Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Sim
Series
Collection
Publication
Doubleday (1990), Edition: 1st, 517 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:�State of the art science fiction . . . a landmark novel.��Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine Now, in the stunning continuation of the epic adventure begun in Hyperion, Simmons returns us to a far future resplendent with drama and invention. On the world of Hyperion, the mysterious Time Tombs are opening. And the secrets they contain mean that nothing�nothing anywhere in the universe�will ever be the same. Praise for The Fall of Hyperion �One of the finest SF novels published in the past few years.��Science Fiction Eye �A magnificently original blend of themes and styles.��The Denver Post.
Subjects
Original publication date
1990-03
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User reviews
LibraryThing member figre
Let’s lay it on the line. I was not particularly happy that I was drug into reading this book; drug in because I was got deeply involved in the first book unaware that it was an incomplete story. But the first book was good enough that I forgave the author and, after a break, dove into book
In these books, Simmons is a fine storyteller that combines this with characters and setting that all work together to create a compelling tale. (I say “in these books” because I have not been as impressed with some of Simmons other work.) However, the convolutions that exist within this second book and the various theological and psychological arguments that serve as filler make it apparent that this should have been two shorter books or one realllly long book.
Simmons has built an incredible world. There is something different happening around every turn. And, as I’ve already described, the characters and world are inventive. Most times, his use of words draws you into the story and descriptions.
However, at the end of the day, it is a lot of reading for an okay trip. The first book was strong enough to make me read the second. The second book seems only to be necessary. And there should be much more to a book than the fact that it has to exist to fulfill a promise
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two.In these books, Simmons is a fine storyteller that combines this with characters and setting that all work together to create a compelling tale. (I say “in these books” because I have not been as impressed with some of Simmons other work.) However, the convolutions that exist within this second book and the various theological and psychological arguments that serve as filler make it apparent that this should have been two shorter books or one realllly long book.
Simmons has built an incredible world. There is something different happening around every turn. And, as I’ve already described, the characters and world are inventive. Most times, his use of words draws you into the story and descriptions.
However, at the end of the day, it is a lot of reading for an okay trip. The first book was strong enough to make me read the second. The second book seems only to be necessary. And there should be much more to a book than the fact that it has to exist to fulfill a promise
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LibraryThing member edgeworth
The first book I read this year was Dan Simmons' Hyperion, an excellent science fiction space opera written as a homage to Canterbury's Tales, with seven pilgrims sharing stories while travelling towards a fateful meeting with a mysterious killing machine called the Shrike, on the verge of an
Apparently The Fall Of Hyperion was originally meant to be meshed with Hyperion as one book, but they were split up for publishing purposes. I don't see why, since they're both only 500 pages long and no self-respecting sci-fi fan will shirk at a book that's 1000 pages long, but whatever. The Fall of Hyperion picks up directly where Hyperion left off, and it's just as enjoyable as its predecessor.
Forced to abandon the Canterbury Tales motif, Simmons instead expands the scope of the story. Hyperion featured seven lonely pilgrims on a near-deserted world, heir journey ominous and foreboding, with only their past-tense stories serving to show the reader the outside world. The Fall Of Hyperion shows much more; Simmons introduces a somewhat omniscient first-person narrator who is also a character, a technique which could have been annoying but is salvaged by the fact that he's a very likeable character. He's also closely entwined with the Hegemony government, and so we see the inner workings of the senate and the cabinet and the war ministry as they scramble to protect their interstellar empire from imminent doom. There are some truly epic scenes in this book, including the destruction of entire planets; after crafting a science fiction universe with such care in Hyperion, Simmons now wreaks havoc upon it, which makes for gripping reading. There are also a number of plot twists I didn't see coming, which i always pleasant.
There are some occasional awkward moments; Simmons seems determined to shoehorn as many Keats poems into the novel as possible, which is fine when they come from the pilgrim who's a professional poet, but no so much coming from a religious scholar. Some of the characters from Hyperion don't get as much of a look-in this time around, and there's also a fair amount of religious/metaphysical/philosophical meandering, which I could see putting some people off.
None of this, however, detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. The Fall Of Hyperion is a worthy sequel to Hyperion, most importantly because it gives the reader the conclusion that Hyperion lacked.
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intergalatic war. It was one of the best science fiction novels I read in a long time, and the only flaw was its extremely frustrating non-ending.Apparently The Fall Of Hyperion was originally meant to be meshed with Hyperion as one book, but they were split up for publishing purposes. I don't see why, since they're both only 500 pages long and no self-respecting sci-fi fan will shirk at a book that's 1000 pages long, but whatever. The Fall of Hyperion picks up directly where Hyperion left off, and it's just as enjoyable as its predecessor.
Forced to abandon the Canterbury Tales motif, Simmons instead expands the scope of the story. Hyperion featured seven lonely pilgrims on a near-deserted world, heir journey ominous and foreboding, with only their past-tense stories serving to show the reader the outside world. The Fall Of Hyperion shows much more; Simmons introduces a somewhat omniscient first-person narrator who is also a character, a technique which could have been annoying but is salvaged by the fact that he's a very likeable character. He's also closely entwined with the Hegemony government, and so we see the inner workings of the senate and the cabinet and the war ministry as they scramble to protect their interstellar empire from imminent doom. There are some truly epic scenes in this book, including the destruction of entire planets; after crafting a science fiction universe with such care in Hyperion, Simmons now wreaks havoc upon it, which makes for gripping reading. There are also a number of plot twists I didn't see coming, which i always pleasant.
There are some occasional awkward moments; Simmons seems determined to shoehorn as many Keats poems into the novel as possible, which is fine when they come from the pilgrim who's a professional poet, but no so much coming from a religious scholar. Some of the characters from Hyperion don't get as much of a look-in this time around, and there's also a fair amount of religious/metaphysical/philosophical meandering, which I could see putting some people off.
None of this, however, detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. The Fall Of Hyperion is a worthy sequel to Hyperion, most importantly because it gives the reader the conclusion that Hyperion lacked.
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LibraryThing member rampaginglibrarian
The continuation of the "Hyperion" saga, Simmons is absolutely brilliant. These two books incorporate so many different literary and culrural allusions and are complete page-turners--well worth the read.
LibraryThing member michaeldwebb
Once again I feel apologetic about reading a sci-fi book. It's not something I really want to admit to. But come on, Battlestar Galactica was genuinely brilliant, and so is this book.
Be warned, it's completely impenetrable if you haven't read the first book, which makes this review a bit
It's worth knowing that things do resolve themselves at the end of this book - I was worried about plodding through 500+ pages only to find things were no further forward than they were at the start. Not the case. Things actually resolve quite brilliantly.
A genuine classic.
Be warned, it's completely impenetrable if you haven't read the first book, which makes this review a bit
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pointless. If you've not read Hyperion then don't read this. If you have, and made it to the end, then I don't really need to tell you read this.It's worth knowing that things do resolve themselves at the end of this book - I was worried about plodding through 500+ pages only to find things were no further forward than they were at the start. Not the case. Things actually resolve quite brilliantly.
A genuine classic.
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LibraryThing member ub1707
Really the second half of the same tale. Still fantastic.
LibraryThing member anabellebf
Second installment of the Hyperion Cantos.
Not as good as Hyperion, lacks the Chaucer-inspired frame story, but still entertaining. Some mysteries are solved, but most of them remain for the last two books of the series. A book worth reading because it's in the middle of a set.
Not as good as Hyperion, lacks the Chaucer-inspired frame story, but still entertaining. Some mysteries are solved, but most of them remain for the last two books of the series. A book worth reading because it's in the middle of a set.
LibraryThing member Clueless
I think it would be difficult to read ‘Hyperion’, like it and not want to read ‘The Fall of Hyperion too. There were two themes in the second book that made me think the kind of ideas that gnaw away at me. First was the ‘Core.’ While the book must have been written in the late 80’s for
The other compelling theme was an anti-aging therapy called ‘Paulsen’s treatments’. Of course we are bombarded by what celebrities are doing in attempts to fool Mother Nature. In the book I like how Simmons unflatteringly described the characters who partook of such treatments.
There is a terrible monster in ‘The Fall of Hyperion’ called the ‘Shrike.’ It reminded me of the ‘Stobor’ in Heinlein’s ‘Tunnel in the Sky’. I guess science fiction books always need and have a terrible monster?
When I first picked up ‘Hyperion’, it felt too familiar – like Mary Doria Russell’s ‘The Sparrow’. In the ‘Sparrow’ Russell explores Jewish mysticism. I would say on first glance that with the two Hyperion books, Simmons is simply angry at the Old Testament God.
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me ‘The Core’ symbolized a science fiction version of the internet as an evil collective unconscious. I have a problem with this. My views were shaped by the first astronauts who dreaded being in the black void of space. But that isn’t what they reported feeling. They felt the vacuum was welcoming and teeming with warmth. Buddhism teaches that joy, not evil -- lies in the moments between dreading the future and regretting the past. There comes a time in the book where the Core disconnects from humans and the effects are madness and chaos. I wonder if that is what would happen if technology suddenly became impossible.The other compelling theme was an anti-aging therapy called ‘Paulsen’s treatments’. Of course we are bombarded by what celebrities are doing in attempts to fool Mother Nature. In the book I like how Simmons unflatteringly described the characters who partook of such treatments.
There is a terrible monster in ‘The Fall of Hyperion’ called the ‘Shrike.’ It reminded me of the ‘Stobor’ in Heinlein’s ‘Tunnel in the Sky’. I guess science fiction books always need and have a terrible monster?
When I first picked up ‘Hyperion’, it felt too familiar – like Mary Doria Russell’s ‘The Sparrow’. In the ‘Sparrow’ Russell explores Jewish mysticism. I would say on first glance that with the two Hyperion books, Simmons is simply angry at the Old Testament God.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
An outstanding follow-on to Hyperion. A fast paced story of the far future in complete turmoil, with a possible savior that will completely upset the status quo.
LibraryThing member wfzimmerman
Excellent space opera.
Yellowed, rear flap crinkled.
Yellowed, rear flap crinkled.
LibraryThing member betula.alba
Complex space opera with literary (read: poetry of John Keats) & religious overtones. Unlike most novels, there is no main protagonist; the storyline is developed through several different characters, focusing on or around the pilgrims (Canterbury Tales!). The first book ("Hyperion") consists of
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the individual stories of the pilgrims, and their journey to the Time Tombs. The second book ("Fall of Hyperion") starts off where the first one ends, continues the story of the pilgrimage and further develops the story on a grander scale, with the invasion of Hyperion and the Web as a backdrop. Although satisfying, the end leaves many questions unanswered (the story _is_ complex). Good writer. Blend of themes and writing styles. Show Less
LibraryThing member Radaghast
Fall of Hyperion is a worthy sequel to Hyperion. It continues the tale of the Shrike pilgrims while revealing far more about the larger struggle between the human race and the TechnoCore. Again, Simmons is trying to create a story that deals with the deepest themes of the human conditions. He
Don't get me wrong, I loved Fall of Hyperion. Anyone who enjoyed the first book should read this novel. There were some flaws which held it back for me. As we see the pilgrims wrap up their individual storylines, you sometimes wonder why that character was so essential. Kassad, the soldier pilgrim, in particular has a very satisfying wrap up to his story. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized how much Simmons left out, and how obscure Kassad's true role is. I won't reveal the details, but after you read it, you will ask, "So why did they need him?" A number of times Simmons accelarates the story leaving gaps that damage what Simmons is trying to do.
The second problem I have is with the presence of the Keats cybrid. Why Keats? Surely the TechnoCore had a reason for this, but Simmons never reveals it, to the story's detriment. Sometimes the parts of the novel with Keats or his twin Severn drag on. This is only because we never fully understand why the cybrid was created in the first place and why it was Keats.
Fall of Hyperion is a great read, but like the first novel in this series, I feel Simmons did not quite reach his ambitious goals.
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achieves this . . . more or less.Don't get me wrong, I loved Fall of Hyperion. Anyone who enjoyed the first book should read this novel. There were some flaws which held it back for me. As we see the pilgrims wrap up their individual storylines, you sometimes wonder why that character was so essential. Kassad, the soldier pilgrim, in particular has a very satisfying wrap up to his story. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized how much Simmons left out, and how obscure Kassad's true role is. I won't reveal the details, but after you read it, you will ask, "So why did they need him?" A number of times Simmons accelarates the story leaving gaps that damage what Simmons is trying to do.
The second problem I have is with the presence of the Keats cybrid. Why Keats? Surely the TechnoCore had a reason for this, but Simmons never reveals it, to the story's detriment. Sometimes the parts of the novel with Keats or his twin Severn drag on. This is only because we never fully understand why the cybrid was created in the first place and why it was Keats.
Fall of Hyperion is a great read, but like the first novel in this series, I feel Simmons did not quite reach his ambitious goals.
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LibraryThing member gilag
This is a great follow on to the previous book "Hyperion". You can't really read one book without the other. I highly recommend this for those who love science fiction.
LibraryThing member queencersei
The battle between the Hegemony, the Ousters and the Core is reaching its climax. The seven pilgrims selected to travel to the mysterious world of Hyperion each must face their own personal demons, on the faint hope that their choices will sway the outcome of the war in humanities favor. The cybrid
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Johnny Severen is also at work with Hegemony CEO Meina Gladstone to assist the pilgrims and save humanity if possible. And then there is the Shrike. The deadly Lord of Pain, watching and waiting to strike down all who come upon its path. Show Less
LibraryThing member publiusdb
A fabulous sequel to the Hugo award winning Hyperion. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
The Fall of Hyperion is a sequel to Hyperion. We return to the world of Hyperion where seven pilgrims and an infant are seeking an audience with the Shrike, a creature rumored to grant only one wish. In Hyperion the pilgrims and their life stories are laid out, allowing for the plot in The Fall of
[To be honest, I had trouble knowing if and when someone died. I don't think it's a spoiler alert to say that everyone died because most of them come back again, one way or another.]
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Hyperion to concentrate on the politics (the Time Tombs are opening; there is a war going on). Taking place in the 29th century and mostly in the Valley of the Tombs, each pilgrim encounters a personal struggle. We finally are introduced to the Tree of Pain where individuals are long suffering, impaled on thorns of steel. Strange. No one is dead on the Tree of Pain. The point is they are supposed to suffer.[To be honest, I had trouble knowing if and when someone died. I don't think it's a spoiler alert to say that everyone died because most of them come back again, one way or another.]
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LibraryThing member DRFP
Not quite the sequel I was hoping for. Certainly the book ties out most, if not all, the necessary loose ends but perhaps things such as the Shrike are demystified a little *too* much.
My other qualm with this book is how much time is spent by the characters going back and forth between Time Tombs.
Other minor issues I have with The Fall of Hyperion being Meina Gladstone as a central figure in the story doesn't do much for me - doesn't do much for me; and nor does Simmon's increased fixation on Keats either.
But ultimately, this novel just isn't as interesting as its predecessor. The tales aren't as engaging as those found in Hyperion. It was always going to be a tough act to follow but I was hoping that Simmons would have done slightly better.
My other qualm with this book is how much time is spent by the characters going back and forth between Time Tombs.
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I know at one stage this point is acknowledged within the book but that doesn't make it any better. There are some boring passages as a result.Other minor issues I have with The Fall of Hyperion being Meina Gladstone as a central figure in the story doesn't do much for me - doesn't do much for me; and nor does Simmon's increased fixation on Keats either.
But ultimately, this novel just isn't as interesting as its predecessor. The tales aren't as engaging as those found in Hyperion. It was always going to be a tough act to follow but I was hoping that Simmons would have done slightly better.
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
Honestly, I really don't remember this book. I finished it a few months back. I think part of it is that this book is so full of themes and poetry and different plots - that I can't quite remember them. I found the first book to be a much more interesting because of the pilgrims. This second book
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is a more traditional science fiction stories following very similar themes of other big universe type stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member nmg1
great book and worthy addition to the Hyperion series
LibraryThing member drardavis
A jam-packed, fast-paced, sequel to Hyperion, although sequel is really just a marketing term in this case. Hyperion ended abruptly and unsatisfyingly, The Fall of Hyperion is really the end of the book. It’s just that there is so much to wrap up and explain that Simmons put it all into the
Woven throughout these books, of course, is the poetry of John Keats and even the resurrected cyber copy of his soul. The formatting of the poetry and especially of the conversations with the gods did not work well on an iPad Mini, but that is a minor complaint. It did not tarnish the words of Keats or the fantastic concept of Simmons’ series. I am now exploring the original Hyperion and other poems in search of some of the more subtle connections between the poet and the sci-fi novelist.
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second book. As such, it requires considerable review of what went before. I wonder what this would have looked like as one, unified, long novel?Woven throughout these books, of course, is the poetry of John Keats and even the resurrected cyber copy of his soul. The formatting of the poetry and especially of the conversations with the gods did not work well on an iPad Mini, but that is a minor complaint. It did not tarnish the words of Keats or the fantastic concept of Simmons’ series. I am now exploring the original Hyperion and other poems in search of some of the more subtle connections between the poet and the sci-fi novelist.
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LibraryThing member Karin7
Seven pilgrims have travelled through space on a pilgrimage to the shrike; for at least six this will most likely result in death. One of them is carrying his infant daughter, Rachel, who is suffering from Merlin sickness and who has been getting younger day by day for the past twenty-six years. In
I read this to learn what became of Rachel, which naturally we don’t know until right near the end of the book. While the first book had those last two marvelous chapters that helped compensate for the weaker first few chapters (there are only about six long chapters in the first book), overall I really didn’t find anyone I liked enough here. There wasn’t enough of the characters I was able to like last time, and once again, too much graphic violence for my tastes, unbelievable technology that doesn’t have a good enough book around it to help me suspend my disbelief, and not enough likable characters. The political, moral and ethical messages are nothing new. I’m not going to bother with he next two books, which don’t even pick up where this leaves off, nor am I likely to read Dan Simmons again.
Why two stars and not one? It got the second star because I didn’t absolutely hate it so much that I couldn’t read a set number of pages per day and because there are some interesting sections and tidbits in there.
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the meantime, Gladstone, who is head of the Hegemony that helps rule humankind on a multitude of planets linked by farcasters that mess with space and time to allow almost instantaneous travel between these planets, is preparing for war with the Ousters. There is also a conglomeration of artificial intelligence life forms in The Core that help rule and who provide information to the Hegemony. There appears to me more on her agenda, however, early on in the book. Ousters are genetically modified humans who have been designed to live in zero gravity and live beyond the Hegemony. She receives updates on the pilgrims via a man who sees what happens in his dreams. The entire question of this book is whether or not humans will continue to exist, or, if they do, if it will be just the Ousters.I read this to learn what became of Rachel, which naturally we don’t know until right near the end of the book. While the first book had those last two marvelous chapters that helped compensate for the weaker first few chapters (there are only about six long chapters in the first book), overall I really didn’t find anyone I liked enough here. There wasn’t enough of the characters I was able to like last time, and once again, too much graphic violence for my tastes, unbelievable technology that doesn’t have a good enough book around it to help me suspend my disbelief, and not enough likable characters. The political, moral and ethical messages are nothing new. I’m not going to bother with he next two books, which don’t even pick up where this leaves off, nor am I likely to read Dan Simmons again.
Why two stars and not one? It got the second star because I didn’t absolutely hate it so much that I couldn’t read a set number of pages per day and because there are some interesting sections and tidbits in there.
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LibraryThing member cvalin
Didn't enjoy it quite as much as part 1, but definitely a good read.
LibraryThing member renbedell
The book takes a different route in storytelling than Hyperion. It starts where Hyperion left off and finishes the pilgrimages journey but also centers a lot on the rest of the universe. It is masterful done as all the pilgrims' importance reveal themselves and that the shrike is not just a
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religious aspect of Hyperion. The futuristic world that Simmons has created is vastly interesting. The religious components and thee role and reliance of technology is well done. The prose is beautiful. While I would say this book is not as great as the first, it still is an incredible continuation of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I am glad that I read this 'sequel' -- it really is more like the second half of a very long book than a true sequel. However, Simmons' vision of a possible future for mankind is bleak and the Shrike verges on horror (which is not my cup of tea at all!). I did like the ending and found the Ousters
This book had a more straightforward storyline (even though it did switch narrators & points of view frequently) and so it was easier to follow than the first book. Despite that, I think that the first book would be the better novel if it had had a more conclusive ending. As I said above, these two read like two volumes of a single book.
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intriguing.This book had a more straightforward storyline (even though it did switch narrators & points of view frequently) and so it was easier to follow than the first book. Despite that, I think that the first book would be the better novel if it had had a more conclusive ending. As I said above, these two read like two volumes of a single book.
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LibraryThing member ashchap
I got a bit bored in the middle and I think it should definitely be shorter but I did enjoy it overall.
LibraryThing member thebookmagpie
Pain is the curl and foam of a wave that does not break.
So, I'm writing this review around three full months after reading The Fall of Hyperion, and I'm still not really sure what to say about it. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Did I think it was as good as Hyperion? Absolutely not. But then, in the
As my memory of what happened at what point in this story wanes, I have but a few general points to make about the story. This very much feels like a resolution, in that almost all of the question that you have at the end of Hyperion – and there are or will be many! - are answered in a way that might be satisfying to you, or might not, depending on what you really wanted out of the story. I think, perhaps, my favourite of the character progressions/”stories” were those of Meina Gladstone and Sol Weintraub (though not that of his daughter – which I know sounds weird given how tied up they were together. But what happens to him in the story is fine, while the whole Rachel/Moneta thing felt both creepy and overly-convenient to me. It's probably not a point I could solidly defend, but it is one that reduced my enjoyment of Rachel's involvement in things. ) The extended portrayal of Sol's grief and hope really felt incredibly realistic to me, so I appreciated the sensitive treatment of such here.
As for Meina, well, I just have a thing for morally ambiguous female leaders (Malazan slight spoiler think Tavore in MBotF, perhaps? ). The exploration of the relationships between the AI and the humans is much more fleshed out here too – I had some difficulty in grasping it in the first book but my fears were allayed by the events of this one. That doesn't hold true for some other things, though. I found what happened around the Time Tombs often felt like a bit of a plot device that changed to suit the other places he wanted the narrative to go. I also felt like ( the bits with the Keats persona dragged a little. I don't know if it was just me, but I would have preferred not to spend quite so much time with him compared to some of the other things that were happening or could have potentially happened. ) I really wanted to spend more time, for example, on the Priest's story and the Catholic Church as a whole – I felt the way that organisation had shifted (and not shifted) over the years to be really intriguing, and I just wanted to read more in that direction.
I've been well warned by someone I trust to end my relationship with these books here, and so I shall. But it's been incredibly enjoyable and rewarding. While I may not have enjoyed this book as much as the first, it's far above average science fiction, and definitely one to read if you enjoy the genre. I give The Fall of Hyperion nine out of ten.
So, I'm writing this review around three full months after reading The Fall of Hyperion, and I'm still not really sure what to say about it. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Did I think it was as good as Hyperion? Absolutely not. But then, in the
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realm of science fiction, Hyperion, for me, was a cut above the rest. This is a perfectly satisfying conclusion, one that I am happy with, and one that answers a lot of the weirdness that went on in Hyperion.As my memory of what happened at what point in this story wanes, I have but a few general points to make about the story. This very much feels like a resolution, in that almost all of the question that you have at the end of Hyperion – and there are or will be many! - are answered in a way that might be satisfying to you, or might not, depending on what you really wanted out of the story. I think, perhaps, my favourite of the character progressions/”stories” were those of Meina Gladstone and Sol Weintraub (
As for Meina, well, I just have a thing for morally ambiguous female leaders (Malazan slight spoiler
I've been well warned by someone I trust to end my relationship with these books here, and so I shall. But it's been incredibly enjoyable and rewarding. While I may not have enjoyed this book as much as the first, it's far above average science fiction, and definitely one to read if you enjoy the genre. I give The Fall of Hyperion nine out of ten.
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Pages
517