Reviews

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

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thedocument's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

kregna's review

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3.0

DNF 50%.
Meh apart from the priest's story.

Despite the general acclaim surrounding this, I had very little knowledge or expectations going into it. I had no idea that this would be a showcase for a Canterbury Tales-esque narrative structure and I’ll admit that I was a bit taken aback by it at first. However, I quickly grew to love it. Simmons is masterful at creating a distinctive voice for each of his characters, and it’s incredibly fun to see how he plays around with different sci-fi sub-genres and contrasting philosophies through each person’s story. This is definitely a book of ideas, though, and the concepts that are presented are very unique and creative; from larger prevailing narratives surrounding the mysterious shrike and the time tombs, to some of the more smaller ideas such as the living motile isles on the Maui Covenant. This book is a perfect example of what the science-fiction genre can do and I'll say it's well deserving of its Hugo Award!

bethanharcourt's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It took quite a while for me to get into this, as there's a lot of world building. I also found the individual stories a little more interesting as they went on. But maybe that was just due to my state of mind at the time.

mateomacgregor's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

bmitchell's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

rasmussss's review

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5.0

A science-fiction story written in short story form, interweaving multiple stories from told in different ways and from wildly different environments and characters, all adding up to the overall plot of the novel. Using world-building, plot and character development in equal amounts to create a profound mystery. The first novel in the series does not tell the full story, but I am fine with jumping into the sequel.