Hyp: Hyperion or Foundation

[Jordan]

Hey guys. I need a suggestion. I've read the first three books of Foundation that make up the trilogy and am considering reading the rest. I've never read Hyperion. Is the rest of the Foundation series as good as the trilogy or should I save that for later and go for Hyperion?

[J.J.]

I've just read the first Foundation and Hyperion. I can tell you Hyperion is a sci-fi triumph that does not seem dated at all (maybe because it's a relatively young novel).

Bad thing for me as a collector is that there are very few first edition hardcovers and they are outrageously expensive. They can even cost the same as the Easton press one (say, $200)

[Shad]

Have you read much of Asimov beyond the Foundation trilogy? As you keep reading Foundation novels, you begin to see how Foundation is linked to the robot novels.

The later Foundation novels are a little different than the original trilogy. The later novels follow a single protagonist from the start of the novel to the end. If you like how the original trilogy was composed of multiple stories that followed different protagonists, then Hyperion would be more like that.

In Hyperion, the main characters are on a journey and along the way they take turns telling their story of how they came to be on the journey so the focus hops from character to character.

[Jordan]

Yes, I've read the Foundation trilogy, The End of Eternity, and The Gods Themselves <-- I didn't really like this one. But I did enjoy the Foundation books jumping large spans of time showing the changes of the galaxy. Following one character seems like a major difference.

Hyperion sounds like a Canterbury Tales. Is the whole series done that way or just the first book?

[terpkristin]

I only read the first Foundation book. It felt rather dated to me. I really liked Hyperion and recommend it highly, but be aware that you will have to read both Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion to get the first "complete" story. Hyperion itself ends without much resolution. If you dug those books, the other books in the Hyperion Cantos are Endymion and Rise of Endymion, which I also enjoyed, but are not as "essential" as reading Fall of Hyperion if you read Hyperion.

[Jordan]

Thanks for letting me know about the series break down. Sometimes getting into these series I wonder if it's one long series or several smaller series under an overarching name.

terpkristin wrote: "I only read the first Foundation book. It felt rather dated to me. I really liked Hyperion and recommend it highly, but be aware that you will have to read both Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion to get..."

[Baelor]

I love the Foundation trilogy.

The question really is how literary you are. If you want a true literary triumph, read Hyperion. Foundation, while quite enjoyable and accessible, is mostly an idea novel. Hyperion weaves in philosophy, science, history, poetry, environmentalism, politics, etc. In order to get everything, one must be familiar with John Keats, Chaucer, John Muir, sci-fi generally, transhumanism, Norse mythology, Christian theology, Jack Vance, American architecture, etc.

I absolutely loved Hyperion and its sequels, but they are certainly not for those looking for a quick and easy read.

[Mike]

Of course, if you aren't too familiar with what baelor lists you can still enjoy Hyperion, it just takes twice as long to read because you get distracted by looking them all up on google.!

I'd definitely rate the first two Hyperion books over anything Foundation related - far more depth to the story and less of a nagging feeling that you should be reading other series from the same author for deeper background

[Jordan]

Since I do have a fair grasp on most of the topics Baelor mention I think I'll give Hyperion a go. Thanks for the input.