The Fall of Hyperion

I’m having a hard time understanding how I feel about this book, and about Dan Simmons’ writing in general.

The plot is interesting. The worldbuilding is impressive. It’s clever. And I care about a number of the characters (Rachel, Sol, and Brawne most notably). But Jesus does Simmons take his time getting to the point. And he’s not a great hang – it’s all very serious and everyone is very serious (save for the profane poet Martin Selinus).

Getting through this book was tough even though I was engaged. I knew I was going to finish it because I needed to know what happened to the characters, but there were times when it was a real slog.

I also don’t entirely understand what happened, who did what to whom, and what the motivations were. I mean, I have ideas on all those things, but clarity is not Simmons’ strong point. That’s probably where my ambiguous feelings come from – I’m not a fan of opaque writing. It’s why I don’t like poetry (and these books lean hard on poetry). It’s not that I don’t respect it. I do. But I’m a “say what you mean” kind of person and I get frustrated – but clearly not frustrated enough to stop reading – when plot and intention are veiled.

But! I also enjoyed a lot of this book.