Hyperion

TL;DR removing one star because it falls into some classic uncritical usage of colonialist + imperialist narrative, misogynist plot devices + characters, and ableist language + lenses. without downplaying these core issues, i still have to say this book (and its sequel) are some of the most impressive, ambitious, & compelling hard sci-fi i've ever read. more specifics:


in particular "the soldier's tale" and "the consul's tale" were both totally uncritical of their feminine muse characters-as-plot-devices, and the sex scenes felt shoehorned and pointless because of it. "the detective's tale" starts by centering a dope & hyper-competent woman character but she too is eventually shrunk into a confused & lovesick wench. the book in general also has a poorly-hidden enjoyment of militarism & military aesthetics without much of a critical eye, although I think the sequel does more in this regard. "the priest's tale" could have done without its offensive takes on neurodivergence and the frontiersman/missionary narrative too.

thankfully Simmons does engage much more critically with imperialism, sex/gender, and disability as the book+series progresses. "the scholar's tale" in particular was beautiful and devastating, and I enjoyed "the poet's tale" for its view on socioeconomics + disability and life in an over-networked world. speaking of, the world of the book is massive and intricate with a rich history that is revealed in media res as you read (my favorite type of worldbuilding though i know some find it tedious). if huge-scale speculative political & philosophical intrigue interwoven with intimate hyper-personal character-driven narrative is your cup of tea, give it a shot and hit me up to discuss!

a masterpiece of storytelling...

short plot description: set several hundred years in the future. Earth has been destroyed but Mankind has spread out to the stars in two different factions, the Ousters and the Hegomony. The Hegemony is planet-based, connected by a network of telepotation devices ("Farcasters)" and a powerful computer network ("Datasphere)" both controlled by AIs ("TechnoCore"). The Ousters live in deep space, having adapted to living in zero gravity. When the book starts both sides are on the brink of open war and the planet Hyperion seems to be the choosen battleground. Hyperion is also the home of the Time Tombs and the Shrike both which are shrouded in mystery around which has a religion has sprung up. Seven seemingly unrelated people are brought together to go on a pilgrimage on Hyperion with the hope of averting disaster. During the pilgramage we learn their stories...

my thoughts: one of the best books I've read so far. The world-building is breathtaking both in scope and details. The main characters are living and breathing people and not mere spokespersons for the plot. Add excellent storytelling which is not bound by any genre (poetry, crime noir, space opera), throw in some commentary about religion,government and society and you've got a wild mix which not many have been able to pull off successfully.
Minor gripes: the ending is quite abrupt and some of the references to twentieth-century culture felt a bit out of place.

my advice: run, don't walk and pick up a copy. Highly recommended