Hyperion

By: Dan Simmons

Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, Jay Snyder, Victor Bevine

Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the 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.

©1989 Dan Simmons (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1990
Locus Award, Best Novel, 1990
"Dan Simmons has the Midas touch: Every genre he writes - whether SF, horror, mystery, historical, or thriller - he turns to gold. Hyperion and The Fall Of Hyperion set a new standard for grand-scale science fiction." (Kevin J. Anderson, author of The Saga of Seven Suns)
"Dan Simmons was a star from the outset. It was the Hyperion books that made him a superstar. The man, quite simply, is what we in the trade call a writer's writer." (Mike Resnick, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author)
Each of [the pilgrim's] stories would make a superb novella on its own. ( The New York Times Book Review, Gerald Jonas)

Fascinating multi-POV Sci-fi

Easy to read novel following 7 adventurers on the planet Hyperion. Great use of popular culture and "Old Earth" references.

Great Book!

Great book, ending was odd but there are more in series I haven't read yet! Narration is great!

Mixed. Great Moments. Meh moments.

First, the readers. There is a different reader for each character, which works fine since most of the book is a long monologue from each telling their story (a la Canterbury Tales structure.) All but one of the readers are fantastic. They're not just readers, they are brilliant character actors, bringing the characters to life. Except for one reader, who is possibly the worst reader/actor I have ever listened to. sing songy intonation and over acting turn what is supposed to be a tough female detective character into an elementary school teacher voice. so, that is distracting. As for the story, it's certainly an ambitious epic. It is basically 7 short stories all connected to the central conflict/mystery of the book. Each one is sort of a different genre. When it works, it's like a masterclass in writing. when it falls flat, it feels a bit masturbatory. Story 1 is sort of Priest/explorer among the natives. Unsolved mysteries. Story 2 is a military action movie, parts of which are too technical about weaponry and a bit boring, other parts are a thrilling escape tale. Story 3 is a lively take on a foul-mouthed, debauched poet and his ups and downs. The character likes to hear himself talk, so the tale gets a little bogged down with non-essentials but I think that's on purpose. I found story 4 immensely moving, especially if you are a parent. Story 5 is the bad reader so that was annoying, but the story was a good old cyber detective story, with nods to other writers. oh yeah... lots of references in this book, many of them gratuitous given that hundreds of years have passed, you'd think the concerns of a 20th century English major would be a little less relevant in the distant future, but sci fi is always about the present, really, so I guess it's fun to drop references even though it is a bit forced. story 6 is a revolutionary love story. I was starting to get impatient to get to the thrilling climax, only to find that the book ends and you don't find out what happened yet. I very much enjoyed the good parts of this book, so I recommend it, just be prepared for some blah sections.

A giant prologue to the series

Although i enjoyed the story the entire time, i felt as though this was a giant prologue to the full story. As it is a series that is not a problem, but i didn’t feel any sort of satisfaction with the ending at all. It doesn’t feel very self contained.

His magnum opus

This is one of my top 5 favorite sci-fi novels this ranks up there with Dune, Ender's Game and Altered Carbon.

Headline

Its good , but some of the stories are sub par , in my opinion the poets tale and the consuls tale are mind boggingly boring , but over all its a worthwhile time listening to this book .. Ps. it does not have an ending , if this annoys you , heads up !

great book

the book was really moving and wonderfully well written. I would recommend it to friends.

Didn't love this...

Disappointing read, esp based on reviews. It was very cliche and I'm not completing the series.

Dull book, engrossing audiobook

I tried three times to read this book: In 1989 when it came out, in 1990 when it won the Hugo (surely I had missed something!) and again in 2003 when I vowed to read or reread all the Hugo winners. I never made it past the first dozen chapters. I found the plot tedious and the characters uninspiring. Then when Audible offered it as a Deal of the Day, I decided to try again. I guess it took an outstanding performance to show me that this is a GREAT book! I was up until 4 am this morning because I couldn't quit listening. The technology is amazing, even after 23 years. The characters and their stories are sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes horrifying, but always compelling. The different cultures are imaginative and fascinating.

Some parts far better than others

Overall, I enjoyed it. Opertive word being overall. For those who don't know, the bulk of the story is the pilgrims telling the stories of how they are connected to the planet of Hyperion. Some are fascinating, others are long and take far too long to get to the point. The last one is also particularly strange in that it is told out of order. An interesting why to write a story but not the way anyone would tell a story (someone is supposed to be speaking this out loud). Again, overall good with an interesting world but oddly told at points.