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idrinkkombucha OP t1_izrdwac wrote

Reply to comment by tipper_g0re in The Terror by Dan Simmons by idrinkkombucha

Someone recommended me Hyperion, but I am hesitant - why would you say you’re struggling to get into it?

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degotoga t1_izsyrqj wrote

I haven’t read the Terror but from your description you could probably apply the same criticisms to Hyperion

Personally I thought that Hyperion as well as Ilium were both excellent, but his writing and narrative style is definitely unique and not everyone’s cup of tea

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PJsinBed149 t1_j00634i wrote

Hyperion is a pretty demanding book, imo. It has 7+ point of view characters, and it shifts back and forth in time as well. It involves time travel, which is always a bit mind-bending. It's also more literary than most sci-fi in that has lots of allusions to other literature - Greek mythology, the Canterbury Tales, and the poetry of John Keats, just to name the most obvious ones. Personally, I loved it, but it's no beach read!

ETA: Also, Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion are a single story split into two books (much like Lord of the Rings is one story split into three books). Hyperion just ends abruptly, and you really need to read Fall of Hyperion to get the climax and resolution of the story.

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