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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I am so conflicted about this book. For the majority of my time reading it felt like such a slog to get though. The 3 main storylines had little to no interaction and it was a struggle to motivate myself to read it. So I would have 2 stared this for most of my time reading. However it did seem to improve near the end as the plots began to weave together. I'll probably get around to the sequel at some point but I am in no way rushed to do so
Truly excellent - some of the best fiction I have read in the past few years. Simmons does an incredible job juggling three distinct storylines, with great style and humor. His character work is unmatched, as is his worldbuilding and historical knowledge.
I have always loved the Iliad, and to read a sci fi retelling that ends with mankind at the brink of war with the gods, well... sign me up! Then add some robots from Jupiter obsessed with Shakespeare and Proust, well, you have yourself a ballgame.
Cannot wait to start the second book. What an awesome journey the first one was!
I have always loved the Iliad, and to read a sci fi retelling that ends with mankind at the brink of war with the gods, well... sign me up! Then add some robots from Jupiter obsessed with Shakespeare and Proust, well, you have yourself a ballgame.
Cannot wait to start the second book. What an awesome journey the first one was!
Interesting concepts ruined by flat characters, slut-shaming, whitewashed rape, casual sexism, repetitions and about 300 pages where nothing happens.
This is great sci fi. Simmons offers no explanations of the world he's imagined, or the science he's using, and as a reader you just have to go with him and trust that the pieces will start to fall into place one by one. And they do! His science is a little "magic"-y, and I'm hoping that he gets into it more in the other books, but the characters are great and the story is totally intriguing. If you like both hard and operatic sci fi, I'm pretty sure you'll be a fan!
http://nhw.livejournal.com/55980.html[return][return]billed as one of the big books of 2003, indeed 570 pages and a grand storyline including literary cyborgs from the moons of Jupiter, Eloi-like humans living a carefree life on the far-future Earth, and the Greek gods living on Olympus Mons, Mars, rather like the characters of Zelazny's classic Lord of Light, watching the Iliad being reenacted by nanotechnologically enhanced warriors. Our viewpoint character (first-person, present tense narrative) for the third of these strands has been yanked forward through time from a classics department of the twentieth century; at times he reminded me of Rincewind trying to cope with Twoflower's technology in The Light Fantastic. That said, Lord of Light and The Light Fantastic are two favourite books of mine, and Simmons pulls it off extremely well (with a few reservations about consistency - the trajectory taken by our robotic heroes from the Galilean moons to Jupiter makes little astronomical sense, a character with little knowledge of human history or past culture yells "Jesus Christ!" in frustration, and I think the differences in air pressure between the respective planetary sea levels and the top of Olympus Mons, or the bottom of the Mediterranean Basin, are insufficiently explored). My biggest complaint is that we don't discover Who (or What) Is Behind It All, with the partial exception of the cyborgs from Jupiter, and so I'll have to buy the sequel to find out.
This book was hard to get in to. I noticed a lot of other reviewers had the same problem. For the first half of the book we were all wondering WTF is going on. Ilium is slow like that. However, when it picks up the story is set on fire, and because of this I blew through the last quarter of this novel. I don't know. I liked Ilium, but unlike Hyperion, I didn't love it. A good read overall, not the worst book ever, but then again not the best.
I first read this book in 2008 and loved it. I’m not really sure why. On reread now, it was a struggle to go through it, and one of the slowest reading books I’ve read in a long time. What pulled me to this book in the first place, Iliad meets sci-fi, is still my favorite part. I like Iliad/Greek god chapters and the way Hockenberry uses his sci-fi gadgets to be part of famous scenes. I also like the friendship between the two moravecs, that was one of the few things that had stuck with me since my first read. But the rest of it just gets too much, too complicated, too high brow maybe? Even the Homerian language, as fun as it was to read at first, got on my nerves in the end, and I couldn’t for the life of me work out what Caliban was saying.
So sadly, on reread I’m dropping to a 2,5, rounded up to 3.
So sadly, on reread I’m dropping to a 2,5, rounded up to 3.
You can read all my books reviews and join in general reading discussions at my blog, A Crystal Moon!
It’s been a long, LONG time since I’ve finished a book and honestly not known whether it was good or bad. Ilium by Dan Simmons is such a book.
The novel’s description intrigued me from the moment I spied it on the shelves. A futuristic society has re-created the events of Homer’s Iliad on Mars, complete with enhanced “post-humans” buffed up with special technology to become gods. They’ve also resurrected historians from the late 20th and early 21st centuries who studied the original Iliad, their jobs being to report to one of the muses on whether or not this version follows the story’s path. Greek mythology and science fiction? Sign me up! Unfortunately, that’s only one of three concurrent plotlines, and trying to understand them all - much less put them together - is almost enough to drive one mad.
There are two things you need to know before going into this novel. The first is that Simmons explains nothing. NO-THING! As the book progresses, you start to be able to fill in some bits and pieces, but you won’t ever get all the answers (or even understand all the questions.) My husband read a few books from his most famous series, Hyperion, and this is apparently a common trait for his works. You’ve been warned.
The second thing you need to know is that this book is categorized as “literary science fiction” for a very good reason. If you want to have a fighting chance of keeping up with the plot, you need to have at least some basic knowledge of the following:
- Greek mythology
- Homer’s Iliad and, to a lesser extent, Odyssey
- Shakespeare’s The Tempest (and even better if you’ve read some of the literary commentary)
- Shakespeare’s sonnets, especially those that pertain to the Dark Lady and Young Man
- Marcel Proust (This isn’t as necessary, but it’s helpful in keeping up with banter between two of the characters)
There are smaller references, such as a group of “old style humans” being called eloi in honor of H.G. Wells, but those are the main ones.
Having an interest in science fiction is also a must, but don’t be too worried about whether or not you’re scientifically inclined. Since hardly any of the techno-babble is explained, it’s not like you’re missing anything!
If all of that sounds good to you, you’re ready to start the novel. I’ll try to avoid spoilers here, but some of it is so convoluted that it’s almost questionable what’s too much information and what’s simply inexplicable!
As I mentioned before, the book follows three storylines. What I consider the “main” one deals with the re-created battle between the Greeks and Trojans from Homer’s Iliad. The major character is Thomas Hockenberry, an historian who as been brought back to life as a “scholic” to observe the war. He compares current events with those from the story, and he reports any differences to his Muse. Unfortunately, things get complicated when Aphrodite pulls him aside and gives him a new task: Kill Pallas Athena. Armed with the Hades Helmet of Invisibility and a quantum transporter device, Hockenberry spies on the gods long enough to realize his is a suicide mission, and decides to take matters into his own hands...even if that means changing one of the most famous wars in literary history.
The second plot focuses on “old style humans” in the distant future, I’m guessing somewhere around the 30th Century or so. This Earth is carefully controlled by enhanced or “post-humans” who limit the population to an even million. Everyone lives for Five Twenties (or 100 years) and then ascends to a higher plane to join the post-humans. When that happens, another child is allowed to be born to replace the missing person. These humans lead extremely simply lives, do not know how to read or write, and spend most of their time transporting or “faxing” to one another’s homes for parties. Their every need is taken care of by robotic servants, and if they die unexpectedly, they are reconstructed and returned home. But Harmon, a man one year away from his last Twenty, longs for something more, and he and two companions come across the mysterious Savi, a woman who survived the destruction of the rest of the human race 1400 years prior. Together, they embark on a search to discover what became of those humans, and what they discover leads to a radical restructuring of their identity, to say nothing of their lives.
The final plot deals centers on two sentient automatons called moravecs - basically super intelligent robots with human-like thoughts and feelings. The two main moravecs, Mahnmut and Orpho, are particularly interested in human literature and spend a lot of time bantering back and forth about the merits of Shakespeare and Proust. They are ordered to embark on a mission to Mars, where excess quantum teleporation has been disrupting the fabric of time and space, and while there they encounter a slew of gods who want them killed, a scholar trying to alter the destiny of the entire Greek and Trojan armies, and a host of statues that somehow resemble Shakespeare’s character Prospero.
The plot sounds awesome, doesn’t it? I certainly thought so. But Simmons seems to almost take pride in his lack of explanations. Perhaps he’s just a huge fan of Clarke’s Law, but some background would be nice! I’m fine with being thrown into a world as long as something about it begins to eventually make sense, but that’s really not the case here. It’s been a really, really long time since a book has confused me so much. Half the time I don’t even know what planet the characters are on, thanks to all the teleporting!
Strangely enough, however, I already want to read the second book, which concludes the series. Based on reviews I’ve read, I don’t expect to find too many answers, which is unfortunate. But the book ended right on the cusp of a new war, with the entire plot of the Iliad suddenly thrown out the window, and I’m too much of a lover of Greek mythology not to want to know how it turns out. It’s just hard to slog through 700 pages when you don’t understand three-quarters of what’s going on XD Part of the appeal might simply be its uniqueness. I’ve certainly never read a book even remotely like it before. And a few of the characters do grow on you after a while. I found Hockenberry in particular to be endearing, and his dry wit and sarcasm is rather infectious.
I honestly don’t know if I’d recommend this or not. I suppose fellow lovers of Greek mythology would probably enjoy it, but I just can’t make any promises.
It’s been a long, LONG time since I’ve finished a book and honestly not known whether it was good or bad. Ilium by Dan Simmons is such a book.
The novel’s description intrigued me from the moment I spied it on the shelves. A futuristic society has re-created the events of Homer’s Iliad on Mars, complete with enhanced “post-humans” buffed up with special technology to become gods. They’ve also resurrected historians from the late 20th and early 21st centuries who studied the original Iliad, their jobs being to report to one of the muses on whether or not this version follows the story’s path. Greek mythology and science fiction? Sign me up! Unfortunately, that’s only one of three concurrent plotlines, and trying to understand them all - much less put them together - is almost enough to drive one mad.
There are two things you need to know before going into this novel. The first is that Simmons explains nothing. NO-THING! As the book progresses, you start to be able to fill in some bits and pieces, but you won’t ever get all the answers (or even understand all the questions.) My husband read a few books from his most famous series, Hyperion, and this is apparently a common trait for his works. You’ve been warned.
The second thing you need to know is that this book is categorized as “literary science fiction” for a very good reason. If you want to have a fighting chance of keeping up with the plot, you need to have at least some basic knowledge of the following:
- Greek mythology
- Homer’s Iliad and, to a lesser extent, Odyssey
- Shakespeare’s The Tempest (and even better if you’ve read some of the literary commentary)
- Shakespeare’s sonnets, especially those that pertain to the Dark Lady and Young Man
- Marcel Proust (This isn’t as necessary, but it’s helpful in keeping up with banter between two of the characters)
There are smaller references, such as a group of “old style humans” being called eloi in honor of H.G. Wells, but those are the main ones.
Having an interest in science fiction is also a must, but don’t be too worried about whether or not you’re scientifically inclined. Since hardly any of the techno-babble is explained, it’s not like you’re missing anything!
If all of that sounds good to you, you’re ready to start the novel. I’ll try to avoid spoilers here, but some of it is so convoluted that it’s almost questionable what’s too much information and what’s simply inexplicable!
As I mentioned before, the book follows three storylines. What I consider the “main” one deals with the re-created battle between the Greeks and Trojans from Homer’s Iliad. The major character is Thomas Hockenberry, an historian who as been brought back to life as a “scholic” to observe the war. He compares current events with those from the story, and he reports any differences to his Muse. Unfortunately, things get complicated when Aphrodite pulls him aside and gives him a new task: Kill Pallas Athena. Armed with the Hades Helmet of Invisibility and a quantum transporter device, Hockenberry spies on the gods long enough to realize his is a suicide mission, and decides to take matters into his own hands...even if that means changing one of the most famous wars in literary history.
The second plot focuses on “old style humans” in the distant future, I’m guessing somewhere around the 30th Century or so. This Earth is carefully controlled by enhanced or “post-humans” who limit the population to an even million. Everyone lives for Five Twenties (or 100 years) and then ascends to a higher plane to join the post-humans. When that happens, another child is allowed to be born to replace the missing person. These humans lead extremely simply lives, do not know how to read or write, and spend most of their time transporting or “faxing” to one another’s homes for parties. Their every need is taken care of by robotic servants, and if they die unexpectedly, they are reconstructed and returned home. But Harmon, a man one year away from his last Twenty, longs for something more, and he and two companions come across the mysterious Savi, a woman who survived the destruction of the rest of the human race 1400 years prior. Together, they embark on a search to discover what became of those humans, and what they discover leads to a radical restructuring of their identity, to say nothing of their lives.
The final plot deals centers on two sentient automatons called moravecs - basically super intelligent robots with human-like thoughts and feelings. The two main moravecs, Mahnmut and Orpho, are particularly interested in human literature and spend a lot of time bantering back and forth about the merits of Shakespeare and Proust. They are ordered to embark on a mission to Mars, where excess quantum teleporation has been disrupting the fabric of time and space, and while there they encounter a slew of gods who want them killed, a scholar trying to alter the destiny of the entire Greek and Trojan armies, and a host of statues that somehow resemble Shakespeare’s character Prospero.
The plot sounds awesome, doesn’t it? I certainly thought so. But Simmons seems to almost take pride in his lack of explanations. Perhaps he’s just a huge fan of Clarke’s Law, but some background would be nice! I’m fine with being thrown into a world as long as something about it begins to eventually make sense, but that’s really not the case here. It’s been a really, really long time since a book has confused me so much. Half the time I don’t even know what planet the characters are on, thanks to all the teleporting!
Strangely enough, however, I already want to read the second book, which concludes the series. Based on reviews I’ve read, I don’t expect to find too many answers, which is unfortunate. But the book ended right on the cusp of a new war, with the entire plot of the Iliad suddenly thrown out the window, and I’m too much of a lover of Greek mythology not to want to know how it turns out. It’s just hard to slog through 700 pages when you don’t understand three-quarters of what’s going on XD Part of the appeal might simply be its uniqueness. I’ve certainly never read a book even remotely like it before. And a few of the characters do grow on you after a while. I found Hockenberry in particular to be endearing, and his dry wit and sarcasm is rather infectious.
I honestly don’t know if I’d recommend this or not. I suppose fellow lovers of Greek mythology would probably enjoy it, but I just can’t make any promises.
Very interesting premise and setup. Three storylines: Post-Humans have taken on the roles of the Greek gods and living on Olympos Mons on Mars while staging the Battle of Troy with a full cast of humans; a foursome of human/machine hybrids are sent from the Jovian moons to investigate; the remaining old-style humans live an eloi-like existence on the Earth abandoned by the post-humans. Very good storytelling, though only one of the storylines comes to anything like a conclusion in this installment.