Well written science fiction.
not quite as strong as the first two Hyperion books, but those are classics. still very original and fun.
This is the 4th and final book in the Hyperion series. Overall it's a very rich and creative series.
The fourth and final book in the Hyperion series.
This was (sadly) the last book of the Hyperion saga. Although there was a rather drastic trasition between books 2 and 3, the second too books were a magnificient adventure in and of themselves! Honestly, if you read Endymion, I am not sure how you couldn't be thirsting to read this!
This is the fourth in the "Hyperion" series, and a good finale. Dan Simmons ties up all of the loose ends left dangling in the three previous books (Hyperion, the Fall of Hyperion, and Endymion). The tale carried through the series is often tragic, but at the same time uplifting. Humanity can be stupid, narrow-minded, and petty, but at the same time can be beautiful, loving, and caring. Dan uses these traits and many more to build a tale that is very well-written. The amount of cultural background used in this last book alone is daunting, but at the same time may spark an interest to "learn more about that".
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the series. My only advice: read the series in the proper order.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the series. My only advice: read the series in the proper order.
I could not put it down
This is a continuation of the Hyperion series. If you liked it you should read it through the finish. Dan Simmons is a wonderful writer and the series is epic.
Well, I'm done with the Hyperion series now, and I'm glad.
The Rise Of Endymion wraps up the Hyperion books for good, or so I hope. It's not that it's a bad book, but it could have been so much better.
Slow to the point of plodding at times, we're told about character development rather than seeing it, and quite a few things are very predictable.
I've called this book "OK" purely because if you've gotten through the first three in the series you'll probably want to read this one to learn the bits of the ending that you don't already know. That said, it's not all that well written.
A major problem that inhabits all four volumes is that Simmons lets his imagination run way ahead of what he's already written. He created a particular universe in Hyperion, changed a couple of the fundamentals in The Fall Of Hyperion, changed a lot of the fundamentals in Endymion, and a few more in The Rise Of Endymion. Effectively he's rewriting the rules of the game - his laws of physics and rules of behavior - on the fly. Changing even one rule like that in the middle of a series is difficult to do well. Your readers tend to lose their willing suspension of disbelief when you pull that stunt. Simmons does it so many times you just start to give up. There are no touchstones you can return to here.
In summary, I think the original Hyperion is a pretty good book, but it has no ending, and the three that follow it get progressively less well written. It's a shame, really. Hyperion has such promise.
The Rise Of Endymion wraps up the Hyperion books for good, or so I hope. It's not that it's a bad book, but it could have been so much better.
Slow to the point of plodding at times, we're told about character development rather than seeing it, and quite a few things are very predictable.
I've called this book "OK" purely because if you've gotten through the first three in the series you'll probably want to read this one to learn the bits of the ending that you don't already know. That said, it's not all that well written.
A major problem that inhabits all four volumes is that Simmons lets his imagination run way ahead of what he's already written. He created a particular universe in Hyperion, changed a couple of the fundamentals in The Fall Of Hyperion, changed a lot of the fundamentals in Endymion, and a few more in The Rise Of Endymion. Effectively he's rewriting the rules of the game - his laws of physics and rules of behavior - on the fly. Changing even one rule like that in the middle of a series is difficult to do well. Your readers tend to lose their willing suspension of disbelief when you pull that stunt. Simmons does it so many times you just start to give up. There are no touchstones you can return to here.
In summary, I think the original Hyperion is a pretty good book, but it has no ending, and the three that follow it get progressively less well written. It's a shame, really. Hyperion has such promise.
