Hyperion

Hyperion is absolutely terrific in every way, even though it's essentially just a bundle of short stories told by everyone on board the pilgrimage to visit the Shrike. But what stories!

The tale from Sol Weintraub about his daughter Rachel is the best, and some of the other stories are almost as good.

You get involved with the characters and their back stories and therefore become more committed to them, even the disgusting Martin Silenus and his foul personality, who would fit better in Hogg than in Hyperion. The only let down is lack of continuance, so you need to read Fall of Hyperion too, which isn’t a bad thing considering how good Hyperion is.

Some of the space opera and fight scenes leave a little to be desired and I don’t think Dan Simmons is the best action writer on the planet, but his spirit and what he conveys by outpouring his soul into Hyperion is exemplary. I’ve decided to read Carrion Comfort and some other non-sci-fi material by Dan Simmons first, to get a better grasp of his writing style, perhaps better suited to horror and human emotions and relationships than sci-fi?

You can’t go wrong with Hyperion, it’s one of the most atmospheric sci-fi books out there, with great ideas and many profound moments.