Hyperion - Dan Simmons

Hyperion

By Dan Simmons

  • Release Date: 1989-05-26
  • Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 2,007 Ratings

Description

A stunning tour de force filled with transcendent awe and wonder, Hyperion is a masterwork of science fiction that resonates with excitement and invention, the first volume in a remarkable science fiction epic by the multiple-award-winning author of The Hollow Man.

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a 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.

Praise for Dan Simmons and Hyperion

“Dan Simmons has brilliantly conceptualized a future 700 years distant. In sheer scope and complexity it matches, and perhaps even surpasses, those of Isaac Asimov and James Blish.”The Washington Post Book World 

“An unfailingly inventive narrative . . . generously conceived and stylistically sure-handed.”The New York Times Book Review

“Simmons’s own genius transforms space opera into a new kind of poetry.”The Denver Post

“An essential part of any science fiction collection.”Booklist

Reviews

  • A Vivid Science Fiction Classic That Still Feels Ahead of Its Time

    4
    By 06PaulKubo
    Hyperion is a genuinely great book. Dan Simmons writes with so much texture and atmosphere that it feels like you are standing on the world itself, watching each story unfold up close. The structure keeps it moving, the characters are memorable, and the imagery sticks in your head long after you stop reading. First published in 1989, it is also impressive how much of its imagined future feels recognizable today. You can see why this novel has influenced so many creators, including the kind of big, mythic, lore heavy storytelling that shows up in RPGs and MMORPGs. It is not flawless, though. A few sections can feel dense, and I had to reread parts to fully grasp some of the concepts and terminology. The fascination with Keats also gets a little excessive at times. Still, those are small complaints next to what the book delivers overall. Hyperion is an amazing read and absolutely worth it.
  • Tedious and juvenile

    1
    By jasonaut
    84% through and the story hasn’t started yet. Just yapping and dinner parties and weird fetish stuff. Dnf.
  • Wow!

    5
    By beans-72
    Fantastic!!
  • Hyperion beginning

    5
    By Drjdo2
    We’ll done space opera. Hard to put it down. Loved the individual personal stories leading up to he reason for their pilgrimage.
  • My Favorite

    5
    By Whim1954
    sci-fi book of all time. This and the 2nd Cantos. I’ve read both several times and they still hold my interest. Dan Simmons knows how to tell a story. Love the multiple world buildings. Ps…where is the fantastic cover art that graces Cantos 2,3 and 4 have?
  • Outstanding

    5
    By Ph77
    The very, very beginning didn’t grab me but once the first tale started it was hard to put down and each unique tale thereafter weaving things together makes for a simply outstanding read. On to the next in the series!
  • Powerful, wonderful

    5
    By Momento Anima
    One of the best introductions to the classic “space opera” genre there is. And one of the best sci-fi stories in existence.
  • Incredible

    5
    By Philliam S
    This is truly one of the most remarkable, well-written books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I can’t recommend it enough!
  • A Fun Adventure!

    4
    By Jensssuuuhhh
    The structure of the book was hard to follow at first but after getting through the Priest’s tale I was hooked
  • Mind blowing

    5
    By boneystance
    World building- epic Action- epic Writing- epic Story telling - epic Thought provoking- epic Top 5 sci-fi I have ever read