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)

I know people seem to really like this...

From a literary perspective it's well done and interestingly told. I enjoy the Canterbury Tales-esque story telling... I guess the Shrike is really intriguing and the world building is kinda neat... but overall it didn't deliver enough in one book. I am curious what comes in the next three, but, whereas I'd usually read forward to find out, I kinda just want a summary. I'm not sure who to root for and I don't feel invested at all. Every time a story was being told I was drawn in only to be yanked out when that section was completed.

One of my faves

Complex and thought provoking. The world building is very nice and the characters are all interesting. This is one of the few books I'll listen to several times over.

Odd Book, somehow Compelling

6 short stories with a similar element, surrounded by an overarching plot. Aliens, advanced technologies, relativity, graphic sex, violence, and other adult themes.

Wow! What a gem of scifi!

I have to say, when this book was recommended, i took a while to read it because I really didn't know what to expect. I wish i would've read it sooner. A story composed of minor stories telling a larger tale. Simmons expects his readers to dig into the characters and really try to understand them. If you don't understand the characters, the story doesn't makes sense. Through various themes pulled from mythology, philosophical conclusions derived from a deep well of understanding, and a good grasp of history, Simmons weaves a tale of disparate characters on various suicide missions all centered around one location on a backwater planet. The character are colorful and varied, but also seem world-worn.

This book doesn't pull any punches. From a soldier with a thrill for killing to a father desperate and jaded, just trying to save his little girl, to a hedonistic poet transformed to a saytr, this book digs into the depths of what man is capable of, and the impact that has on others. Much if what these characters do is explicit, and Simmons does not filter much, but the delivery is great and full of substance. I would highly recommend this book.

There isn’t much I can say…,

This is simply a story of a lifetime, incomparable, impossible to describe…this is every story ever told. Loved every moment.

A long journey to an unsatisfying ending!

Dan Simmons' _Hyperion_ receives 4 stars from me, but I'd really like to give it 3. A very dissatisfying ending to a long drawn out novel.

I give it four stars because of these reasons: the allusions to Keats, and it sets out to be a modern futurist Cantebury Tales. It accomplishes this. However, I can't remember much about some of the tales being told. One focused on sex, one a detective story, one a fantasy piece. The tales should be different and he does this well. It's just--well, they are too long, they are kind of boring, and in the end I just didn't care. I believe we are supposed to be learning more about the Shrike through the tales, but possible the boredom I felt kind of gotten in the way. I will admit, that I finished this by skipping some, and because it was an audiobook that I got so long ago that I can't return it.

Will I return to it? I'm really unsure. I might go on to the second one, in time. But for now I will leave Hyperion.

A note on the narrators for this audiobook. They were all very good. In fact I disliked a couple so much that I nearly stopped listening. But it wasn't their reading of the text, it was the character's themselves that I disliked. This means: excellent reading on their parts.

Recommended: if you are really into this sort of thing. However, I can't see myself saying hey there is this really great book you should read, and then saying Hyperion. But, if I'm talking with someone and I glean that he or she would be into this book and the format, I would recommend it. Those who love it, love it.

One of the top books ever

Hyperion is a brilliant narration. The way he builds up the story is intelligent and genius. It took me a little while to get a hold of his way of telling, but it is very good. I have since listened to the full series, it is probably among the top three sci-fi books I have read.

Gripping, intense sci-fi

I can't believe I hadn't read this book until now... I am looking forward to reading the next one. I thought the characters were brilliant, and the narrators did a fantastic job. I loved it, best sci-fi book I have read.

One of the best series of sci fi books ever!

If you could sum up Hyperion in three words, what would they be?

Absolutely mind blowing!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Saul would be my favorite. He is faced with what he calls ("Abraham dilemma") and finds that love is the reason for all necessary sacrifice's. He keeps his resolve through all that is thrown at him, and is put in situations most husbands and fathers would shudder at the thought of.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I liked the fact that there were multiple narrators. It really helps you connect with the identities of all the characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You will be of the cruciform for all of your days!

Premium Space Opera told with personal stories

Where does Hyperion rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is actually the first book I have listened to. It was such a good experience that I will listen to many more books. I both read and listened to this book and sometimes read while I listened.

What did you like best about this story?

The character development in this book is tremendous. Told as 6 personal stories I found everyone of them compelling.
I enjoyed the future world depicted in Hyperion.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrating, or should I say acting added to the story in a way that I cannot by reading. The characters were so clearly defined by the voices I could visualize the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book was awesome!