Hyperion by Dan Simmons Book Review

 Hyperion 

(Hyperion Cantos #1)

By Dan Simmons 

Hugo Award Winner 

Published Year: 1989

Page Count: 500 pages 

Medium Used: Kindle Scribe 

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel, Time Tombs, Shrike, SFF, Historical Fiction, Anthology, 2026-read. 

Rating : 4.65/5 😀😀😀😀🤑

The story runs at present time where seven individuals from different walks of life are called to go on a pilgrimage to an isolated planet Hyperion. They have very little in common excepting that they are all acquainted with Shrike ( the immortal being of the planet Hyperion which is called the Lord of pain and God of redemption like a hindu Kalki avatar) and Hyperion in some way. Some have direct experience with it while others knew of someone who did. Through their stories we get to know of the various aspects of the planet and also the setup of the universe they inhabit in the 28th century. I felt that this is a very unique way of not only getting to know the people but also the place they are traveling to, which we are also concerned about. I felt at times the author got carried away with his zeal and made some parts too technical for my understanding. The fifth story, that of Lamia, I didn't fully understand or follow it. And he liberally used words like "Technocore" and "All Thing" without explaining what it is - I got some clarity post a chatgpt search. 

There are over two hundred worlds and moons in the Web which are connected via hawking drive ships which require regular but fast travel between stars and farcasters which allow instant travel to any place within their reach immediately. There is a Technocore which is the network of AIs which has given humans the farcaster technology which they don't fully understand yet use meticulously. There are houses with rooms opening into different planets because of this technology. Only the rich and highly fortunate possess this house setting. There are analogs to the Old Earth cities which are constructed like Rome and also some poets and famous personalities from the archaic period are resurrected so they can continue the works. There are a branch of people from the old earth called the Ousters who differ from the Web in that they haven't got the farcasters or technocore, therefore referred to as the barbarians and are at war with the Web on planets like Bressia and Hyperion. 

The order in which they share their stories coincides with the order I am mentioning here. One of the seven doesn't get to share his story - either he has run away from the group or is mysteriously killed and his body disappeared without a trace. 

The first to go is Priest Father Hoyt - he shares the story of his colleague, Father Dure,  who has gone to Hyperion to spend his exile there. He meets a tribe called the Bakura who don't age or die, never do anything other than pass time staring into space, can't move past a certain radius around their huts. They worship a cross/crucifform which has been there in their locale for atleast half a million years. He is forced to become one of them.  The man crucifies and suffers a great deal to escape this virtual prison and meets his salvation after his struggle. I was strangely sent into a trance -  the narrative being so gripping and catatonic. 

The second is Warrior Colonel Kassad. He is a soldier/warrior and tells of his alliance with a strange woman who seems to come to him when he is in grave danger and saves him. They have met several times on several occasions and made love all those times. He abstains from relations with other women and pines after this woman whom he can't believe to be real. On a mission to Hyperion, he is shocked out of his life to see her transform into the four armed, steel bodied, spire headed Shrike during the act of their love making. Abhorrent, he pushes her away and that's the last of his association with her. 

The third is Poet Silenus. He has had some experience living on Old Earth and then immigrating to a far away planet. He has become very popular and rich writing a poem about the Dying Earth. After that he writes some more in the novel series which he doesn't enjoy. He quits his job and moves to Hyperion with a monarch, Sad King Billy. They initially inhabit the Poet's World city but eventually the Shrike becomes his muse. Murder and blood letting becomes the way for the Shrike to provide him with inspiration to create his poetry. Eventually he sees the Shrike take Billy's life and flees the planet. I was shocked yet secretly thrilled with all the suspense and madness afloat in this tale. 

The fourth is Scholar Weintraub. His daughter came to the Hyperion to study the Time Tombs which create anti-entropic fields and mysteriously stop time, make it run backward or at whatever speed it wants. He experiences a recurring dream where some disassociated being tells him to offer his daughter whom he loves as a burnt offering on Hyperion. He refuses and resists these dreams. But on Hyperion, the daughter becomes the subject of a time accident where in she starts forgetting events of her life and starts growing backwards in time. He seeks assistance from all known Shrike temples in the Web but with no help. He is bringing his daughter who is now month/weeks old on the trip to find a final solution to her condition. 

The fifth is Detective Lamia. She is contacted by an AI who claims that someone is trying to kill him and that he doesn't remember the last five days of his life. As they dig deeper, they find both the Technocore and Shrike priests are after him because he is a resuscitated personality of John Keats the poet and is digging deep into the Time Tombs mystery of Hyperion. The Technocore is threatened because the Hyperion is a wild card when they strive to achieve the ability of perfect prediction into the future. I liked this the least and couldn't follow the journey they make into the Technocore to uncover why the AIs are after John Keats. 

The last is the Consul. He is the most complex and impactful of all the players here. He is also more emphasized in actions and thoughts by the author. His grandmother had a dying wish that her home world not be taken over, swallowed by the Web. The consul has the same wish and ascends his ranks concealing this desire to take down Web. He becomes a triple agent playing both the Web and the Ousters while having his secret agenda for himself. I liked how he was fearless towards the end in accepting this truth to the others! 

Do read and let me know what you think of the book and also my review!