A review by bandolyre
Hyperion by Dan Simmons

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Depressing Canterbury Tales in Space, what more could you ask for?

The story is told in a series of vignettes, one from each character's point of view. Some are very serious, some lighthearted, but ultimately all are tragic in their own ways and help develop the world of the Hegemony and the story of Hyperion and The Shrike.

The book is absolutely magnificent in its story telling: each character feels totally unique in their storytelling style, so that the book feels like it has 6 authors instead of one, but the cohesion of these stories' intersections is something special. 

There is one particular vignette that has haunted me for days since I finished the book:
the story of Rachel and Sol Weintraub absolutely destroyed me as a parent to a young child.
I can't think of the last time I was moved by a book so much.

Read Hyperion; don't not read Hyperion. You'll enjoy it if you like:

- space travel time dilation hijinks
- razorblades the space monster
- Persian space marines
- star ships made out of trees
- drunken poetry
- creepy crucifixion imagery

It's a wild ride and I really enjoyed it.
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