Book Review: Hyperion, by Dan Simmons

[inverarity]

One-line summary: The Canterbury Tales as space opera, with a homicidal spikey alien god-thing stalking the pilgrims.

Comments

[anonymous]

I would add that, from what you said, the allusion to the Canterbury Tales seems nothing more than a conceit: the two structures have nothing in common. Mr. Simmons might actually have done better to go back to Chaucer's model, the Decameron, which has a very dark background - people have taken refuge from the plague in an isolated country estate, and while away the time by telling each other stories. Chaucer was a much happier mind.

[indigo_mouse]

I have read the whole of the Hyperion Cantos, and am actually in the process of rereading it now that I can get it on my kindle (even with lots of typos I am enjoying it again).

I think that it gets better as it goes.

After Hyperion it drops the Canterbury Tales conceit. It remains good old fashioned science fiction epic fun, with a message (eventually). The last book - Rise of Endymion - is my favorite, and in true form, as I am rereading the series I reread it first.

[anonymous]

This guy said my native city should be "expunged" from the face of the planet. :/

[inverarity]

Dan Simmons did? What city? I don't know what you're referring to.

[anonymous]

Song of Kali, a fun romp set in the apparently horrifying streets of Calcutta.

Is it satire, or Lovecraftian xenophobia? Who can say? It's a lot of fun either way!