Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

4 reviews

keiusify's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I don't even know where to start. This book is 710 pages long and a wild ride from start to finish. Multiple characters are at the focus of the story, the scene switches frequently, so that each character's story progresses piece by piece, but the timeline stays concise (except for the

timetraveling

) and every character's story ties up neatly in the end. 

The book has some harder parts, like the poems and koans(I'm not proficient in poetry), but overall it reads quite smoothly.

Spoilers below:

Similar to other SF novels, the downfall of a great empire is the major topic of the story. There is interstellar warfare (intertemporal warfare??), travelling through cyber dimensions, and fighting against the super big evil monster called the Shrike. The Shrike itself is more like a Deus ex Machina, akin to the Wizard of Oz (5 stars for the foreshadowing in the previous book) and does not really have an agenda itself but is more of a control mechanism, so that events play out as they should.

Finally, the book has highly memorable lines, good writing, good characters and a gripping finale. A true 5/5.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Terminal illness, and Vomit

Minor: Kidnapping and Religious bigotry

machewson's review against another edition

dark sad 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

0.5

This book was a horrendously bad follow up.  The plot of the first 400 or so pages follows the why say with 10 words what you could say with 10,000 mantra.  The book mostly feels like an excercise in smugness by the author.  Filled with quotes from classic literature and references to other great works of art more as way to seem smart than as a building of plot or character.  Every character is an intolerable asshole until they randomly aren't.  Characters are freed for having a pesky arc by just becoming better at the end.  The plot is saved from ramping up by just ending.  If you enjoyed Hyperion just leave it at that is my recommendation.  Hyperion was not free of sexism but this takes it further and adds in new ways to hate like some Islamophobia tacked onto the end just for fun.  This review I know is rambling but I cannot describe to you how bad this book is.  Please do yourself a favor and don't read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

singalana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Kirjan sivumäärä ja monimutkainen maailma herätti pelonsekaista kunnioitusta, mutta loppujen lopuksi luin kirjan nopeasti.

Hyperionin tuho jatkaa siitä mihin sarjan ensimmäinen osa jäi, ja kirjassa seurataan pitkälti samoja hahmoja. Hahmot ovat epätäydellisiä, mutta ehkä siksi heistä on helppoa pitää. 

Hyperionin maailma on monimutkainen ja mielenkiitoinen ja tarinan edetessä asioiden väliset yhteydet selviävät joskus odottamattomallakin tavalla. Dan Simmonsin Hyperion kirjoissa parasta onkin kirjailijan luoma monimutkainen maailma, jonka kuvauksessa tasapainoillaan hienosti sopivan kerronnan rajoilla: maailmaa ei selitetä liikaa, mutta kuitenkin tarpeeksi että kirjaa on nautinnollista lukea. Lisäksi paikoitellen kerronta on lähes maalauksellista, ja novellin ihmeelliset maisemat pystyy kuvittelemaan helposti.

Kirjan juoni etenee jouhevasti ja loogisen tuntuisesti. Muutamassa kohdassa mieleen hiipi epäilys olisiko muutama asia ratkennut hieman liian helposti, deux ex machina-tyyppisesti, mutta mitenkään ilmiselvää tämä ei ole. Kaiken kaikkiaan kirjan loppu oli tyydyttävä, sillä tarina jatkuu seuraavassa osassa. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Terminal illness, Blood, and War

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

snugwugs's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and War