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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
Immersive and truly remarkable world building. Absolutely could not stand Martin Silenus though.
This book did not age well. I am a fan of other SciFi of the time period but the stereotypes of indigenous cultures and almost laugh out loud gendered conventions made this a series of cringey moments interspersed with some intriguing descriptions that fooled me into expecting more.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This books was great! The story is broken up into six different "tales", which seemed very much like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror episodes, and some of them kept me thinking about them long after I read them.
Absolutely essential reading for science fiction fans.
This book clearly has a great reputation, and I think it is justified. It starts relatively weak but then, I think, wins you over by the end of it. Overall it paints a huge landscape with a great example of world building running throughout the book.
The separate characters' stories are used for the bulk of the world building, and some of the characters have some great characterisation to add to that world building. I do think one of the weakest elements is the two dimensional poet, who's character is fleshed out by relentless swearing that often seems inappropriate and forced. Having said that, the other characters have a much better profile in the book.
The plot and general motivation/feel in the story is extremely well done. I was suitably intrigued throughout to find out how the book ends.
I have read and heard a lot that the ending is disappointing - but I thought it was brilliant and added to the mystique that had been developed about Hyperion throughout the book.
So, for me, the book dropped a star because the weaker character and the first two stories in the book which are not as compelling as the others.
The separate characters' stories are used for the bulk of the world building, and some of the characters have some great characterisation to add to that world building. I do think one of the weakest elements is the two dimensional poet, who's character is fleshed out by relentless swearing that often seems inappropriate and forced. Having said that, the other characters have a much better profile in the book.
The plot and general motivation/feel in the story is extremely well done. I was suitably intrigued throughout to find out how the book ends.
I have read and heard a lot that the ending is disappointing - but I thought it was brilliant and added to the mystique that had been developed about Hyperion throughout the book.
So, for me, the book dropped a star because the weaker character and the first two stories in the book which are not as compelling as the others.
Brilliant and powerful and everything sci-fi should be and more.
I wanted to love this, and at times the writing and story elements are amazing.....but....you can't build a story so well and then have an ending like that. Truly frustrating and it felt very rushed toward the end. I felt a bit cheated which is a shame because I did love parts of this.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Story takes you through a crew's journey to maybe have a wish granted and it goes through their stories and purpose one by one. I really liked how things were weaved together and information was given throughout. Loved the sci-fi plot points that had me enthralled by how the author thought of this stuff in a similar fashion to Dune. Only negatives were some certified sci-fi/fantasy writing in regards to talking about women. Looking forward to the next book as this one ends on one of the biggest cliff-hangers I've ever come across. A good listen for the narration as well, it was a good choice to have different actors for each role.