken 1,000 years to build? The Ousters were supposed to be so superior to the Hegemony/Pax because they were not slaves to the Core, and yet they didn't seem to have any military prowess (even defensively!) to speak of ...

7. I found it amazing that Buddhism and Islam were relegated by Simmons to mere religious sideshows as compared to Christianity. I think Simmons hasn't traveled much outside of the USA or other 'Christianized' areas - he has too much of a Western/USA bias in terms of who is remembered 1,000 years from now.

8. Overall, the Endymion series read like it needed more editing. It needed to be tightened up in a lot of places, most of the characters needed to be re-thought, etc. From the Hyperion series, we all know he can write truly great characters with a proper blend of action and credibility. The Endymion series looks more like a first draft than a polished end product, as there were just too many scenes that made me think: "I could re-write this scene and it would be far better!" He should have worked on the Endymion series a lot more before releasing it to the public.

Having said all that, I still liked the Endymion series anyway, but it's definitely no Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Adventure Story
Review: Although part of Dan Simmons Hyperion series you need not have read the others to enjoy this or be a science fiction reader. All the exiting elements from the previous books in this saga are incorporated, of course, but Simmons wrote this one more as an adventure story. The worldweb and the mysterious Shrike creature add excitement to an already great story.

It is almost 300 years after the Fall, the Earth no longer exists (or does it?). The only thing that stands between the control of this universe in Chaos by the military arm of the catholic church, the Pax, is an 11 year old girl named Aenea and Raul Endymion, who has been chosen to protect this future Messiah.

As they attempt to elude the church, the blue android A. Bettik along to help, we are immersed in a world of the future which becomes as real and plausible as our own. Using the farcaster portals to escape Father DeSoya, who has misgivings about his assignment, Simmons gives us excitement at breakneck speed. Like all of Simmon's work Endymion is engaging and thought provoking.

Simmons has woven all the best elements of Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion into one of the most breathtaking adventures ever written. Raul Endymion and the young Aenea will connect amidst the mystery of the future with doom for all mankind looming like storm clouds on the horizon.

This is a book to get lost in every time you pick it up. It is also a book to be read slowly and savored.If you only read one book in this genre I would reccomend this one. You will enjoy this book whether you are a science fiction reader or not. It is adventure on a grand scale and you must have this one for your library.

Rating:
Summary: So you thought you knew Hyperion?
Review: With the conclusion of the Hyperion books, one might be tempted to think there is nothing further to say. Space faring civilization was built on a parasitic lie, but now everything is fixed, right? I'm not sure how much Dan Simmons originally intended to change from the Hyperion books when he started them, but we find in Endymion that much is not what it seemed.

The basic plot is that Raul Endymion must protect the daughter of Brawne Lamia and John Keats from, well, everyone. Aenea, the girl we learned would become the one who teaches, has stepped out of the Sphinx and into a whirlwind of plotting and danger. The Pax, the interstellar government built on the ashes of the Hegemony is waiting, and is up to no good at all. The TechnoCore is still alive and thrashing, and they have an interest too. The parasitic cruciforms are back, and most humans wear one now. And in the background (and sometimes the foreground) are the Ousters and the Shrike, and other new players. And almost all of them are chasing Raul and Aenea (and A. Bettick, their android friend) across the galaxy.

The writing style in Endymion has changed somewhat. Less epic in scope, we get to know the characters better here. Aside from Sol Weintraub's tale, the Hyperion books are somewhat more distant from a human perspective. This has its advantages and disadvantages.

The only further comment I have is that Simmons has made Aenea too much into a ghost in the machine. I realize Simmons knows clearly what he plans to eventually reveal about Aenea, and it's all very consistent, but too often she comes up with lines like "just wait", "you'll see", "just trust me" and so forth, giving the reader no conception of why she's doing the things she's doing. I could live with this if the other characters were to maybe notice this and react to it. Actually, they do, but not as much as real people would. Otherwise a magnificent tale.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST
Review: The best Sci-Fi ever, the whole series (Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion). The characters, the plot and the intensity make it a must read not just for Sci-Fi buffs but for any Fiction reader. Dan Simmons has as big of a surprise in the end as did Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. This series touches on all aspects of humanity in seven characters lifetimes through a plethora of worlds.

Rating:
Summary: A very different book from Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion
Review: I can see how some might be disappointed by this book and it's sequel when relating them to the first two books.

Endymion takes place several hundred years after events in "The Fall of Hyperion." As such it does little to resolve the fates of the characters in those books. Instead Endymion focuses on the journey of Raul Endymion a native of Hyperion and the child Aenea who is the daughter of the John Keats cybrid and Brawne Lamia.

Hyperion and it's sequel wrapped many layers of mystery around the Shrike, The Time Tombs and especially the Core. Endymion starts the process of unraveling those mysteries.

Aenea and Raul's journey takes them across the galaxy as they are pursued by forces of the Pax and the Core. Along the way their relationship develops a meaningful quality to it that gives the book its character.

While this is a wholly different book from the first two in this series I enjoyed it just as much. This book is more focused than the first two and also more reflective as it divides its time between fewer characters. Raul and Aenea are more fully developed than most of the characters in the first two books and therefore able to carry the book on their own for the most part.

While I can see how some might be disappointed by this book and it's sequel because of the different tone I can't really agree with them. I found this book to be a different, but very worthwhile followup to the first two books.

The fourth book "The Rise of Endymion" is required reading after this one.

Rating:
Summary: Better than the prequels
Review: I don't know why anyone who read the Hyperion series would be disappointed by either Endymion or The Fall of Endymion. While I felt the Hyperion series was the best hard science-fiction I have read since Foundation, Endymion upped the ante considerably with absolutely cannot-put-it-this-book-down plot hooks. The Archangel class ships are simply chilling, and Simmons is one of the best at making the science readable. The character development is stunning in both the carryovers from Hyperion and the newly introduced characters. Simmons is a musn't miss for anyone interested in a riveting read.

Rating:
Summary: I thought I wanted to go back to Hyperion...
Review: Taken on its own, it's a decent book. Unfortunately for this book and its sequel, it will always be compared to the original masterpieces of "Hyperion" and "Fall of Hyperion". As such it disappoints you when you're expecting the lush scene building and rich language of the originals and it provides merely adequate sci-fi. It's almost as if it were a piece of fan fiction created by someone with a deep knowlege of the Hyperion mythology.

My advice, read "Hyperion" and "Fall of Hyperion" and then try some of Simmons horror works, just don't muddy your impression of his masterwork with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Action-packed adventure
Review: Endymion is the first of two sequels to the "Hyperion Cantos", which consists of the two excellent novels Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. Taking place a couple hundred years after the farcasters were shut down by the dying Hegemony, Endymion chronicles the emergence and flight of a young prophet named Aenea and her protector Raul Endymion.

In the centuries since the fall of the Hegemony, Christian leaders emerged with the miraculous secret of flawless cruciform resurrection in hand and quickly formed the ruling authority known as the Pax. Billions were converted to the cross and now the Pax is the most powerful human organization in the galaxy. But somehow they determine that Aenea, due to emerge soon from one of Hyperion's time tombs, is a threat of devastating proportions and must be captured. So they provide one of their finest officers, Father Captain Federico de Soya, with thousands of elite troops and order him to lead the capture operation.

27-year old Raul Endymion is sent by the poet Martin Silenus (one of the original pilgrims to Hyperion in the first book) to rescue Aenea and flee the Pax against all odds. So begins the adventure. The novel is paced significantly faster than the Hyperion novels. The chapters alternate points of view (works very well) between Raul and the "bad guys". Raul's side is told in the first person and Simmons impressively alters the style enough that it really does seem as if a different author is telling Raul's story.

If you enjoyed the first two books, you'll almost certainly like Endymion. You should know that the story isn't as sweeping as in the Hyperion books. It's a tightly focused adventure story that basically boils down to a long chase through the galaxy. The climax is truly thrilling as the mysterious Shrike suddenly appears for an explosive showdown. Also, some questions left unanswered in the first two novels are resolved. A lot of things that nagged at me before Endymion now make sense or are at least partially addressed, like: What's the origin of the cruciform parasite? Why does the fatline medium suddenly disappear at the fall? What happened to Earth and who's there now?

There's no cliffhanger at the end but the story has just begun. The Shrike's mission, the role of the Ousters, and the fate of the Technocore and humanity are all unresolved and beg you to jump right in to The Rise of Endymion. I actually started it on the same day I finished Endymion!

Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi and of Simmons's earlier work.