Book Review: HYPERION by Dan Simmons

HYPERION by Dan Simmons  (Bantam Doubleday Dell, May 1989) Paperback, 500 pages. ISBN # 97805532836686 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

HYPERION has held up very well since its original 1989 publication, and still remains relevant, even prophetic in some ways (the internet, artificial intelligence, etc). It's a brilliant work and deserving of the various awards, including the Hugo. 

The novel ends on a cliff-hanger and is inconclusive with many questions unanswered. I was aware that this was the first book in a four-book series, as I had purchased my copy in the early 1990's - a Science Fiction Book Club edition of the first two novels (HYPERION and THE FALL OF HYPERION) labeled as HYPERION CANTOS.

The novel is complex, containing a multitude of heady concepts and features many side plots involving faith, religious practices, government, espionage, family, love, aging, and time forward and time reverse. Simmons uses the same template as Geoffrey Chaucer in THE CANTERBURY TALES - dividing the first novel into six separate tales shared by each travel on the journey to the Time Tombs and a confrontation with the monstrous, godlike Shrike.

Simmons makes many literary references throughout the novel, and alters his writing style to suit the individual narrators. This is a deep work that is best appreciated by reading a section at a time and then pausing to reflect, rather than a binge read. 

I read this as part of the October group read with the Horror Or Heaven group.

NOTES

October 14

For me, this is definitely not a quick read. Simmons has a way with imagery and description and I find myself slowing down in order to fully appreciate it.

After the prologue and the first section, I immediately picked up on the Geoffrey Chaucer CANTERBURY TALES vibe. I read that back in college, but don't feel like those unfamiliar are missing anything. Simmon's style is completely different from Chaucer.

Love the tree-ship idea, and such an apropos name!

Just finished reading The Priest's tale - - weird, creepy and disturbing. I can just imagine the pain.

October 23

I'm really behind and not getting much time for reading lately. Also, I'm reading this slowly on purpose, as mentioned before.

Just finished the Soldier's Tale and was blown away. Incredible. I have a feeling that he is a primary character and has a role to play before this ends.

October 29

Finished the Poet's tale yesterday and really enjoyed it. I like that Simmons utilized first-person narration for this one. The poet's mindset and visual imagination really came through.

I'm thinking that he, as well as the Soldier, will also have a role to play in the final outcome. We'll see.

Just started reading The Scholar's Tale and was amused by the end of this sentence: The radical poet Salmud Brevy had taught briefly at Nightenhelser before the Glennon-Height Mutiny, had been fired, and upon farcasting to Renaissance Vector had told his friends that Crawford County on South Sinzer on Barnard's World constituted the Eight Circle of Desolation on the smallest pimple on the absolute ass-end of Creation."

Yes, and Simmons does have a way with extra-long sentences.

October 31

Finished The Scholar's Tale. The saddest story of the bunch so far. Tragic.

November 02

The Detective's Tale was wild. My head is spinning from the concepts detailed here. While all the stories here have been worthwhile, I find myself attracted to this and The Soldier's Tale, possibly because of the action/suspense.

November 06

The Consul's Tale was also sad, but uplifting. Seems like every one on this journey has a hidden purpose, and perhaps that is the reason they were selected.