BOOK REVIEW: Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos #1) by Dan Simmons

Hyperion by Dan Simmons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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. 

After having read this book, I can't believe that it took me years to get around to doing so. This is a very, very good book, superbly written with a captivating and intelligent story line. The way that the background story is built up by the telling of the various characters' testimonies is wonderful, and the book unfolds itself seamlessly even though the telling moves from different perspectives. I was surprised how abruptly it ended, however, and I obviously have to get the next book in the series to see how things progress. I've read some of the other reviews and there's not really a whole lot more that I could add to portray how good this book is. I really can't imagine a sci-fi reader who wouldn't enjoy this, anybody who enjoys a great story will. I hear that it may be leading to a movie, too. Done right it'll be a blockbuster. The only other thing I can say is: read it! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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