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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
Absolutely wild concept of a book. This is actually 5 books of completely different genres wrapped in a sci-fi trench coat.
Even better, it's five very good books wrapped in a trench coat. I found a lot of the generic sci-fi-ness of the wrapping paper kind of bland (), but the stuff inside was legitimately compelling.
This book is fundamentally very good exposition for what I assume is an even crazier rest of the series, so if you're looking for resolution, you'll be sadly disappointed. There was, however, enough intrigue and mystery to keep me engaged throughout, so I'm not actually complaining.
One of my bigger complaints here is just that Simmons really wants you to understand that this is a long ways in the future, but still likes making references to 20th century stuff, so he'll list things like "The prose reminded me of Shakespeare, or Keats, or insert 5 nonsense names that sound vaguely futuristic". Somehow, despite the fact that, people keep making vague references to the 20th century that just feel kind of out of place.
Overall, really fun, with some caveats.
Even better, it's five very good books wrapped in a trench coat. I found a lot of the generic sci-fi-ness of the wrapping paper kind of bland (
Spoiler
The whole farcaster/spinship/torchship thing felt extremely hokeyThis book is fundamentally very good exposition for what I assume is an even crazier rest of the series, so if you're looking for resolution, you'll be sadly disappointed. There was, however, enough intrigue and mystery to keep me engaged throughout, so I'm not actually complaining.
One of my bigger complaints here is just that Simmons really wants you to understand that this is a long ways in the future, but still likes making references to 20th century stuff, so he'll list things like "The prose reminded me of Shakespeare, or Keats, or insert 5 nonsense names that sound vaguely futuristic". Somehow, despite the fact that
Spoiler
old earth is dead, and most of our history has been forgottenOverall, really fun, with some caveats.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In 2000: I finally picked up "Hyperion," by Dan Simmons, which my best friend told me was the best thing he'd ever read. We were both eighteen at the time, and I was trying to read canonized literature, so I shrugged it off, but I'm reading it today, eight years after the recommendation. It concerns the tale of seven pilgrims, and at each pause or stop on their pilgrimage, a story: The Priest's Tale, The Soldier's Tale, The Poet's Tale, and so forth... I'd read through the prelude + introduction of these characters, all the way to the beginning of the Priest's tale, before I realized it was Sci-Fi Canterbury tales.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes