If you intend to do this book justice, you must set aside time for it, ideally when you’re alone and undisturbed. There are so many rapidly unfolding events in the book that even a single miss will frustrate you over the coming pages.
Hyperion is ranked as one of the greats of it’s genre. But even its genre is beautifully fluid, ranging effortlessly from science fiction to crime novel, to pure horror to historical fiction that you cannot help but salute Dan Simmons for his sheer artistry. Honestly, I had never heard of Dan Simmons before but my brother’s effusive praise and his constant nagging to JUST READ IT finally got to me.
I was thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed.
AT MYSELF.
FOR NOT HAVING READ IT SOONER.
As it stands, I have currently read the book about three times and each time my regard for it grows and strangely my favourite character also changes with each read.
Unfortunately, the other two books in the series elude me to date so I can’t comment on the series as a whole.
During house-job, as the new intern in my surgical rotation, my favourite had to be the nihilistic poet Martin Silenus, as a new mother my sympathies lay squarely with Sol Weintraub the agonized father searching for a cure for his daughter’s condition. Now, as a battle-hardened toddler-parent and wife, I’m more drawn to the bad-assery of Brawne Lamia, an investigator who would do Agatha Christie proud.
Following the narrative of seven characters as they travel to the planet Hyperion, home of the mysterious creature revered as a god by the locals, each pilgrim is allowed one petition to present before the Shrike, which if unsuccessful, will leave them at the mercy of its steel blades.
The story unfolds at a break-neck pace, amidst copious amounts of blood and gore with plenty of philosophical and moral ruminations on the eternal struggle of the human race against its better nature. Fair warning, the ending always reduced me a to a state of hair-rending-shrieking-what-the-shrike-was-THAT paralysis, so yeah, make sure you’re not near a loved one when you’re close to the end.
They might try to have you admitted in the nearest Psych Ward 😛
The Doctor Reads 