Hypérion

No cover

Hypérion (French language)

French language

ISBN:
9782221127544

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4 stars (3 reviews)

Hyperion is a 1989 science fiction novel by American author Dan Simmons. The first book of his Hyperion Cantos, it won the Hugo Award for best novel.The plot of the novel features multiple time-lines and characters. It follows a similar structure to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The next book in the series was The Fall of Hyperion, published in 1990.

7 editions

Review of 'Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

TL;DR removing one star because it falls into some classic uncritical usage of colonialist + imperialist narrative, misogynist plot devices + characters, and ableist language + lenses. without downplaying these core issues, i still have to say this book (and its sequel) are some of the most impressive, ambitious, & compelling hard sci-fi i've ever read. more specifics:


in particular "the soldier's tale" and "the consul's tale" were both totally uncritical of their feminine muse characters-as-plot-devices, and the sex scenes felt shoehorned and pointless because of it. "the detective's tale" starts by centering a dope & hyper-competent woman character but she too is eventually shrunk into a confused & lovesick wench. the book in general also has a poorly-hidden enjoyment of militarism & military aesthetics without much of a critical eye, although I think the sequel does more in this regard. "the priest's tale" could have done without its offensive …