Ranking the tales of Hyperion
- Carla Ra
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
It took me long enough, but I finally read Dan Simmon’s 1989 classic Hyperion. To be honest, I expected to be frustrated with it. This title seemed like an overhyped book. Fortunately, it is appropriately hyped. I really enjoyed it.
The structure of the book was a plus factor for me. It’s not a secret that I prefer shorter stories over longer narratives. Big books intimidate me. But Hyperion is divided into independent tales, each contributing to painting a greater picture about the planet of Hyperion, so it reads like a collection of interconnected short stories.
I’ve been longing to share my favorites among the tales of Hyperion. But I hesitated before writing this post because there’s no way I can discuss them without some MAJOR SPOILERS. Really, the list itself is a spoiler. So, you should not proceed if you want to keep your naivety towards the novel.
Although, I’m guessing that if you're curious, then you have probably read it already, so… let’s jump into my ranking, from best to worst.
The Scholar’s Tale: “The River Lethe’s Taste is Bitter”
To the surprise of exactly zero people, the scholar’s tale is my favorite. Time tropes are the most compelling to me.
The story of Rachel Weintraub, told by her father Sol Weintraub, is a fantastic one. Rachel was an archeologist working in the Time Tomb site, located in the world of Hyperion, when she was exposed to a field of reverse entropy. It caused a condition unseen before: Rachel started to age backwards. Her future was to relive her past.
Rachel is an extreme case of Benjamin-Button disease. She was 24 years-old when she met the Shrike, the temple guardian who activated the entropic field. After that, day-by-day her body got younger.
However, unlike Benjamin Button, Rachel does not remember living until 24. Her memories are clear from birth until only the day she un-aged. For example, when she turned five for the second time, her memories go until the last day of her fourth year, erasing all recollections from her accident, career, and so on. Mind-boggling, is it not?
The story is incredible. The bittersweet recollection and everlasting hope in the narration of Rachel’s story by her father is heart wrenching. We follow basically 48 years of her life: from birth to 24 and back. And now, being only a few months of age, she is on her way to being offered as a sacrifice to the Shrike.
Honestly, I’m gonna read the second book just because of her.
The Priest’s Tale: “The Man Who Cried God”
In the tradition of opening a collection of short stories with a banger, the first tale of Hyperion is a masterpiece. This story is presented to us as journal entries, written by a Catholic priest named Paul Duré, read by his colleague Father Hoyt. The first got involved in a scandal in which he faked evidence that Christianity had reached Hyperion before humanity did and, as punishment, he got exiled to the planet.
Father Duré embarked on a journey to the southland on Hyperion, in search of more concrete evidence of his assumptions. There, he found a tribe of once-humans called Bikura, and they are obsessed with something called “the cruciform.” In his time with the Bikura, Father Duré discovered more than he ever imagined.
The religion surrounding the cruciform and the rituals the Bikuras take part in are among the most extraordinary pieces of worldbuilding in Hyperion. And the implications to the Catholicism depicted in the novel is provocative. Borderline heretic. I loved it!
The worst part about this tale is that we don’t get to read more about the cruciform for the rest of the novel.
The Detective’s Tale: “The Long Good-Bye”
Who doesn’t like a good detective story? It is especially intriguing when the murder victim joins the investigation. No, that’s not some supernatural shenanigan. The crime was committed against a cybrid, a humanoid entity controlled by an AI, who has his memory wiped, but preserving his personality. This is, to a cyborg, the equivalent of death.
The detective’s is one of the last tales to be told, and it expands on several loose ends left by the previous ones. It is action packed, and the ending is worth a long whistle. Although, the story can be cheesy at times.
The detective, Brawne Lamia, is so-so as a character. To be honest, I also didn’t sympathize with the cybrid. But the plot is exciting, and it evolves in a satisfying way.
The Consul’s Tale: “Remembering Siri”
The last tale presented to us (spoiler!) is very mild. The Consul is the hidden spy, but his backstory doesn’t match an espionage vibe.
Its worldbuilding is the best part. We get to explore the paradise world of Maui-Covenant and the locals’ reaction in the face of the Hegemony’s arrival with their promise of technological advancement.
Not the best tale; not the worst either.
The Poet’s Tale: “Hyperion Cantos”
In the whole novel, the poet Martin Silenius is definitely the most unlikable character. What a douche!
Yes, this tale is ranked this low just because of how annoying the character is. But I must admit, if he was a tiny bit less insufferable, I would rank his story higher. Let’s focus on the positive, then.
First, he is an author, which I can relate to. He’s also from Earth in its doomed-planet stage, and somehow, I can relate to this too…
His obsession with writing his magnus opus Hyperion Cantos would also be relatable if not for the maniacal speeches.
The Soldier’s Tale: “The War Lovers”
The only tale I hated was the second of the bunch. I cannot pinpoint exactly which semen-covered scene made me so adverse to this story. Maybe it was the macho vibe and militarism that drew me away. Admittedly, military sci-fi is not my favorite.
Nevertheless, the most evocative images came (pun intended) from this story. After all, the Shrike has a prominent role in this tale.
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That’s it for today, folks.
Have you read Hyperion? If yes, which is your favorite story? Would you rank them differently? If you haven’t read it yet, what are you doing here? Go read it now!
See you next post,
Ra.
Carla Ra is a scientist by day, sci-fi writer by night.
You can check out her anthology ARTIFICIAL REBELLION here.
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