Hyperion (1989)

Why did I only give this four stars the first go round? This is a classic. It deserves five. ( )

Whew... quite a journey. Essentially a book of six short stories of vastly different tones and genres, all interconnecting in Simmons' fantastic sci-fi world. Some were better than others-- my favorites were the scholar's tragic family story (The River Lethe's Taste is Bitter) and the detective's crime noir thriller (The Long Good-Bye). Simmons' writing is so dense with invented terminology and worldbuilding that it was a bit overwhelming to jump into at first, but by the time the major intergalactic conspiracy revelations were coming fast and heavy in the detective and consul's tales I was fully immersed. Can't wait to read the next book, which seems like it's essentially going to be the second half of this story. ( )

It caught my interest early and carried it well for much of the book. I lost interest during the Consul's story, and gave up completely in the last 100 pages. ( )

Simmons has a way with words, crafting worlds and characters with expertise unseen in most other authors. When I read 'Song of Kali', he was dealing with an already established world, building on it with fantastical horror elements I wouldn't have thought of. In 'Hyperion', he creates a compelling world - nay, a universe - that is full of living, breathing people.

The narrative is cut into novella-sized stories that provide windows into this world. Each of them, without going into detail, paints a world where humanity has solved old problems and created new ones. Simmons forges humanity's galactic travels with time debt, religious values, varying cultures, and the old colonial spirit, creating a potent cocktail filled with capitalism, human folly, and devotion, among others.

While I was expecting seven stories, I got six brilliant ones. They're full of twists and turns in worlds that seem familiar yet strange. The consul's story deals with preserving nature in an increasingly capitalistic world, while the colonel's with intimacy and love; the detective's story deals with AI and recreating consciousness, the poet's with nostalgia and muses. The academic's story is a heartbreaking take on Fitzgerald's "Benjamin Button" short story. Meanwhile, the father's story handles issues of faith and resurrection in a world that has moved away from the old religions.

Each of these narratives is beautifully told. There's very little overlap between them, especially in terms of action. Tying them together is the Shrike, a nightmarish creation that's horrifying to visualize. But their appearances are few, giving the author the chance to flesh out the characters.

'Hyperion' was a surprisingly quick read considering just how heavy the narrative is. It's the mark of a gifted writer to create complex worlds without getting bogged down by the details. Simmons, without surprise, has created another five-star story. If you get the chance to read only one sci-fi series in your lifetime, this is it. ( )

Time of Death is at the end of CD 1 ( of 18 ):
So many people seem to like it, I thought it would be something I'd like also. :/ I feel kinda pissed, kinda dumb.

Prologue was interesting, a bit confusing. For one reason, who would name a character console? (on audio that is what it sounded like) but I figured it would sort itself out as I kept going. (I even listened to most of the prologue twice. Second time it made so much more sense :)

Premise starts off good and then I hear the priest's story... wtf! Like I am to retain any of that, with the whole thing being an out of context, with unfamiliar worlds and terms, and not related to anything I read up to that point? This will be repeated for each "Pilgrim" AND the story ends on a cliff hanger... Nope, not interested.

Mysteries, religion, character driven stories that are started in an odd spot, and most operatic science fiction are not my preferred reading so I guess it's no surprise. I won't rate it, I'll leave that for people that like this type of storytelling. People like Jo Walton: https://www.tor.com/2009/05/27/better-to-travel-hopefully-dan-simmons-hyperion/

Maybe if I had known more about it before going in, or maybe if I didn't try on audio or maybe if he didn't start with the Priest's story.... maybe I could of enjoyed the story, maybe not.