OTF's Blue Publication July 2017
Dan Simmons' 1989 Hugo award winner "Hyperion" is a remarkable novel. At 482 pages, it's also quite voluminous. It has been compared to Frank Herbert's magnum opus "Dune" and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" in terms of sheer epic scope and detailed universe-building. It's an impressive work, which spawned a whole series of novels set in that universe.
"Hyperion" follows a format similar to Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" (1387-1400). It follows a ragtag group of people 700 years in the future heading to the planet Hyperion, to confront the mysterious and deadly monster called The Shrike, which is worshipped like a god by some. No one knows what exactly The Shrike is, only that it can appear everywhere anywhere on the planet, to slaughter people. Thousands have perished, killed by the merciless creature. Each of the seven people heading to Hyperion seems to have been chosen for a specific connection to The Shrike, but they do not know each other prior to the adventure. In order to figure out what to do when they finally confront the deadly god-creature, they decide to each share their story with the others. The bulk of the novel consists of the individual tale of each person on their way to The Time Tombs of Hyperion, where they expect to hopefully put an end to The Shrike's reign of terror.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read of course which, despite its lenght, feels almost brisk. Simmons' storytelling skills are razor sharp, crafting a believable far future where humanity is established on many different worlds and travels among the stars. The planet Hyperion is a fascinating, vividly described alien world. Now that I've read the first volume, I want to read the other novels in the Hyperion Cantos series, starting with the second book, a Hugo and Nebula awards nominee titled "The Fall of Hyperion" (1990).