Endymion

It seems that Dan Simmons decided to take a break, exhale and allow the reader to collect themselves. In this third volume to the HYPERION series we find ourselves in more action, adventure and simple SCI FI…that is compared to the first two novels which utterly melted our brains. By scaling down the brain drain ENDYMION allows the reader to relax and just enjoy the happenings. The story takes place a considerable time after the first two books. Now. With that being said it is to take nothing away from the book itself. It is well written, a little comical and our characters are allowed to show themselves to the reader regarding their development. Good addition to the series. The book does get a little long in the tooth though. What we show more have is a cosmic goose chase across the galaxy along with a mish mash of following ethics wrapped around morals encased in personal wants all pushed up against rollicking adventure on a grand scale. show less

Set several hundred years after The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion relates the tale of Aenea, Raul, and A. Bettik as they journey through the much-changed worlds of the old Hegemony. The readers are surprised to discover that, after the fall of the Core and the AI overlords, things only became more dystopic, with the Catholic Church-led Pax taking over using the incredibly disturbing "cruciform" parasites introduced in the original book to allow its citizens to be "resurrected". Of course, the incredibly militaristic Pax has determined that Aenea, the daughter of one of the original Hyperion pilgrims who has time traveled to this era, is a deadly threat to their regime. Thus begins the chase. However, what I really enjoyed about this book show more was re-discovering the worlds we knew from the previous books, and how the downfall of the farcasters and the introduction of the Pax and its cruciform have changed them. Everything is steeped in mystery. Additionally, many of the characters are very relatable and likable, even the Pax captain sent to hunt down the fugitives. While the ending was certainly not the conclusion of the story, I felt that this book ended at a good turning-point place where the reader could feel some optimism. This book was a welcome change from the scattered action of the previous book. show less

Many fans of Dan Simmons's Hyperion series were not enamored of this more separate entity within the saga. It does not detract, however, from what a fun thrill-ride this book truly is. You need not have read the first two books to enjoy this one, and in fact, it might be better if you haven't. Simmons incorporated the more fun elements of the previous books, weaving them into this grand and tremendously entertaining adventure of science fiction. The Worldweb and the mysterious Shrike creature add excitement to an already great story.

Almost 300 years have passed since The Fall, and Earth apparently, but not conclusively, no longer exists. The Worldweb and the Shrike creature are around, yet the only thing standing between complete show more control of everything by the military arm of the Catholic Church, PAX, is an 11 year old girl named Aenea, and Raul Endymion. Aenea is the future leader of all, and Raul Endymion has been chosen to keep her from harm. Using Farcaster portals as gateways to other worlds, in order to elude their somewhat reluctant pursuer, Father DeSoya, they find an ally in A. Bettik, a blue android.

The chase is exciting, moving at breakneck speed. The mysterious and deadly Shrike creature adds an unknown element for the three. The questions pondered and ruminated on are thought-provoking, engaging the mind of the reader as their heart enjoys the adventure, the outcome of which is constantly in doubt. As the connection between Raul and Aenea grows stronger, so does the reader's need to know that outcome. Doom for all mankind looms like a dark storm over everything in this grand adventure tale. It is a book easy to get lost in, a breathtaking tale of a fantastical future that can only be found in books.

You read something like this slowly, savoring it, because you know it is part of a series and, therefor, probably without a conclusive ending. Whether a science fiction reader or not, if you enjoy getting lost in another world, this is a good book for you. Sort of a stand-alone book within the series, it is just flat fun to read, and highly recommended. show less

It must be 25 years or so since I read Simmons' 'Hyperion' novels, and this is a sequel which has languished on my shelves for far too long. I was a little intimidated by the passage of time and was concerned that my memory of the first two novels would be insufficient to see me through this novel. I needn't have worried: although things would have been better if I'd not long read 'Hyperion'/'The Fall of Hyperion', Simmons painlessly fills in the details the returning reader needs. In this, he is helped by setting this story nearly 300 years after the action of the first two books.

The Time Tombs on Hyperion have opened again, and Aenea, daughter of two of the characters from the first books, has emerged. And so has the Shrike, the show more inimical God of Pain - and it seems to be protecting Aenea. Raul Endymion, an ordinary man from Hyperion, has been engaged to protect Aenea by Martin Silenus, the aged poet from the earlier books. Meanwhile, after the fall of the TechnoCore, the AI that ran the farcasters, the network of matter transmitters that made Galactic society possible, the Catholic Church has re-established and greatly increased its power and influence. The Vatican sends Father Captain Federico de Soya on a mission to retrieve Aenea, because the Pope - also a character from the first novels, resurrected by the cruciform parasites that confer immortality - believes Aenea to be connected to the TechnoCore, and considers her to be a threat. Much space operatic whizzing about in various forms of transport ensues.

Just dismissing this book as an interstellar chase story does it no justice, though. The first two 'Hyperion' books were notable for their extreme Baroque settings, their well-realised world-building, and strong characterisation. This book carries that on. The settings are exotic but realistically drawn, and there is a good sense of the passage of time since our own day, though the characters do seem better informed about the Twentieth Century than we are about, say, the Tenth (representing an equivalent passage of time).Endymion is Everyman; Aenea is a bit more of a problem, as Endymion is telling the story in retrospect, and we are led to understand that Aenea - who is supposedly 11 at the time of the events in this novel - will later become Raul Endymion's lover. This makes for some slightly difficult situations as Endymion and Aenea are thrown together in various situations. Simmons writes about Endymion's feelings for Aenea in a sensual way, but never erotically; though it has to be said that he writes Aenea as displaying more maturity than any 11-year-old I've ever encountered. (Whether this may be due to her parentage, or her sojourn in the Time Tombs, is never mentioned and is one of the things I'd want to look out for if I re-read the earlier novels.)

Their pursuer, Father Captain de Soya, is more clearly drawn. Allocated a platoon of Swiss Guards, de Soya and his three comrades build an effective relationship and we come to know them well. As Vatican politics turns into conspiracy, de Soya begins to question his motivations and actions, but never his faith. I find it no coincidence that early on during de Soya's briefing, he fleetingly meets a priest by the name of Father Brown; and certainly, de Soya combines the humanity and the calculating mind of Chesterton's detective priest.

There is a range of supporting characters who are sympathetically drawn; we find ourselves caring for them. There is also action, some of it gruesome; and humour. The final book in the quartet, 'The Rise of Endymion', is not too far down the To Be Read pile; I shall look foward to it. show less

A fine action-space opera book. Lacking the serious headfuckery of the earlier books that made you feel in the presence of genius, but well worth a read nonetheless.

This follow-up to the Hyperion novels is strange: a travelogue that almost completely lacks any kind of narrative urgency. Raul Endymion, the child prophet Aenea (daughter of two characters from the original books), and A. Bettik (a minor character from the original books) travel via raft through portals taking them from world to world. The book starts well, but once the journey begins, the story quickly becomes dull and repetitive because there is no story, nothing at stake for these characters.

I was far more interested in the Jesuit priest pursuing them, a military commander conflicted between his duty and his morality, as he stumbles upon a conspiracy in the church. Simmons does such a good job with him that you want him to capture show more Aenea and company, and his plotline also has characters with actual personalities and more tension and complication. It's a weird imbalance. show less

I didn't read others' reviews of this book until just now (to avoid spoilers), and I'm a bit surprised by the amount of negativity that I found. While it's true that this book uses a different literary style than either of the first 2 (which themselves used different literary styles), I rather enjoyed this more straight-forward story telling approach.

The story itself was very intriguing. A chase story with hints of The Fugitive. Characters were pretty well fleshed out, as was the world-building. Only as much exposition as necessary when referencing the earlier books. Some open plot points filled in, new ones opened up. Poetry and discussion of such kept to a minimum (sorry, I'm not a poetry guy). All around, a very fun read.

Audiobook show more notes: Very good narrator from previous book returns. No mispronounciations that I noticed, although those who speak Italian or Latin might disagree. I see that he (Walter Bevin) is reading the next one, too, which is good. show less