Hyperion: Which character would you be?

[Josh, quasi mad man]

Hyperion, our current book (and also a Titan in Greek mythology), starts off as an interstellar mystery with the ruling empire - the Hegemony of Men - on the edge of potentially their biggest war with space barbarians (aka the Ousters). But the heart of the story is a group of seven who converge on the planet Hyperion where the coming battle in space is preceded by martial law and a mass exodus by the population, which is being terrorized by the once secretive creature known as the Shrike. The seven characters are fascinating and flawed and they each keep secrets of why they accepted to come on this perilous journey.

Do you have a favorite character of the seven? Any comparisons with other favorite heroes or anti-heroes in fiction?

[Josh, quasi mad man]

I'll volunteer first....

I'd pick the Consul. He's a steak and whiskey man and likes solitary hunting trips to savage uninhabited planets during torrential storms in his sleek black cruiser. And he's not afraid to dance with the devil..a second time. He might be part Han Solo, part Indiana Jones. (Calling Harrison Ford!)

[Trevor]

I'd Probably be Martin Silenus. An eccentric, impish, foul mouthed old goat with deep interest in a multitude of things including off-kilter philosophical views, a multitude of religions, political ideologies and lots of books. Constantly runs into problems in groups because of his big mouth and sense of humor, which is often rebuked by others. likes literature, culture, and Lamia (don't care, still ship it). I don't care if he's vile, cowardly or mad, he's just about my favorite of the seven. In the beginning was the word. In the end...past honor, past life, past caring. In the end will be the word.

[Jonathan]

I'm right there with you. Silenus is just more interesting than the others. Sometimes being the action hero is NOT the best job to have. So far, Silenus has the most insight on the Shrike ... I think.

[Josh, quasi mad man]

Silenus is intentionally portrayed as the riffraff of the group in the beginning and then the bombshell drops... we find out he was there during Hyperion's colonization and is centuries old. His mastery of the English language is remarkable. His fatalistic tendencies insane. The loss in his lifetime(s) greater perhaps than all the others combined. I'll admit I like him a lot - I hope he survives to finish his magnum opus and the fall/rise/rebirth of humanity!?