The Fall Of Hyperion by Dan Simmons - Stories Are Resolved, But There Are More Questions

The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

After reading Hyperion, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be reading the rest of the novels in the series. I enjoyed the first novel so much that I grabbed the second novel and started reading even knowing that there were other things I should be reading for the book podcasts I am on.

In Hyperion, the first novel in the series, seven pilgrims are sent to the planet Hyperion, an out of the way planet on the edge of Hegemony space. The pilgrims are to seek out the Shrike, a creature of mythical proportions. The shrike is known for causing much pain and suffering to its victims. While traveling to a place on Hyperion known as the Time Tombs, the characters decide that they will tell each other their stories of encounters with the Shrike. The journey to the Tombs is long and it is thought that the stories will help the pilgrims get to know each other, understand why they were chosen to make the trip, and for entertainment purposes. Along with the pilgrim’s stories, there is war on the way with a race known as the Ousters, who are planning to conquer Hyperion.

One thing that is certain as far as I am concerned, is that The Fall Of Hyperion is a very complicated book and I am finding it difficult to summarize, but I will try. So, as they say, here goes nothin’...

It would seem that there are three distinct stories going on in this book. That of the pilgrims as they move in and around the Time Tombs, but sometimes it is told as a communication from Brawne Lamia (one of the pilgrims) to Joseph Severn, the second of a pair of “cybrid” reincarnations of the poet John Keats. Lamia has been fitted with a subcutaneous device that allows her to transmit the experiences of the pilgrims to Severn. Severn receives these transmission in the form of dreams that he can remember. He reports his dreams to the leader of the Hegemony of Man, CEO Meina Gladstone. For a good portion of the story, we see what is happening to the pilgrims through the dreams related by Severn.

Along with the exploits of the pilgrims, there is a war that is raging in space between the Hegemony and the invading Ousters. At the beginning of the story, CEO Gladstone is being advised by a few high-ranking officers of the FORCE, or the Hegemony military. The commanders have analyzed the Ousters numbers and their attack on Hyperion and report that the Hegemony forces will, in short time, easily defeat the Ousters. This proves to be a gross overstatement and the war quickly gets out of hand as the Ousters overrun the Hegemony forces and begin attacking Hegemony occupied worlds. There are billions of lives at stake, even though the Ousters do not travel by Farcaster (a type of transportation that allows one to travel from place to place instantaneously; it also connects all of the worlds in the Hegemony). Instead, the Ousters use what is known as Hawking Drive which is much slower, but that doesn’t matter because the Ousters seem relentless.

When CEO Gladstone learns that the Ousters are not flesh and blood beings, but rather are TechnoCore androids, she hatches a plot to destroy the Farcaster network where the TechnoCore (much like our internet, but far, far more sophisticated) resides.

The most compelling part of the story is the fate of the pilgrims themselves. They are:

• Martin Silenus - Poet who is hoping to finish an epic poem called the Hyperion Cantos.
• The Consul - A diplomat who is bitter toward the Hegemony, and has also been an agent of the Ousters.
• Brawne Lamia - A private detective who had/has a relationship with Joseph Severn.
• Sol Weintraub - A scholar who is bringing his infant daughter to the Time Tombs to reverse an infliction that is causing her to age backward toward her birth. Rachel, Sol’s daughter became ill when touched by the Shrike as an adult archaeologist studying the Time Tombs.
• Fedmahn Kassad - A former FORCE officer who seeks to destroy the Shrike and kill Moneta, the Shrike’s keeper and Kassad’s former lover.
• Lenar Hoyt - A Catholic priest who is hoping to die so his mentor Father Paul Dure can live again. He wears a thing called the Cruciform that allows him to be resurrected as Dure upon his death.

All of their stories are compelling and if you want to learn more about them, you’ll just have to read the book. If I summarize much more, I will be giving some major spoilers, even beyond the ones I have already given.  Let just suffice to say that The Fall of Hyperion is a complicated story that is very involved and engaging. There are many facets to this story and they all seem to be interwoven in such a way that makes is hard for me to summarize in just a short space without telling the story.

As in the previous volume, I loved the way that the story unfolds and how Simmons writes it. He changes voice numerous times as he moves from one character to another, but the descriptions of what things look, feel, and smell like are quite poetic. The use of language in this book is beautiful. His descriptions of people, places and things are just fun to read as well as providing a complete picture that I was able to visualize as I read. The places he talks about in this book are places that are colorful and interesting and I would love to visit them myself. As for the people, they become entities that one cares about and are engaging; even the not-so-nice characters are living, breathing people while one reads.

The main motivation I had for reading this second book in the Hyperion series was to find out the fate of Sol Weintraub and his daughter Rachel. This was the most compelling story for me and I was not disappointed in the outcome. I could feel Sol’s pain as he had to make decisions, very difficult decisions, and finally came to the conclusion that he was going to have to trust the Shrike to grant his wish to restore Rachel to normal. Along with Sol’s story, the other pilgrims stories were just as appealing and interesting in their resolutions, but for some reason, I latched onto that one character, who, to me, was the one that had suffered the most. I do think that whoever reads The Fall of Hyperion, may find that while they sympathize with all of the pilgrims, as well as many of the other characters, that each reader may be able to identify more with one than the others.

I found this series when I searched for science fiction to read that would be something new and different. In looking back over what I read, while it may be classified as Sci-Fi, it is also a story that might appeal to Fantasy fans as well. I think that putting this book, and the one before it into a single category might limit who would enjoy these books. It is very much a work of fantasy; there are some very ‘magical’ things happening in this story that makes me think it is a Sci-Fi and fantasy story. There is the Shrike that would cause nightmares in many people, there is the quest of one individual character to take the Shrike down, and there is even a ‘magic’ carpet that carries one character across the planet to return with help.

In any case, the Hyperion Cantos books are well worth looking at whether you are a fan of one genre or the other. In my estimation, they are entertaining, engaging, and fascinating stories that are well written. But reader be warned, they are also very complex in their content and, should you decide to give the series a look, you will need to pay attention.

Well, there it is…

Qapla’!

Hyperion By Dan Simmons - Must Read Sci-Fi In A Story Within A Story Format

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

So, it finally happened. I ran out of stuff I had to read for the podcasts I am involved with and finally find that I have time to read things that I want to read, or at least look for books I want to read. I began a Google search for some ideas of sci-fi that might be considered essential for any fan to look into. I found Hyperion on many of the lists in my search. I downloaded it and almost immediately found myself hooked. This is the first book in a series called Hyperion Cantos, which I might translate as meaning “the song of Hyperion.” It is a Hugo and Locus award winner and I can certainly understand why.

One of the things one can expect a lot of in Hyperion is worldbuilding. Up until now, books I have read that contain as much about the setting of the story as this one does have been in the Fantasy genre. The known universe of Hyperion is somewhat complicated. There is no more Earth and people have moved out to live among the stars. There are numerous planets in the human organization known as the Hegemony. All of the planets of the Hegemony are connected by the “WorldWeb,” which is a network that allows people to travel instantaneously between worlds by “farcaster.” There are also planets that are not connected to the WorldWeb that can only be reached by spaceship, of which the planet Hyperion is one. Planets that are not connected are thought to be of little economic interest. A group of “interstellar barbarians” known as Ousters are headed toward Hyperion for some unknown purpose.

On Hyperion itself resides a being called the “Shrike.” It is a brutal killer that seems to permeate every part of human history and society.  At this point, I would have to call it an interstellar boogeyman, but it seems to be a very real threat. The Shrike is based on Hyperion but can travel through space and time at will. It is further described as having a metal shell that has spikes all over its body. It is named after a bird that impales its prey on the thorns of trees. At over nine feet tall and having four arms, it isn’t surprising that it terrifies the characters in the book as it would terrify children in nightmares. Apparently, the Shrike is associated with a place on Hyperion called the “Time Tombs.”

It is believed that the Time Tombs, a group of six structures in a remote valley on Hyperion, were built in the far future and are moving backwards in time. With the Ousters approaching Hyperion as well as some apparent activity at the site of the Time Tombs, a group of six pilgrims are sent there to investigate what is happening on Hyperion as a large part of the population is disappearing.

As the pilgrims approach Hyperion on a spaceship, they contemplate why the Ousters are approaching the planet. Knowing that it is going to be some time before they actually arrive at the Tombs, and because they don’t know why they have been selected for the pilgrimage, they decide to tell stories. They believe that by doing this, each will contribute to a piece of a puzzle of what is expected from them once they reach their goal.

Each of the main characters, save one, tells their story within the story as they travel to the Temples on Hyperion:

Father Lenar Hoyt is a young priest of the Catholic Church, which is apparently quite a challenge in the future. His tale is of events that actually are more about his mentor and friend, Fr. Paul Dure, and his time on Hyperion in a sort of archaeological expedition that goes wrong.

Colonel Fedmahn Kassad is an officer of the Force, this universe'smilitary. He is also known as the “Butcher of Bressia.” Beginning in his training days, Kassad is visited by a mysterious woman calling herself Moneta. These meetings take place over his entire career as a Force officer as he fights against the Ousters.

Martin Silenius is an old, foulmouthed, drunken poet that was highly respected by the higher-ups on Hyperion. He has been working on an epic poem called the Hyperion Cantos and needs to return to the Tombs to write an ending to his lifelong work.

Sol Weintraub is a well known scholar who is traveling with an infant. The story he tells is of his daughter, Rachel, who falls victim to an accident while studying in the Tombs. The accident drastically changes not only Rachel’s life, but also that of her family.

Brawne Lamia is a hardboiled, noir-like private detective from Lusia. She is hired by a Cybrid (an artificial intelligence in control of a human body) to investigate a murder. Her actions and findings may have profound effects on future events.

The Consul is a high government official who has been involved with politics all his life. He tells the tale of his planned rebellion against the Hegemony.

Het Masteen is the only one that does not tell a tale, but he is identified as the seventh pilgrim. He was supposed to tell his tale, but before his turn came around, he disappeared on the trip to the Tombs.

In its entirety, Hyperion is a book that is completely expository as it introduces the reader to what appears to be a very complicated universe. The real appeal for me in this book is in the tales that are told by the characters. Between the stories that are told by each character, and what takes place before, after, and in between each tale we get a good picture of what the main players are about, and what motivates them. Each one is appealing and is written so that they bring something to the entire group that will contribute to the whole, even though each one also has a private agenda. Each has a skill set that gives them a unique perspective on what will happen as the story continues to unfold in later books. I have given some thought as to who my favorite character is and am having a hard time deciding. All of the characters have appeal; even the snarky poet, Silenius, has a certain cynical outlook that is humorous, while at the same time somewhat pragmatic. While the individual stories not only reveal what the main characters are, they also help to develop the antagonist of the story - the Shrike.

Along with its imposing appearance, the Shrike has the ability to travel freely, and quickly, through time and space. It can attack so quickly that it’s victims sometimes don’t even see it. The Shrike’s body is covered with thorns and blades that will allow it to easily eviscerate its victims, but it does so in cruel, painful ways. It is also impervious to damage by conventional weapons and can survive after being submerged in molten lava. The Shrike is the stuff of childhood nightmares.

What appeals to me most about Hyperion is the craft with which the author can put words together. In the main character’s individual stories, Simmons tells the tale as his character might. In other words, the scholar’s language is well thought out and precise, the detective’s is much as one would expect from a hardboiled noir figure. His ability to capture and communicate each voice makes the novel even more engaging beyond the story. The story that takes place between the character’s stories is where he really shows his ability. For me, it was Simmon’s descriptions of people, places, and things that came off the page and flowed so smoothly, I would almost have to call it poetic.

I enjoy the story-within-a-story format of this book and I read it very quickly, mostly because I didn’t want to be away from it for long. It is a great story and an excellent introduction to the rest of the series of which there are three more books. I guarantee that I will be picking up those in the future. Hyperion is not something that one can read casually, it requires a reader’s full attention in order to savor the content and enjoy it to its fullest. I think that this is a must-read for fans of sci-fi.

Well, there it is…

Qapla’!

Edited By Benjamin Arrowood