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)

Breathtaking Sci-fi!

I became interest in this book due to the Dune Trilogy of which became easily one of my favorite books ever read. Once I read the synopsis of Hyperion I became very interested due to its similarity but still individual characteristics, I also noted promptly that this would be a history where the villain is very well constructed. This history is basically a huge introduction to the mystery of Hyperion, with a perfect balance of different histories between the seven pilgrims which are traveling to Hyperion and share their histories individually. You'll experience mystery, investigation, terror, drama, love, AI, space, interstellar politics and the very best: The Shrike and Time Tombs myths. Dan Simmons has impressive skills in taking you to this world full of mystery and empowered with details. There are plenty of parts of history that you'll never forget how the author describes these moments. I find plenty of similarities for other epics such as: Dune, SnowCrash and Lord of The Rings. The audiobook performance is also amazingly satisfying since you have more than one person narrating the history. I'm already reading The Fall of Hyperion and can't wait to finish!

Outstanding!

Outstanding plot, world building, characters, performance, everything. This is not just a book; this is literature.

Excellent interwoven novellas

This is a pretty good novel told almost entirely in flashback. It is basically half a dozen novellas telling the story of each main character and interweaving plots to explain what each has in common, and why they are all together in the present. Some of the novellas were better than others, but the overarching story is compelling with a cliffhanger ending. My understanding from reading reviews, is that the Fall of Hyperion is basically the second half of one immense book that just couldn't fit in one dust cover. I look forward to reading it for the conclusion.

Some assembly required

This took some work to follow along with everything going on in this story. But overall I thought it was worth the time I spent backtracking. The romance involved is something a teenage boy would scribble—needs work. My biggest issue was with Ms. Johnson’s narration. It was insipid and not believable. Her performance reminded me of those old Kung fu movies that were dubbed over in English, it just didn’t fit the action in the story. But I do like the plot.

One of my all time favorite book series

I love the books with multiple readers as the characters. It's like a 4K movie in my mind. The book is excellent. I have listened to it probably 20 times. I am enamored with it. No spoilers, but worth your time for sure.

Dense Yet Cool Sci-fi Content, Great Narrator

The story is a little hard to follow in audio format, because a lot of unfamiliar terms get thrown about quite casually without explanation, but there are some REALLY cool sci-fi concepts presented that made it worthwhile.

The narration is great. Loved this cast.

Entire the Time Tombs, reader.

Sometimes an author writes a story that sticks to your soul, and Dan Simmons accomplished that with "Hyperion" for me. A group of pilgrims are been involved in an intergalactic journey that has to lead them to the Valley of the Time Tombs, to meet the Lord of Pain. The magic is not only involved in how each of these characters has reached the planet Hyperion but very much in the "why" they are there. It is not about the ending, but the journey. Dan Simmons has certainly produced a science fiction classic.

Hyperion is near perfection in story-telling, universe building, and over-all execution. I personally wish that the story would have less of a focus on the "ousters" and the tense political situation of the galaxy. Like most books in a complex series, I understand why Simmons included this intricately throughout Hyperion, as it is further explained as the cantos continue. Yet, somehow it seems to drag me away from the most magical part of this book, the pilgrims. Brawne Lamia, Fedmahn Kassad, Het Masteen, Lenar Hoyt, Martin Silenus, Sol Weintraub, and The Consul are some of the most magical characters I've ever read about. Anything that diverts me away from them - well I'm just not interested in. Save for a single character. The Shrike, the Lord of Pain, and the ruler of the Shrike palace - a being that each pilgrim is seeking.

While the story is brilliantly delivered by Simmons, that narration is wonderful. Each of the narrators truly brings each character to life audibly and tries to press the tones that Simmons were developed.

Rich Worldbuilding and Expert Deivery.

Very classic political-social centered sci-fi but presented in an amazingly refreshing structure. Voice acting performances were mostly excellent, except for one particular character that was average.

Wow

It has been a while since I "read" a story that drew from so many different facets of society.

Hall of fame for a reason

The middle parts of the first chapter have not aged all that well: incessant harping about mentally handicapped humans/beings have fallen out of favour for good reason. Also, this book suffers the same problem a lot of stories does; sex in writing tends to feel the wrong kind of wooden.

Aside from these notes, it is great! I'm especially fond of the poet's tale, with its mix of philosophy and humour, a bit like a serious version of something Douglas Adams could have written.

Using the noir detective style for the chapter that handles some of the most significant exposition toward the end is a very clever trick. It gives the necessary distance to handle the broad strokes, it allows the action to flow naturally so a reader stays interested, and it leaves enough room for more tender moments so we can care about the characters.

Really, using all these different characters, loosely knowing of each other, from such different backgrounds, to tell the story, is brilliant. The individual parts are long enough that we get to sink our teeth in, so it does not feel like excessive jumping around.

The story is well worth the listen, and belongs among the greats of science fiction for good reason.