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Hyperion cover art

Hyperion

By: Dan Simmons
Narrated by: Marc Vietor,Allyson Johnson,Kevin Pariseau,Jay Snyder,Victor Bevine
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Editorial reviews

Hyperion, one of the most celebrated Sci-Fi novels of all time and the first book in the Hyperion Cantos series, begins in the midst of an interplanetary war in the 29th century. Five pilgrims set out to the mysterious title planet in an attempt to prevent Armageddon, but while most of the planets in the Hegemony are connected by rapid transit farcaster portals, the journey is far from safe. Modified humans known as Outsters lurk in space stations between planets, threatening the very fabric of the planetary alliance.

Winner of both the Hugo Award and the Locus Award for Best Novel, Hyperion is easily one of the most important, groundbreaking books in Sci-Fi. It incorporates favourite elements of genre — including time travel, galactic war and intricate world building — making for a listen that any space odyssey fan will love. In audio, the experience is even more immersive as you’ll hear the individual stories of the five Pilgrims, each brought vividly to life by a different narrator.

Publisher's Summary

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it.

In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope - and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

©1989 Dan Simmons (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1990
Locus Award, Best Novel, 1990
"Dan Simmons has the Midas touch: Every genre he writes - whether SF, horror, mystery, historical, or thriller - he turns to gold. Hyperion and The Fall Of Hyperion set a new standard for grand-scale science fiction." (Kevin J. Anderson, author of The Saga of Seven Suns)
"Dan Simmons was a star from the outset. It was the Hyperion books that made him a superstar. The man, quite simply, is what we in the trade call a writer's writer." (Mike Resnick, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author)
Each of [the pilgrim's] stories would make a superb novella on its own. ( The New York Times Book Review, Gerald Jonas)

What listeners say about Hyperion

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  • Tom
  • 13-12-2016

doop.

good book. 10/10
would certainly doop again.
apparently based of Canterbury Tales?
this review requires a minimum of twenty words.

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7 people found this helpful

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Highly enjoyable but with some dull narrators

I didn't know anything about Hyperion going into the book and enjoyed a lot of the world building and deep dives in the characters. Some characters are more interesting than others, and some of the narrators are far better than others. The narrator for Brawne Lamia almost killed the book for me and ruined what could have been an interesting story. The delivery was so flat and uninspired that it was a slog just to get through to the end of that section.
Overall, great fun though and I enjoyed it enough to get the second book in the series.

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Joe
  • 28-07-2017

Just too slow.

The story is brilliant. I hung on till after the priests story, but after that, the book was painstakingly slow. I would compare it to 'restless leg syndrome' While I was engrossed in the story, I just kept wanting something to happen.

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4 people found this helpful

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good idea but too slow and descriptive

way too verbose, couldn't get into the story which was also too slow. it was so busy describing everything.

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3 people found this helpful

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Good...

Solid performances from the cast, wonderful writing, but just remember, if you get this book, you're in it for the long haul - the narrative is not even close to being wrapped up in just this book and you basically have to get the next in the series. But that's not to say it isn't satisfying. It's moving and thought-provoking, but there's no escaping the fact that it's kinda only half a book. Oh, and there's a looot of backstories. Like the whole book is a couple of backstories.

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2 people found this helpful

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  • Tim
  • 22-05-2015

Pretty good, not earth shattering

Good story and narration. The only sour note was the woman who voices Lamia, she sounds like a robot.

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2 people found this helpful

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top tier scifi

I read this series 10 tears ago when I first started hitting scifi. Its one of the best sci-fi available just behind the culture series. My mind still visualizes scenes from the book 10 years later. I have the advantage of reading every scifi book of any worth so I have to reread while I wait for the few good ones to release like the expanse

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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It took a while but the cleverness of the story unwound slowly

Excellent story told by wonderful narrators. Their parts seamless.
Heartily recommended and to say more would give the story away. Very clever and brought to mind Iain M Banks, may he Rest In Peace.

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My favourite Sci Fi Saga

Dan’s work is incredible but for me, this story is one of the most profound. Do yourself a favour and go on this journey across time & space, past & future.
Get all four books. The best saga ever written

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Great science fiction

This novel is magnificent - Dan Simmons wrote a series of stories and structured them like Canterbury Tales and it works so well. Wonderful audiobook. I will listen again.

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