Let’s begin with my favorite quote from the book:

[Careful/
Keats/
thinking may become a habit]

Cynical A.I.s get me every time. 🙂

I loved every second of Hyperion, and the only note of disappointment I have with it was how unresolved it was at its end. Thankfully I’m a lucky reader who knew full well more content was to follow. I pity the science fiction fans of 1989 who had to wait for this sequel to become available. I have to say the only note of disappointment I have with The Fall of Hyperion is that it abandons the story-telling, Canterbury Tales-esque flow of the first book. It does so pretty mostly out of necessity (we heard the stories in the first book) but it does put a strain on the many different scenes which we experience.

Instead we gain a new narrator and with it new insights on what’s happening in the rest of the universe while the pilgrims continue their struggles on the planet Hyperion. Coming to fore are tensions between the TechnoCore and the human race — something that only briefly came to light in the first novel. I don’t want to reveal too much, but let’s just say it freaks me out to think about AIs evolving into the powerful society that Simmons creates.

Most importantly, The Fall of Hyperion does have some resolution with its end. It leaves you wanting more, but in the sense you can expect from any story. A friend once told me, before I started book one, that what got published as two books was actually written as a single Hyperion work, but I can’t find any links online that corroborate that. Pass it on to me if you have one. 🙂

So I reach a question: I have empty slots on my reading list for the year — do I add the remaining two books from the Hyperion Cantos? The answer: not yet, but I’ll keep it in mind. I enjoyed the story, but didn’t feel particularly attached to Simmons writing and finally feel like I’ve experienced the Hyperion universe, over 1000 pages later. I’d recommend for anyone who likes Sci-Fi though.

The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

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