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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: The Best Audiobooks for Fans of Dune


Ever since its publication in 1965, Frank Herbert's Dune has set the bar high for epic science fiction. In fact, Herbert's beloved novel is considered to be one the best sci-fi books of all time. Dune was the recipient of multiple awards, including the inaugural Nebula Award for best novel in 1966. And in October 2021, more than 50 years after the novel's initial release, fans of Dune are being treated to a film adaptation, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

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
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14,884
  • 4 Stars
    5,917
  • 3 Stars
    2,318
  • 2 Stars
    841
  • 1 Stars
    587
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    14,431
  • 4 Stars
    4,560
  • 3 Stars
    1,346
  • 2 Stars
    313
  • 1 Stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12,973
  • 4 Stars
    4,688
  • 3 Stars
    1,911
  • 2 Stars
    765
  • 1 Stars
    587

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

very good book, except for one thing

brawn lamia's VO actor sucks, skipped her part.

otherwise, it was fantastic. highly recommend to any scifi fan

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

trust my review friends, I never leave any

It is excellent. Enjoy. Reaching the requirement of more words is reached. Poopoo, peepee, you'll get this joke once you listen to it :)

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

Ugh, cliffhanger, no

I bought this book on audible, because there was a several month wait on my library for the text. When I was done with the really superior cast rendition, I raced to my library to see how long the wait was for the next written version of the book. There was zero weight. I think this reflects the fact that many people, other than me, get really cheesed at a cliffhanger ending and don’t want to reward bad endings. So if you have the time to read/listen to this very long book, and then immediately go onto the next one, this audiobook may be your jam. If not, you have been warned.

So I gave this book 5 stars for the performance, because the cast was excellent, but only three for the story because I thought it was a cheap ending. YMMV.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hyperion

The first two hours of most of stories go by very slow besides the detectives. While the last hour of all these four hour stories is really good and engaging, the story just kind of dragged along at the starts of these stories. The audio performance was amazing though!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So many great stories in one book

Compelling, thoughtful, and truly a master class in character development.

Love the world that’s built and technology used.

Voice acting is true to the characters and very believable

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

One of the single best sci-fi books written!

Few books have kept me so intrigued as this one did, a masterpiece! At the unveiling of each turn of the story I was blown away by world building and thought went into each action. I found the performance captured this story quite well.

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

Can’t recommend enough

You absolutely will love this book, it’s hard not to. Can’t wait to read the next one.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good, detailed story

Told in flashback form. Well written, performance makes it easy to follow story. Helps to know background but not necessarily.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a memorable story

there are many interesting and engaging ideas explored throughout the story. I'm surprised I haven't read it before now.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The most intriguing and beautiful series.

I've listened to these a couple times now and absolutely love all 4. The full cast on this book are superb. Victor Bevine is solo on the remainder of the quintet.
I have never read/listened to more beautifully written text in any format. The small but perfectly manicured details truly bring Hyperian to life in your ears.
I feel this series will continue to ignite imaginations for generations to come.

Perfect writing!

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