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Hyperion by Dan Simmons
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Hyperion (original 1989; edition 1990)

by Dan Simmons

Series: Hyperion Cantos (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
11,648272557 (4.19)343
A stunning tour de force filled with transcendent awe and wonder, Hyperion is a masterwork of science fiction that resonates with excitement and invention, the first volume in a remarkable epic by the multiple-award-winning author of The Hollow Man. On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a 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. Praise for Dan Simmons and Hyperion "Dan Simmons has brilliantly conceptualized a future 700 years distant. In sheer scope and complexity it matches, and perhaps even surpasses, those of Isaac Asimov and James Blish."--The Washington Post Book World  "An unfailingly inventive narrative . . . generously conceived and stylistically sure-handed."--The New York Times Book Review "Simmons's own genius transforms space opera into a new kind of poetry."--The Denver Post "An essential part of any science fiction collection."--Booklist… (more)
Member:TwilightBlue
Title:Hyperion
Authors:Dan Simmons
Info:Spectra (1990), Mass Market Paperback, 481 pages
Collections:Your library, To read, eBook, CHECKED
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

Hyperion by Dan Simmons (1989)

  1. 140
    Dune by Frank Herbert (corporate_clone)
    corporate_clone: It is difficult not to compare Dune and Hyperion, even though both series have major differences in terms of tone, style and philosophy. Those are two long, epic, elaborate and very ambitious sci-fi masterpieces where religion plays a key role. I would highly recommend the fans of one to check out the other.… (more)
  2. 143
    The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (fichtennadel)
  3. 50
    Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks (TarsolyGer)
  4. 30
    Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds (LamontCranston)
  5. 30
    Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks (LamontCranston)
  6. 31
    The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe (bruhh)
  7. 10
    The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach (caballer)
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» See also 343 mentions

English (257)  Italian (5)  Spanish (4)  French (3)  Finnish (1)  All languages (270)
Showing 1-5 of 257 (next | show all)
Wow. Great writing. I generally don't like shifting perspective stories, but each of the seven stories by the pilgrims was so different and held my attention, all for different reasons. I've ordered The End of Hyperion from the library and can't wait to start it.

Also hoping that this series will hold up through all four books. My experience with some fantasy series, even some good ones (looking at you, Tad Williams) has been that it's really difficult to sustain my interest.

*spoiler alert*

I especially liked the twist at the end, where the bad guys are suddenly maybe not quite so bad.

Looking forward to book 2! ( )
  roguelike | Feb 4, 2024 |
Fricking amazing. tbc ( )
  Zedseayou | Jan 30, 2024 |
Although well written overall, I feel cheated by the absence of a real ending. ( )
  Treebeard_404 | Jan 23, 2024 |
More a collection of similarly themed short stories than a actual novel, the story never really is addressed. Thus, despite the good writing, the unsatisfying structure ruins the work.
I might never get to the other books in the series. ( )
  MXMLLN | Jan 12, 2024 |
Hyperion successfully mashes up several different genres while all existing in the same universe, with only the occasional suspension of disbelief required. The Shrike also makes for a memorable monster, although it's not as large a part of the book as I thought it would be going into it.
The best part of Hyperion is it's melancholy view of the future. Interstellar travel is possible, but only at the price of many years of your life. You can see many generations of your family grow old and die after a single star voyage because of complications from time relativity. Planets are hooked up to a fabulously wealthy system of interconnected portals and trade, but often at the cost of environmental degradation, cultural submission, imperialist genocide of alien species, and on and on. The fate of humanity is to join together in a noisy, ignorant, rapacious Hegemony at the cost its soul. The start of the book suggests a terrifying apocalypse and the end makes you question if that apocalypse would really be that bad.
I'm giving it only four stars because there are a couple of plot points and turns of phrase made me roll my eyes, but overall I liked it. ( )
  ethorwitz | Jan 3, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 257 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (29 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Dan Simmonsprimary authorall editionscalculated
Ahokas, JuhaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bevine, VictorNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ilkka JuopperiCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Johnson, AllysonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pariseau, KevinNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rostant, LarryCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ruddell, GaryCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Snyder, JayNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Staffilano, G. L.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Staffilano, Gaetano LuigiTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vietor, MarcNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
This is for Ted
First words
The Hegemony Consul sat on the balcony of his ebony spaceship and played Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-Sharp Minor on an ancient but well-maintained Steinway while great, green, saurian things surged and bellowed in the swamps below. (Prologue)
The Consul awoke with a peculiar headache, dry throat, and sense of having forgotten a thousand dreams which only periods in cryogenic fugue could bring.
Quotations
Information from the French Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Wagner n'est bon que pour les moments de tempête.
"Les mots sont les objets suprêmes, ce sont des choses dotées d'esprit." William H. Gass
"Le langage sert non seulement à exprimer les pensées, mais aussi à rendre possibles des pensées qui ne pourraient exister sans lui." Bertrand Russel
Les poètes sont les sages-femmes démentes de la réalité. Ils ne voient pas ce qui est, ni ce qui peut être, mais ce qui doit devenir.
Être un poète, un vrai poète, c'était devenir l'avatar de l'humanité incarnée.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Several translations of the Hyperion series were published as multiple volumes There are no equivalent English volumes. Do not combine these with any works other than the equivalent partial volume in another language.

The ISBNs here are not always correctly matched up to the books. Use both the title and ISBN to figure out what the actual work is. Also note that the title sometimes contains the volume number in the entire Hyperion series (with or without multiple parts).
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Information from the Italian Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC
A stunning tour de force filled with transcendent awe and wonder, Hyperion is a masterwork of science fiction that resonates with excitement and invention, the first volume in a remarkable epic by the multiple-award-winning author of The Hollow Man. On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a 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. Praise for Dan Simmons and Hyperion "Dan Simmons has brilliantly conceptualized a future 700 years distant. In sheer scope and complexity it matches, and perhaps even surpasses, those of Isaac Asimov and James Blish."--The Washington Post Book World  "An unfailingly inventive narrative . . . generously conceived and stylistically sure-handed."--The New York Times Book Review "Simmons's own genius transforms space opera into a new kind of poetry."--The Denver Post "An essential part of any science fiction collection."--Booklist

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary
Pilgrims share secrets
while flying to strange planet.
First book in series.
(sullijo)

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1 47
1.5 8
2 144
2.5 17
3 431
3.5 119
4 1107
4.5 184
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