One of the characters in Endymion and Rise of Endymion can phase shift time, so, in a way, he already wrote about it. I'm still a little unclear if she creates some sort of dampening field where everyone slows down drastically (almost completely), or they move in real-time but she moves so incredibly fast, they just seem like they've stopped.
Either way, if you could do that, you'd have a lot more reading time on your hands.
The ending of Flashback... that was not cool Mr. Simmons.
Nearly at the half point mark of The Abominable. Things are picking up and we've moved on from discussing different kinds of climbing axes and ropes.
I see that Simmons is once again true to himself. But that's also what we love him for, right?
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I should've said I was referring mostly to the "fake" ending, not the actual last chapter. You'll see what I mean if you read it.
As far as ranking it among his other works, I'd say it's somewhere at the lower end of the Golden Middle. Under The Children of the Night but definitely above Black Hills. There are twists and turns as per the usual Simmons recipe, but they're a little more obvious than usually, and the endingSpoiler:is the cheesiest yet. It's not as classy and emotional as The Crook Factory, not as intergalactically massive as Hyperion's, not as gut-wrenching as the one to Song of Kali.
Interesting take on a dystopian future, solid prose, cool gadgets, realistic main characters. 3/5.
I was really disappointed in Flashback also. Definitely NOT one of Simmon's better works.
John
John, was it the politics or something else? I'm pretty close to Simmons in a lot of ways. I acknowledge the threat of extreme Islam and the politics of appeasement but this was just too harsh.
Politics aren't the reason I gave it 3/5 btw. There were parts I really liked (a screw up, junkie father getting his act together for his son) but overall, something just didn't click.
Maybe I need to reread it, but I loved Flashback. So far I only didn't care for Black Hills and was underwhelmed by Song of Kali.
I'm also pretty close to Simmons as far as his politics go, but to me Flashback was just too extreme.Originally Posted by WeDealInLead
John
From his FB page yesterday: Last night I e-mailed off the final draft of my new novel THE FIFTH HEART to my literary agent, editor, and publisher. It was weird to go to sleep last night without writing the next morning's pages in my mind and weirder still to awaken today and not have that world -- Sherlock Holmes and Henry James together in America and at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair -- to go back into. It's been a long, serious, fun project.
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.
Given Simmons' gift for historical fiction, that one REALLY sounds interesting to me!
John
Hmmm, that sounds interesting.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
I may be in the minority but I actually loved Hyperion. I tend to like Fantasy/Sci-Fi a lot though. I thought it was extremely well written.
I have to say that I didn't dislike the Hyperion series, just that I didn't like them as much as some of his other works.
John
I liked the Hyperion / Endymion series a lot. I wasn't as fond of Ilium / Odyssium.
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.
I love the Hyperion books and consider myself very luck to own a numbered and lettered SubPress set.
I haven't read the Endymion books yet, nor do I know if SubPress is planning a limited edition of each.
Anyone?
sk
They're sequels to Hyperion Cantos. You won't get the full story until you've read them.
I don't think the books are fantasy. Fantastical maybe (in a sense that PKD, Ellison, Gene Wolfe and even Tim Powers are), but when I think fantasy I think dragons, magicians, Gaiman, a guy with a cloak and sword on the cover. I think calling Hyperion simply S.F. is selling it short because it's so huge and multi-faceted but that's as close as you can get if you have to call it something. Like in bookstores, it's in the science fiction section.
I passed on Subterranean editions because a) they're just oversized trade editions with new artwork and signature page, b) original first printings are cheaper and c) original artwork is sooo much more epic and imaginative.
If you read Hyperion series, you will love Endymion series. I read all four in a row and loved them.
You have to read the whole series (loved them!) - they really are four books in my mind. My understanding is that Bill at SubPress is most definitely doing all four books.If you read Hyperion series, you will love Endymion series. I read all four in a row and loved them.
Here's something Simmons posted today on his forum in a response to someone: "The Hyperion/Endymion SF novels were one large tale told in four volumes."
My point exactly. Despite the significant jump in time that sometimes occur, they really are one big volume.
I have yet to read a Dan Simmons novel. Help me out with that
Based on recommendations, I'm eying Hyperion and The Terror. All suggestions are welcome though, and any minor comment on why you love that book so much is appreciated.
What are your 3 favorite Dan Simmons novels?
And go.
(will merge thread later)
HYPERION
THE FALL OF HYPERION
THE RISE OF ENDYMION
ENDYMION is fine (and you'll need to read before you read RISE OF...), but RISE is the better book, as FALL would be better than HYPERION if you were looking at it from a purely narrative standpoint.
That said:
It will likely never be as good for you as it was for me, reading it for the first time back in 1989, because this is not that world anymore. You may prefer to start with something that you don't have to read in the context of everything that came after. There are only a few that manage that kind of staying power; I'd be stuck naming much from that era of science fiction other than NEUROMANCER.
Summer of Night and The Terror. They're two of my favorite books.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
Yes.
Summer of Night and Song of Kali
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