Hyperion

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#1

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

I have to say this might be the book (among both SF and non-SF books) that had the biggest impact on me.

The story in a few words: among the hundreds of billions of humans spread over the galaxy, seven pilgrims are “randomly” selected each year to travel to the mysterious Time Tombs located on the planet Hyperion. Nobody has ever seen any of the pilgrims coming back before. Thus, our seven pilgrims decide to share their own past (a la ‘The Canterbury Tales’) to find out a common thread that could save them. Add to that the imminent attack of the Ousters (a branch of humankind that left hundreds of years before to live in the void of interstellar space), the influence of the millions of AI forming the TechnoCore, the deadly Shrike following the pilgrims in the shadows and the cybrid (clone) of the late poet John Keats and you have one of the best space-opera/humanist book ever written.

Each chapter of the tale of the pilgrimage to Hyperion is followed by the story of one of the pilgrims and each one of them is written in a different literary style (one is a noir cyber detective story, another is a personal diary, a love story, …).

The first book (which won the Hugo prize in 1989) was immediately followed by 'The Fall of Hyperion" and a few years later by another cycle taking place a few centuries later (“Endymion” and “The Rise of Endymion”).

#2

It’s good to see someone else is into this series. I’ve lost count how many times I have read it, and each time I gather another layer that Simmons has laid down. Each book is based on the themes of a classic book, as well as the old an new testament. an example of this is that the time between the story of the first 2 books and the second 2 books matches the supposed time between the 1st and 2nd testament. Pretty frakkin’ cool, even for a Buddhist like me. There are also Jungian archetypal motifs woven throughout as well (you’ll dig it, Adra), with each of the pilgrims matching one of the major archetypes, as well as the Shriek (shadow…)

The first book is obviously the Canterbury Tales, I can’t remember the 2nd or 4th right now, but the 3rd is based on the Inferno. Simmons is incredible to talk with as well. I live in Colorado, about an hour north of where he lives, and as I work in a bookstore, I have been able to talk with him a few times. There is so much in there!!

anyway, good mention!

#3

I think I read it 3 times now and this book is so dense and rich in layers and meanings I too discover new things every time I get into it. I also gave this book as a present to friends sometimes (who usually are not into scifi) and most of them have to shut down their social life until they’re done with the book :slight_smile:

Like ‘Dune’ I think ‘Hyperion’ would be pretty hard to adapt on the big screen… an HBO mini-series perhaps? But it’s always fun to come up with your ideal casting for the movie! Any ideas?