Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooley
The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons,( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_cantos) especially the two first books; Hyperion and The fall of Hyperion. I cant understand why Simmons only gets mentioned in one reply. These books are very much character and plot driven, with alot of refrence to classic literature. The first two books has a female co-lead characer; Brawne Lamia (the story follows a group of 6 people, and their individual stories), her story (too) has romance. I first read "The Endymion Omnibus", not knowing it was book 3 and 4 in the tetralogy known as "The Hyperion Cantos", and I was awestruck. These two books also have a female protagonist; Aenea, though the lead character is a man, she gradually take centerstage with him. These two books also has elements of romance. |
Simmons probably only gets mentioned in one reply because The Hyperion Cantos aren't really space opera by the usual definitions.
They
are brilliant and multi-layered works. The first book in particular is a literary tour de force, with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales retold as SF. They are also a bit like the proverbial onion: as you read farther, layers are peeled back, and you discover things are not as you were led to think they were.
I was introduced to the series shortly after the publication of the first by a friend who was writer and editor, and thought _Hyperion_ was one of those big books full of ideas that come along periodically and help redefine SF. I thought he was quite right.
I recommended them to a friend, who bought the first in PB. Unfortunately, it was long enough that Bantam had split the first book into two PB volumes, but
didn't mention the first book was part one of two. He was so annoyed when he came to the cliff-hanger at the end of book one that he refused to read anything else of Simmons'. My protests that it wasn't the
author's fault if the publisher was stupid were to no avail.
I'd call the series one you should read if you're at all serious about SF. It's a bit atypical for Simmons, however - most of his output is normally classed as Horror.
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Dennis