"Published in 1989, Hyperion is set in a far-flung future in which human settlement spans hundreds of planets. The novel feels both familiar, in that its structure follows Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and utterly unfamiliar in its strange, far-flung setting."
"At its heart are the background stories of seven characters on a pilgrimage to the Time Tombs, which move backward in time. There, they may possibly confront a legendary, mythical, terrifying, and time-bending creature known as the Shrike. Each of the stories told by the seven characters is done so in a different subgenre, from tragedy to political thriller to military science fiction, and so on."
"For a book that is, essentially, "hard" science fiction, Hyperion is also one of the most emotional books I have ever read. The first tale is that of a priest, Lenar Hoyt, and the dying religion of Catholicism. By the end of this story of cruciforms, isolated civilizations, tesla trees, and more, I was floored."
Dan Simmons, a prolific author of over three dozen books, passed away at age 77. Before becoming a writer in the 1980s, he worked in elementary education. His diverse body of work encompassed horror fiction, historical fiction, and science fiction, often blending multiple genres. Hyperion, published in 1989, stands as his most celebrated work and is considered among the greatest science fiction novels ever written. The novel follows seven characters on a pilgrimage to the Time Tombs in a far-future setting spanning hundreds of planets. Structured like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, each character tells their story in different subgenres, creating an emotionally powerful narrative despite its hard science fiction foundation.
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