Source: Goodreads

Book Review: Hyperion

I have been wanting to read Hyperion since last year, but the first time I opened the book, I was greeted by various terms I could not understand due to both my limited English vocabulary and the terms themselves. Saurian, gymnosphere, tachyons… and these are just on page one. At one point, I wonder whether it is a vocabulary issue or whether these terms are even real (apparently, many of the terms are made up). Consequently, I put the book down. My story with Hyperion ended before it began.

However, since then, many many book reviewers I followed recommended this book. One of the biggest supporters of the book is Richard from the YouTube channel 2toRamble, whom I trust with my heart because he is the one who recommended Sword of Kaigen (phenomenal read). Trusting him, I try to read this book again, this time accepting the fact that I will not understand all the words, but at least I was able to follow the story.

This book is unique because it is a collection of stories; seven pilgrims are on the journey to Hyperion, where they will meet this creature called the Shrike for unknown purposes. The nature of the pilgrimage is unclear, and the Shrike itself is also obscure. The pilgrims then take turns telling their stories on why they are in this journey, and bit by bit, we are handed a piece of the puzzle to uncover the bigger story. This is what makes the book hard to put down, as you are always wondering what’s up with the mystery of the Shrike.

My favourite story (which is weird because we are talking about a story within a single book) is surprisingly the Priest tale. It is a horror story, and I never imagined myself getting chilled by a horror story in a sci-fi novel, yet I am. However, that is not to say that the other stories are bad; on the contrary, they are really good. They have very different genres and themes each, but are somehow connected. which makes the book have a unique feeling about it.

Bottom line, this is just a great great book. The book is demanding in some ways, as you need to bear now understanding some of the terms. However, it pays off. The mystery of the Shrike, and the variety of the stories make it stand out from typical novels. I am continuing to the sequel, The Fall of Hyperion.