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Hyperion  By  cover art

Hyperion

By: Dan Simmons
Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, Jay Snyder, Victor Bevine
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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)

Featured Article: 12 of the Best Sci-Fi Series in Audio


From the furthest reaches of space to the microbiology of pandemics and gene manipulation, to the future implications of technology for societies similar to our own, science fiction is a fascinating genre that offers listeners a wide variety of ways to access its themes. In looking for the best sci-fi audiobook series, it can be difficult to know where to start due to the genre's sheer number of iterations and variations. But what these series have in common is an acute devotion to telling a good story, as well as fully building out the worlds therein. The writing is enhanced by the creative and impassioned narration.

Editor's Pick

A sci-fi classic with a masterful full cast narration
"This epic sci-fi listen was way outside of my usual comfort zone so I did not go in expecting to get so sucked in by the stories or deeply affected by the characters as I did. Dan Simmons is a literary force to be reckoned with and Hyperion is accessible for both devoted fans and newbies like me, with its incredible word-building and character-driven storylines. The impeccable full-cast narration is just the cherry on top of this adventure through time and space."
Catherine H., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Hyperion

Average customer ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding in all respects

Wonderful, kept me distracted during a 21 hour drive across the country, great voice talents represented too

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Sci-Fi

I wasn't sure what to think of Hyperion as I began listening, but it quickly evolved into quite an interesting story... or rather a set of several very different stories coming together into one. I really enjoyed the unique writing style and the performers brought life to the characters and their stories.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

The story is always moving along; there are seldom any dull moments. And the story itself is quite interesting and original. I also liked the narration quite a lot.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!

What a great book. some of the best writing I have ever heard. I will listen to this whole series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An obvious read for lovers of sci-fi

This is one of the best books that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Dan Simmons flexes his literary prowess here in a way I have very rarely seen done well. Certainly worth the one credit.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic, weird, intriguing and well worth a listen

Firstly I want to get the good out of the way. Hyperion is first and foremost a must read and or listen. The prose and story are both snappy and wonderfully varied, spanning multiple locations, perspectives themes and even genres, while never clashing too harshly. The world of the Hegemony that Simmons built here is incredibly interesting and subtly and not so subtly represented and shown through the use of his Canterbury Tales style narrative in a way that makes it both weird (tree ships, casual star gates, time a anomalies) and yet somehow still believable. Each character is at well written and at the very least sympathetic which is good as every one of them gets a turn at the mike.
Speaking of... the performances here were for the most part FANTASTIC. I love audiobooks with actual casts and always get excited when they show up. However that brings me to my only criticism: that being the VA for Bran Lamia. While I love the character her voice actor Alyson Johnson’s, mostly comes off robotic and somewhat one note in her narration (I particular don’t like that her narration and her Lamia sound exactly the same) but that’s just a small blemish on an otherwise stellar production. Can’t recommend it enough!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best scifi stories ever created

Great story, and the narrator are simply amazing, if you love sicfi this a must read/ listen

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best book I've read all year!

A wonderful, surprising story. It taps into many subtle themes of my other fave scifi yet remains unique. A truly cohesive and in depth world has bern created. Enjoy!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

It kept me hooked

It kept me hooked right up to the end and then I was irritated. I had not realized this was the beginning of a series. Now I must have the next book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Cool book

A nice touch to have an actual AI doing the voice work of Brawn Lamia. You can hear the non-clanking lack of human empathy and imagination dripping from her cybrid lips.

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