On the planet Hyperion a mysterious and cryptic collection of ruins known as the Time tombs and surrounded by anti-entropic (read moving backwards in time) fields are opening threatening to reveal what secrets they contain to all of humanity. Elsewhere the ruling body of humanity and its council of worlds and AI experts, known as the Hegemony detect an enemy Ouster fleet moving toward the planet. Into this situation are thrusts seven pilgrims chosen by both the Church of the Shrike (Hyperion’s local anti-entropic deity and guardian of the Time Tombs) and members of the Hegemony to represent mankind on its final pilgrimage to the tombs.
I am currently working back through some Heinlein, Gibson, Clarke, etc and this book and the poetry and expansiveness of its Universe still stand out in my mind as superb. This is actually one of the classics of modern science fiction that I think is underrated. It is apparently structurally inspired by Chaucer’s the Canterbury tales and moves between the viewpoints of the seven pilgrims sequentially at times and in order of importance to the narrative at others. Each Pilgrim’s story is both a complete and contained adventure sequence and a chain in the overall narrative of the settlers attempts to understand and conquer the planet Hyperion, the time tombs, and the enigmatic Shrike.
Where Hyperion really shines is the combination of its parts. Each of the pilgrims’ story uses a different Sci-fi style and there is some noir, some cyberpunk, some military sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, adventure and political intrigue etc. Each of these different sequences is interwoven into the main theme in an interlocking fashion and helps to expand the world-building of Simmons setting. Even in its slow parts you really get the sense that Simmons is building up to something grand with his characters’ lives and stories acting as set pieces to allow exploration of the mystery and deeper themes of the novel. Some pretty good poetry and battle scenes in this one too.
Recommendations for Those who Like Hyperion: Tales of the Dying Earth