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What Members Thought
Seven amazing stories. Each one you think can't possibly top the last, and then it does. We never really get to understand what is up with the Time Tombs - guess I have to keep reading. But the strength of each of these stories is worth it. One of the best books I've read in a while.
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Seven pilgrims make their way towards the enigmatic, murderous and time-distorting being known as the Shrike on the planet Hyperion, as galactic war looms overhead. On the way, each tells their tale, revealing new pieces of the puzzle of the Shrike and its purpose.
Set against a richly detailed galactic backdrop, Simmons deftly merges different genres - horror, fantasy, mystery, noir - with science fiction through the individual tales. Each tale (except maybe the Poet's, which was still good but ...more
Set against a richly detailed galactic backdrop, Simmons deftly merges different genres - horror, fantasy, mystery, noir - with science fiction through the individual tales. Each tale (except maybe the Poet's, which was still good but ...more
People have been recommending this book, a sort of science fiction take on both Canterbury tales and the John Keats poem of the same name, for years. I finally started it and was disappointed initially. The first few chapters seemed overwhelmingly cliche and the characters not much more than cardboard. However, either I began to look past all that or Simmons really did improve along the way, because the story is fascinating. Some of his ideas are incredibly original. His grasp of dialogue wander
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People day the writing in this book is great. Maybe it is. But it is not science fiction as far as I am concerned. It is more fantasy horror. Some people even say don't bother reading the second book because the writing is not as good. The story is the purpose of the writing. It makes no sense without reading the second book.
If you like fantasy horror go for it. But if you want real science fiction, skip it. ...more
If you like fantasy horror go for it. But if you want real science fiction, skip it. ...more
It's a story that echoes the Decameron and The Canterbury Tales, seven people tell the stories behind their going to Hyperion. Home to the Shrike and some tombs that no-one understands. Shrike will give one of them their wish but the others will die.
It's interesting and while the story continues into other books it doesn't induce me to continue reading. ...more
It's interesting and while the story continues into other books it doesn't induce me to continue reading. ...more
Sep 16, 2010
Jennifer
marked it as to-read
Apr 29, 2011
Jenny (Reading Envy)
marked it as to-read
Nov 10, 2012
Ali
marked it as to-read
Dec 24, 2012
Nat
marked it as to-read
Mar 12, 2014
taeli
marked it as to-read
Sep 28, 2014
Chris Stanford
marked it as to-read
Aug 23, 2015
Mark
marked it as to-read
