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)

How could I forget how good this is?

Dan Simmons' use of words is nothing short of mastery. The performances in the audiobook gave a delightful edge of life to an already vibrant prose. I will be enjoying this again soon.

Quite good

It really is Canterbury Tales in space. All of the stories are pretty good, some obviously better than others. Each of the characters had a good deal of depth and their individual performers did a great job. The universe at large was richly imaginative and frequently introduces new and interesting concepts. The only flaw is that the book really front-loaded the best stories and the last two were pretty mediocre by comparison. Also, the story just kinda ends, clearly to be finished in the sequel. Still, very enjoyable overall.

takes us on many great journeys and leaves us want

Each story/chapter is unique yet tied into the same braid. The imagery is vivid in texture and action.

Stellar story with an excellent cast

This story really sucked me in completely. I felt a bit lost in the beginning, but Simmons does a good job avoiding confusing sci do jargon. I was completely engrossed in the character stories and how they fleshed out a massive universe. I downloaded the sequel before finishing Hyperion and I'm starting it immediately.

Dan Simmons is a Nipple Man

Really thoughtful world building with some mind boggling mysteries to fuel your fire. Also Simmons can’t write women as far as I can tell.

Inconsistent narration

Using multiple narrators for the different travellers makes sense, but the present-day scenes with all of them present, switching between voices is... jarring. The quality of narration also varies significantly with each canto.

As a Jew, I found the glaring mispronunciation of "Sarai" to be extremely disconcerting and distracting.

A Creative but Over-Sex Sci-Fi

Hyperion was an entertaining listen, a Sci-Fi Canterbury Tales. Often times creative, colorful and thoughtful, it made me want more. At other times, however, it was gratuitously over-sexed and gross. Over all, I look forward to the sequel.

Epic, instant classic.

I found this novel by flipping through sci-fi fantasy novels. as I read the reviews I saw that many people for one reason or another didn't give it five stars. I simply don't understand that. the story is fantastic he is a wonderful storyteller. The characters are so vibrant unbelievable and so different in every element. Dan Simmons is a genius. what a powerful novel I can't wait to read the second one. if you are looking for an excellent novel please listen to this one and take your time. if you are distracted posit every moment is

I didn't expect to cry so much from a sci fi novel

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hyperion?

The description of the techno/electrocution/crucifixion of the father was both incredibly unexpected and disturbing because you just don't think of catholic priests when you think of science fiction. I feel okay in giving that away because well they start off telling you he did not "survive" and all that was left was his journals in the priests tale. Also there is so much more to that storyline I'm not really giving away anything that you won't see coming.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The effect of the time tombs on Rachel and her family was just incredibly sad. The narrator really just did an outstanding job portraying the pain and sadness of it all.

Any additional comments?

Great, great, great story. I am more of a horror/supernatural fan, but this story was so awesome. Book 2 was pretty good also, but didn't come close to as good as this one. The only reason I didn't give this all 5 stars was because of the narrator who portrayed Brawne Lamia. She did not do a good job at all in my opinion. Her voice was just off. She sounded happy/upbeat even through her fight scenes and her emotional scenes.

Terrific story but you gotta plan to read the sequel

Love the story, so huge and expansive without being frustrating or shallow. My only complaint is the actor who voices Lahmia is a little stiff.