Spoilers warning

Picked it up from the Goodreads science fiction top list. The description did not make much sense to me but I decided to give it a try based on the popularity.

It was a bit hard for me to get into but after a while the narrative made sense. It felt cosy to imagine all these travelers gather around and tell stories to each other. I liked the variety of styles and themes that each character contributes. But I still felt it was not fully stitched together. Yes, there is this shared universe but the transition from one tale to another still was jarring. And the ending was underwhelming. I was hoping for some closure, and the last tale kind of provided it, but then there was a heap of unanswered questions.

What were your thoughts? If you read the sequels, were they worth it?

  • ThatsMrCharlieToYou@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    9 months ago

    I’ll pile in on what is already pretty well answered. I loved the entire series. The first book feels different to the remaining 3 but I did not find the remaining 3 lacking. By no means are they perfect but in some way, that’s better. As some other people have mentioned, there is some controversy surrounding the Endymion books but I found out after reading them which confirmed by suspicions after reading the books. Some politics definitely leaks in so you’ll have to make up your own mind on whether or not you’d like to partake.

    In an attempt to answer your question though, yes, the sequels are worth reading in my opinion. No book is yet to replicate the scope of the world that is created in Hyperion. I love the lore that creeps in and the individuality of the characters which is best showcased in book 1 but is definitely present in book 2. The overall story is incredibly well told and satisfying. The end of book 2 was great, I did not realise until reading comments that others did not enjoy it as much as I did. Books 3 and 4 tell a different, yet related story, which is also genuinely wonderful. I was swept away in to the Hyperion universe by all of them.

    If you do decide to read them, I hope you enjoy.

    As a side note, the audiobooks are great but the narrator is not consistent with certain names and locations which is, to this day, one of my biggest pet peeves about audiobooks (albeit generally)