Difference between revisions of "Hyperion"

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(Created page with "'''''Hyperion''''' is a science fiction novel by Dan Simmons published in 1989. The story revolves around a back-world planet named Hyperion which features the ruins of an...")
 
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===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* I find the book's setting to be pretty dull. The politics of the Hegemony and the Ousters is generic, and most of the technology described is just a flashier version of today's or standard sci-fi fare without delving much into new physics (Time Tombs not withstanding). I think the book could have been set in today's time without much change to the plot.
 
 
* While I generally found the book to be entertaining, nothing stood out to me as especially exciting, and I found my interest waning at times.
 
* While I generally found the book to be entertaining, nothing stood out to me as especially exciting, and I found my interest waning at times.
 +
* It felt like the book had too many messages. Anti-imperialism, AI rights, environmentalism, technological complacency, etc. I think it would have been better to stick to one or two.
 +
* The whole war between the Luddite Ousters and the imperial Hegemony seems tacked-on. Sure, the Ousters don't want to live under AI control, and for good reason because of what the Hegemony did, but there isn't any explanation for why they did it in the first place, and to be honest, minus a few black marks, the Hegemony sounds like a pretty peaceful society. Sure, the AI makes science unnecessary and most of the populace is dumb, but nobody is preventing people from studying science.
 +
* Excluding Hyperion, the Time Tombs, the Shrike, and the puzzle box, most of the book's technology described is just a flashier version of today's or standard sci-fi fare (plasma weapons instead of bullets). I think the book could have been set in today's time without much change to the plot.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===

Revision as of 15:14, 11 May 2016

Hyperion is a science fiction novel by Dan Simmons published in 1989. The story revolves around a back-world planet named Hyperion which features the ruins of an ancient civilization, long since extinct. The ruins are known as the Time Tombs, and some remaining time-altering technology seems to remain in effect, even though the tombs are entirely empty. The planet was colonized and the Time Tombs became something of a tourist destination, but recently people started turning up horribly murdered. The murders were being attributed to a terrible monster called the Shrike which seems to defy physics, and a cult has risen around it. As the remaining inhabitants of the planet scramble to leave, six strangers come Hyperion as pilgrims, none of them followers of the cult, but each seeking answers. As the six make their way to the Time Tombs, each tells their story.

Review

Good

  • I was impressed at how unique each pilgrim's back story was from the others. Each one was an entirely new story focusing on different elements of psychology and philosophy.
  • The various descriptions of the Shrike make for an impressive and terrifying monster.

Bad

  • While I generally found the book to be entertaining, nothing stood out to me as especially exciting, and I found my interest waning at times.
  • It felt like the book had too many messages. Anti-imperialism, AI rights, environmentalism, technological complacency, etc. I think it would have been better to stick to one or two.
  • The whole war between the Luddite Ousters and the imperial Hegemony seems tacked-on. Sure, the Ousters don't want to live under AI control, and for good reason because of what the Hegemony did, but there isn't any explanation for why they did it in the first place, and to be honest, minus a few black marks, the Hegemony sounds like a pretty peaceful society. Sure, the AI makes science unnecessary and most of the populace is dumb, but nobody is preventing people from studying science.
  • Excluding Hyperion, the Time Tombs, the Shrike, and the puzzle box, most of the book's technology described is just a flashier version of today's or standard sci-fi fare (plasma weapons instead of bullets). I think the book could have been set in today's time without much change to the plot.

Ugly

  • Nothing.


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