Reviews - Hyperion | The StoryGraph

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5.01k reviews for:

Hyperion

Dan Simmons

4.24 AVERAGE

kmarx94's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

tommygroove's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

crackityjones's review against another edition

3.0

This book was clever and enjoyable, but the end was a staggering let down that overshadows the rest of the story for me.

m0ckingjay's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

maddiewas's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

themangaguyy's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Hyperion is one of the most ambitious, thought-provoking sci-fi books I’ve ever read—and it absolutely deserves all five stars.

The structure alone sets it apart. It’s told through a frame story—seven pilgrims, each on a journey to the mysterious planet Hyperion, each sharing their own tale of why they’re there. Every story is distinct in genre, tone, and theme—from tragic romance to hard sci-fi, detective noir, military horror, and theological mystery. And somehow, it all works.

What blew me away most was how emotionally invested I became. These weren’t just cool sci-fi concepts—these were people with pain, loss, belief, obsession, and hope. By the time each story ends, you feel like you know them. And when their narratives start overlapping, it adds layers of mystery and emotional weight.

The Shrike is one of the most terrifying, mythic presences I’ve ever encountered in fiction. The world of the Time Tombs, the Church of the Shrike, the TechnoCore, the war—it’s all massive in scope, but grounded in deeply personal stakes. Simmons manages to explore fate, time, religion, and humanity without ever losing the momentum of the plot.

This isn’t a fast read—it’s a dense, literary sci-fi epic. But it’s worth it. If you love layered storytelling, rich worldbuilding, and philosophical depth, Hyperion will hit you hard. And once you finish? You’ll want to dive into the sequel immediately.

A masterpiece in every sense. Easily one of the best sci-fi books I’ve ever read.

theknightradiant's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Holy fuck this book was hard to follow in the beginning. It definitely drops you off the deep end and expects you to say ok I’m confused now what’s happening and stick with it. But boy oh boy does it pay off. Where I started confused and contemplating not finishing I’m glad I stuck with it because this book took me on an emotional rollercoaster of feeling for characters I originally thought of as cliche and one dimensional. This truly feels like a dive into backstory with the main plot interweaving throughout and finally coming together at the end in an excruciating slow burn. But wow does it work. The beautiful prose also amplifies this book to a point where without it I doubt it would have worked at all. This is truly a sci fi that takes inspiration from classic fantasy and blends the genres amazingly. Am I still a bit confused at the end though? Yes I am but that’s ok