It was not about the planet but about the passing of the self-styled Titans called humans. It was about the unthinking hubris of a race which dared to murder its homeworld through sheer carelessness and then carried that dangerous arrogance to the stars, only to meet the wrath of a god which humanity had helped to sire.
The middle part of Hyperion raises the bar significantly. It’s a very strong middle section that delivers some jaw-dropping revelations.
The many layers of mystery wrapped up in this space saga draw you in deeper as the history of the Dying Earth and the colonization of Hyperion are retold by a living witness of these century old events. We see another personal encounter with the Shrike that shows the power of the time energy at the Time Tombs and the resulting devastation that reverberates through the years. Below the surface of these stories are deep issues of faith, obsession and destiny. Hang on, this is gonna get good.
Hyperion is insanely good. It’s thought provoking, fast paced, mysterious and engrossing from page one. Don’t miss this ride if you are a true scifi fan.Dan Simmons‘ Hugo Award-Winning Novel is a masterful read that reminds me of Games of Thrones with its raw brutality of human conflict but with the unyielding conviction of hope and deliverance. We dissect the first third of the book in this podcast. Here’s my synopsis on the first part of this unforgettable tale:
Hyperion is a science fiction drama set in the distant future when man has conquered the stars and is the dominant sentient lifeform in the known galaxy. But our sins and fears have followed us into space. Hyperion starts off as an interstellar mystery where the ruling empire – called the Hegemony of Men – is on the edge of potentially their biggest war with space barbarians known as the Ousters. But the heart of the story is a group of seven who converge on the planet Hyperion where the coming war in space is preceded by martial law on the surface and a population on edge waiting for evacuation. And there is another danger that lurks on the planet – thousands have been killed by a mythical creature, called the Shrike, which is now venturing further from its northern hiding place, the mysterious Time Tombs. The seven characters are fascinating and flawed and they each keep secrets of why they accepted to come on this perilous journey. It’s a fascinating read so far and a compelling look at a fictional future for mankind.
The story unfolds through the characters’ experiences in this world. There is some very entertaining dialogue by group members, who are forced together and would never socialize or be in the same world or place otherwise. We’re pulled right into their environment and come to care about these characters, or at least have a strong need to know what happens to them. All of them have a connection to Hyperion and reasons for returning. As far fetched as it seems that each would invite probable death by going to the Shrike’s domain where few have returned, we see in the first part of the book, the motives for each pilgrim is powerful and will leave you reeling after they are revealed.
Hyperion opens with a tantalizing look at a future universe full of wonder and terror, and where things are familiar yet strangely alien. It promises to be epic.
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. From the Paperback edition.
If you like great action and inventive alternate realities, you get an appetizer in this book, but outside some fun battles, there is no resolution to major plot points, which are pushed off to a second book. With no payoff, it’s harder to care what happens to the characters.
Rating: 3.25/5
We conclude our World War I alternate reality Young Adult novel “Leviathan” by Scott Westerfield. The last third of the book saves the best part of the war for last, that is the actual parts of the war we see. The Clankers and the Darwinists join forces and cultures to survive their frozen prison. And the inevitable attack by the Germans puts our heroes in real life-and-death danger.
We find out what happens when giant hydrogen-filled airships don’t pay attention to fire safety 101, it seems Deryn is either crazy or just young and impulsive, and secrets that have been building up throughout the book are saved until…. the…. very…. next… book. At least we can hope.
So even without a payoff to some big questions – the eggs anyone? – it’s an action-packed finale with more talking lizards, eight-legged giant robots and a hollywood worthy finale.
REIGN of Books 