Skip to main content

Hyperion Cantos

This the second time I will review my thoughts on the Hyperion Cantos epic poem by Dan Simmons. I have finished reading all the books directly related to the poem from Hyperion to The Rise of Endymion. There are other novels in the Hyperion Universe, but they are not part of the poem. This epic falls in the categories of other epics of sci-fi like Dune and The Foundation series.

Many who have seen the jacket cover of the original novel may believe that the novel contains elements of fantasy which involves spiritism or demonism because of the thorny creature depicted on the book cover or jacket. The creature seen there is known as the Shrike. It is not a demon. Without major spoilers, just picture the Shrike as a Cylon adaptation with mechanical appendages. It is not a demon. I have never seen a demon so...

The Cantos is a masterpiece from the vivid imagination of the author. It contains all the elements pertaining to the genre of hard science fiction. Many readers will have difficulties in reading it if they are looking for a mental adrenaline boost that they may receive from a space opera like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. The Cantos is more like a slow reaction drug, it takes a while to feel the effects. One needs to read this poem as slowly as possible.

The main reason to take your time is that the novel is extremely detailed. There are new concepts of technology embedded with existing science. Reading it too quickly may lead the reader to misunderstandings of the plot. Here is an example. Michio Kakau, a scientist and futurist, in one of his discourses that I attended in Washington DC talked about uploading one conscience into a synthetic body, one would be called a cyborg. In the novel you read about the reverse where an AI is transferred into a human body. The author calls it a Cybrid.

In conclusion the Hyperion Cantos is a good read, very detailed in science and technology with a good story that concludes eloquently If one has the patience to not only read the novel but to absorb the concepts the author conveys to the hard sci-fi readers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Long Mars

The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett My rating: 3 of 5 stars "The Long Mars," the third installment in the Long Earth series, continues to expand the already vast canvas of Pratchett and Baxter's creation. While the concept of "Joker Mars" – echoing the familiar "Joker Earths" – is intriguing, it's just one of three distinct narrative threads woven throughout this book. We follow Sally Linsay on a journey across the Martian Stepped worlds, unraveling the mysteries her father, Willis, seeks. This exploration of the alien landscapes of the Long Mars is certainly compelling, but personally, it was the storyline involving "The Next" that truly captivated me. Joshua Valiente's arc, which delves into the emergence of these post-human children, is where the book really shines. It's a powerful exploration of prejudice, fear, and the potential societal clashes that arise when faced with the "other." The authors masterfully tackle ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Long Utopia

The Long Utopia by Terry Pratchett My rating: 3 of 5 stars In The Long Utopia, a novel in the Long Earth series, the artificial intelligences Agnes and Lobsang embark on a unique endeavor: adopting a human child, Ben, and attempting to build a normal pioneering life on one of the seemingly infinite parallel Earths. However, their peaceful existence takes a dramatic turn with the human pioneers discovering a peculiar species dubbed 'silver beetles'. These insects exhibit an unusual behavior of 'stepping down' to lower-numbered Earths. As the pioneers observe them, a terrifying realization dawns: the silver beetles are not merely migrating; they are systematically transforming their chosen parallel Earth into a colossal Dyson Motor, a structure designed to harness the star's energy. Lobsang, with his advanced analytical capabilities, understands the catastrophic implications. These silver beetles can step sideways to other parallel Earths, potentially converting an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Echo of worlds

Echo of Worlds by M.R. Carey My rating: 2 of 5 stars M.R. Carey's "Echo of Worlds" serves as a powerful and satisfying conclusion to his "Pandominion" duology, following the intriguing setup of "Infinity Gate." While the author's broader works certainly explore diverse realms, this novel masterfully ties together the threads of this particular multiversal conflict. The story immediately plunges readers into an epic war across countless dimensions. On one side stands the organic Pandominion, pitted against the chilling machine-intelligence known as the Ansurrection. Both factions are escalating their destructive capabilities, threatening to unleash an extinction-level event called the "Scour," which could wipe out thousands of planets. At the heart of this desperate struggle is the artificial intelligence, Rupshe. Convinced that the "Scour" is inevitable without intervention, Rupshe assembles a captivating and unlikely team fr...
Post a Comment
Read more