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olityr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some of these stories were amazing, but I wish it was a stand alone. I feel like I need to continue, but I can't see how the sequel can follow this and not feel like a totally different series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
powellki's review against another edition
Boring as fuck, language is old and I can tell it was published the same year I was born. Chapters are ridiculously long, to the point it should be noted it's basically 7 short stories with only a semi-locked in plot for the rest of the book. Hard pass on the Jesus allegory of the first story where the Jesuit Priest keeps calling a group of people "small re***ds" and comparing them to children. Only made it slightly into story 2 when the sex scene was just so laughable that I couldn't continue. There was no way the position being described could be performed if the two people are in the stated positions (or unless the female was a.) an illusion, b.) a contortionist, or c.) just dislocating her arm to perform said acts). -10/10 do not recommend. Don't see why it's considered a "pillar of Sci-Fi."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Ableism, Body shaming, War, Sexual content, Self harm, Murder, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Body horror, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Torture, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, Medical trauma, and Medical content
drtone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The Shrike is the most interesting thing about this story yet we never get to experience it. The entire book is about a pilgrimage to this thing and then it ends before they actually encounter it. I’m sure in the follow-up novels this happens but I don’t plan on reading them. The whole mastermind triple agent plot felt entirely rushed and I didn’t have any stake in it. There was no “ah ha” moment as I’m sure was intended.
I thought the first 2/3rds of the book were interesting and the personal stories were intriguing. The last two though just made me want to be done. I’ll just Wikipedia the rest of the series and find out what happens.
I thought the first 2/3rds of the book were interesting and the personal stories were intriguing. The last two though just made me want to be done. I’ll just Wikipedia the rest of the series and find out what happens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
kalobar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I found this book to be just okay. There were several times where I felt bored by the language and obviously-written-by-a-man of it. And the end felt kind of lazy to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Violence, and Sexual content
jadelaporte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
arl949's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Death, and Colonisation
doublenerds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Suicide
alica2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I feel like I always say I'm never into sci-fi novels set in space, but when it's good it's just so chef's kiss. The writing gripped me from the very beginning, and even though it took me a little while to become familiar with the terminology and setting, I never felt confused or frustrated. The universe also felt full in a way that seems difficult for many space-based sci-fis to nail properly, and I particularly enjoyed the culture-building on gravity-heavy Lusus, politics of planets in the Web vs those beyond its control, and of course descriptions of Hyperion itself (especially the grass fields with strands so tall and sharp that they can only be navigated by giant wagon-ships). It was also setting up some interesting dynamics with AI, so I'm looking forward to learning more in the sequels...
One thing that did feel kind of clunky to me was the general structure and pacing, since the story is basically just all of the main characters sharing their backstories while traveling on a (likely doomed) pilgrimage on the planet Hyperion. However, I ended up being so compelled by each character's story that it didn't matter how awkwardly the transition scenes began. All of the stories added some intriguing mystery to the pilgrimage and made the book almost feel like a thriller. Also Sol's story made me cry ;3;
Another drawback is that the story isn't actually complete in book 1, which I guess is acceptable since I knew this was part of a series, but I was still kind of expecting the main plot to have some sort of wrap-up. There were also some slurs that I was not expecting (the main one I can think of right now is the r-slur, and there was also possibly the f-slur). I think there were only a handful of instances of them, but they were still jarring.
One thing that did feel kind of clunky to me was the general structure and pacing, since the story is basically just all of the main characters sharing their backstories while traveling on a (likely doomed) pilgrimage on the planet Hyperion. However, I ended up being so compelled by each character's story that it didn't matter how awkwardly the transition scenes began. All of the stories added some intriguing mystery to the pilgrimage and made the book almost feel like a thriller. Also Sol's story made me cry ;3;
Another drawback is that the story isn't actually complete in book 1, which I guess is acceptable since I knew this was part of a series, but I was still kind of expecting the main plot to have some sort of wrap-up. There were also some slurs that I was not expecting (the main one I can think of right now is the r-slur, and there was also possibly the f-slur). I think there were only a handful of instances of them, but they were still jarring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Dementia
Moderate: Gore
giant_manta_ray's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ambitious and imaginative world building, thought provoking ideas, and eschatological theme abound. It feels...dated...fairly often, you may find yourself rolling your eyes or cringing at the way things like gender and race and disability get portrayed. This was the main thing bringing the score down for me, and I could bring it down lower on this basis just for how distracting it felt. Last 2 stories were my least favorite, so it petered out at the end for me. It's hard to recommend, but also hard to pass on since the core mystery and the way it unravels over the course of these stories is just so strange and captivating. Reading this, I often wished for something else like it that didn't feel so icky. To that extent it's an inspiring work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Torture, Ableism, and Sexual content
bandolyre's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Depressing Canterbury Tales in Space, what more could you ask for?
The story is told in a series of vignettes, one from each character's point of view. Some are very serious, some lighthearted, but ultimately all are tragic in their own ways and help develop the world of the Hegemony and the story of Hyperion and The Shrike.
The book is absolutely magnificent in its story telling: each character feels totally unique in their storytelling style, so that the book feels like it has 6 authors instead of one, but the cohesion of these stories' intersections is something special.
There is one particular vignette that has haunted me for days since I finished the book:the story of Rachel and Sol Weintraub absolutely destroyed me as a parent to a young child. I can't think of the last time I was moved by a book so much.
Read Hyperion; don't not read Hyperion. You'll enjoy it if you like:
- space travel time dilation hijinks
- razorblades the space monster
- Persian space marines
- star ships made out of trees
- drunken poetry
- creepy crucifixion imagery
It's a wild ride and I really enjoyed it.
The story is told in a series of vignettes, one from each character's point of view. Some are very serious, some lighthearted, but ultimately all are tragic in their own ways and help develop the world of the Hegemony and the story of Hyperion and The Shrike.
The book is absolutely magnificent in its story telling: each character feels totally unique in their storytelling style, so that the book feels like it has 6 authors instead of one, but the cohesion of these stories' intersections is something special.
There is one particular vignette that has haunted me for days since I finished the book:
Read Hyperion; don't not read Hyperion. You'll enjoy it if you like:
- space travel time dilation hijinks
- razorblades the space monster
- Persian space marines
- star ships made out of trees
- drunken poetry
- creepy crucifixion imagery
It's a wild ride and I really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, War, Child death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Genocide, Medical trauma, and Sexual content