From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)

Dan Simmons

Start date: October 1, 2015

Finish date: October 31, 2015

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Mason Engel

Why we're reading this: Group Classic Novel Discussion October 2015
Hugo Award winner 1990
#51 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all …more
[close] Group Classic Novel Discussion October 2015
Hugo Award winner 1990
#51 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all time (2011 poll) http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/1390858...
#4 on Locus Magazines Best SciFi novels of the 20th century http://www.locusmag.com/2012/AllCentu...
(was also Classic August 2012 Read)

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What Members Thought

Feb 04, 2015 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A large part of this book is made up of the individual stories of the members of a pilgrimage/mission. The very first story (the priest's) definitely got my attention and for the most part the remaining stories were just as successful. My least favorite was the poet's since, as befitting an artist full of his own self-importance, it was very full of flowery language and artistic inspiration that mere humans could not understand (*cough* lit crap *cough*).

The challenge is that the central story l ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2012 Lamora rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi

Dan Simmons’ Hyperion roughly follows the structure of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales; several separate stories, each a character's tale, that slowly unfurls the plot and adds a significant layer of depth to the backdrop.

In the distant future, humanity has spread to hundreds of planets and is held together by a loose confederation: the Hegemony of Man. A network of Farcaster Terminals allow for instant transportation, which creates the WorldWeb. On the outskirts of the civilized areas roams a va ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 19, 2012 Xdyj rated it really liked it

Shelves: o, poc, sfhf_challenge

The world-building is pretty good overall & imo on the same level as Dune. Personally I find the writing a bit uneven. IMHO the 1st story is a bit boring, the 3rd is sort of interesting, & the 4th & the last are amazing.

1 like · Like · see review

May 24, 2020 Z.A. Mackic rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well, the author is obsessed with Keats and poetry.
The book and the whole understory are great, captivating and one can see why the book won the award. The story is complex, with loads of layers that surprisingly all fit nicely together. And the book is masterfully executed. Just the right amount of the foreshadowing, descriptions, and change in POV voices so that book looks like a series of short stories, but it culminates into the common milieu.
The only issue I have with it is all that poems ...more

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