Finishing Hyperion, what next?
I read the first 3 Dune books after seeing the movie and hearing about the challenges of getting that story on the screen. Love the first 2, the ending of the 3rd was ok.
I’m 3/4ths through the 4th and final Hyperion books. Absolutely incredible, I’m disappointed knowing I’ll be done with it soon. I highly recommend it if you’re at all curious. The author does an excellent job sneaking deep references into the colorful narrative; Keats and Ancient Greek mythology among them. The characters are vivid, varied, and somehow all relatable.
When I was younger I liked Vonnegut, specifically Galapagos, cats cradle, and slaughter house 5. I recently read Philip K Dicks “do androids… electric sheep” and wasn’t a fan. I loved the film blade runner, but the book kind of trudged on for me with, what I felt was, a let down of an ending. Asimov’s foundation was ok, but it lacked action and the characters seemed thin; I do like the concept a lot, it was just missing something for me.
So what’s next? I read a few classics in school and wasn’t terribly moved by most of them. I’ve considered giving Philip K Dick another chance, and possibly exploring the Dune books not authored by Herbert. I’m not a big fan of fantasy- at least in the horse riding, sword wielding, magic and sorcery vein.
Thanks for any suggestions
E: Markdown
I’ve heard of Le Guin, thanks for the recommendations
The Dispossessed is a really interesting look at anarchism in practice
Also may I recommend the Culture series by Iain M Banks.
People, please. Don't sleep on Butler either. A truly visionary artist. She's incredible. I hate how late in life I heard of her. Genuinely alien aliens. And she cooked up Make America Great Again for her neofascist fiction party decades before their lizard brains could copy it. It's literally in the books. She predicted the future with basically 100% accuracy. The series is Earthseed.
Btw this is not a criticism of your UKLG rec, I love her too and have read many of her books. She's incredible. I wanted to rec some non-male, non-white authors as well as the other good recs in this thread. Both authors are incredible
Edit: Got Le Guin's initials wrong 😓
I recommend you start with the Hainish series's trilogy (Rocannon's world, planet of exile, and city of illusions). The Left Hand of Darkness is better, and it doesn't require any of them, but those books will do a lot of world building so you can just focus on the story rather than ask what the hell the Ekumen is.
City of illusions is also just hard-core payoff and that made it really interesting
Immediately thought about Le Guin. Probably my all time favourite author. So many great novels and short story collections to choose from. Even her YA novels are thoughtful, wise and the prose is pretty much flawless. OP, let me know what you're in the mood for and I'll recommend a few books.
Did you read The Word for World is Forest?
Cuz damn_son.jxl
Edit: I haven't read all of it (i.e., all of her work), but I think The Left Hand of Darkness is my favorite, if I had to pick
Yes. Both are brilliant and although I'm not sure, I feel like the former had a big influence on Cameron's Avatar (much more so than Pocahontas tbh). Hard to pick a favourite but I really like the Western shore trilogy.
Maybe Iain M. Banks' Culture series, if you're not familiar with his work already. The books are generally standalobe stories, but there are some recurring side characters and references to earlier books. Consider Phlebas is the first one I think.
I'm just starting this series now. Looking forward to it
They are absolutely amazing books.
Honestly, I tell people to pass on Consider Phlebas a lot of the time. The first book is worth reading, but The Player of Games is a much better book and is a better introduction to the series.
I've only read Consider Phlebas so far. If OP is looking for action then this is a good choice.
I don't usually read sci-fi for laser fights and starship chases, but it feels justified in this one.
If you liked the first book, you're going to absolutely LOVE the second one. It's so much better. I've been reading sci-fi for 25 years now and nothing has topped The Player of Games for me.
I suggest the Commonwealth's saga by Peter F. Hamilton (Pandora's star, Judas unchained).
Been on a Peter Hamilton binge since I started Pandora's Star about 4 months ago, and have since gone through all 7 of the Commonwealth books (Commonwealth duology, Void trilogy, and Chronicles of the Fallers duology) Exodus: Archimedes Engine, and am almost done book 1 of the Salvation trilogy.
So far my favourite is probably the Commonwealth duology, followed by Exodus. All of the books I've read have been amazing IMO, this is the first time I've read based solely off the author rather than recommendations. He can be pretty horny at times which is the main thing about his books that annoy me, but the world building is top tier IMO and the ideas he presents are fascinating.
Highly recommend giving the Commonwealth duology a try, it's a bit slow going at first but once it gets going, I found it hard to stop. Amazing books.
Great books, I recently re-read and they don't stand up as well as I remember, some characters in particular, but still good.
The Nights Dawn series is good too. Love his stuff.
Blindsight by Peter watts.
Blindsight is the ability of people who are cortically blind to respond to visual stimuli that they do not consciously see due to lesions in the primary visual cortex, also known as the striate cortex or Brodmann Area 17. --Wikipedia
My all-time favorite book, read it 14 times or so.
It's been long enough that I can reread it. East of eden is on the list as well
It's blind sight the one that has vampires in it for absolutely no reason? I couldn't get through it.
If you haven't finished it how can you know they're there for no reason?
Right, my point is that you didn't get far enough to learn why they're there so you can't say they're part of the story for no reason.
I found the book to be a fascinating thought experiment on the evolution of human consciousness, how we think and interact, and what it means for us as a species. If you can suspend your disbelief about the vampire I think it's worth the read, it's one of those books that made me stare off into space lost in thought after I finished it.
Correct. I did not like the book. It happens. Move on.
It's kind of weird you even have an opinion on it since you didn't read it in the first place. Like, why even comment if you didn't want to talk about it?
Are you daft?
You missed the point of, everything about Blindsight? Did you think they were sparkly vampires?
They're a forgotten anciant race of vampires that suddenly woke up and are now piloting space ships lmao it's incredibly cringy.
I just said i couldn't get through the book, so no i did not get far enough to see the point in it.
Awesome book. Text rarely gives me such impressions of genius artistry as Blindsight does. It's clever without being obnoxious.
I fucking did not like that book. I did not like any of the characters. Grrrr to that book. That is all. I guess in saying I wouldn't go more Hyperion. Do Revelation Space Series. Much better.
I gave Hyperion about 200 pages and they were STILL world building and offering leading secrets the author didn't think the reader needed to know. So I just gave up.
Couldn't agree more. I guess what baffled me was all the years it was pushed on me. Canterbury Tales in space. Got it. Didn't much care for the thing when Mrs. Baker was pushing allegorical shit and what not and I'm not digging it now that everyone is nothing I'm interested in rooting for. Harumph!
Yeah, if there's not a character I can relate to, sympathize with, or cheer for within 200 pages, I'm not going to keep reading.
It really comes together at the end in an amazing way. However it's such a chore to get there. Simmons doesn't ever write characters I care about.
I'm with you. I was pretty close to giving up on it several times, but slugged through it at first because so many people said it was so great, and then because the next book was meant to be better, and then because I was over halfway so I may as well finish it. I wish I hadn't.
I felt the Culture books by Iain Banks were a similar tone and style, but I found them much more enjoyable.
I loved the first two books, it felt like an adventure and a puzzle piece. Then the last 2 are 😬
Same. Simmons fucks up a landing. Idk what it is. I like Ilium and hated Olympos.
I liked the series until the point OP is at. The third book was okay but I just could not like Raul Endymion no matter what.
The ending fourth of Rise felt like Disney wrote it. "Oh but you see it's bittersweet and--" okay but ::: spoiler plot spoilage Anea fucking died and now she's back in Disney "everything's okay!" fashion for like 2 years or whatever, yeah she'll be gone but the book doesn't bother making even an ounce of progress towards that happening. "And Earth is back, and no one is allowed to visit it while it's just you and I and then and then and then". It's like a fucking 8 year old wrote the ending. :::
Yeah revelation space is what I'm reading now. The series is great
I also didn't like Hyperion. Just couldn't get into it for whatever reason and I gave it a fair whack. Thank you for the recommendation. I'll check it out.
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. If you like it (and I think you will) there are more in the series.
Really just anything by bruh, tbh
Did you read the short one about the puzzle-tower? Wild.
Simmons' books "Illum" and "Odessey" are pretty great and feel like the same universe
I second these if you want more Simmons.
They’re on the list thanks!
Of yeah, actually these kinda belong with the Hyperions, so first these next :D (when I irl bought Hyperion books the settler insisted on gifting me these to keep them together :)).
The Book of the New Sun (really 4 books) gave me the feeling of reading Dune, Hyperion, and Lord of the Rings kind of wrapped into one.
I would also recommend the 4th Dune book (God Emporor), as it wraps up where the first 3 books were going with the Golden Path. After that, he starts a new trilogy, which doesn't get finished, so results may vary.
Second The Book Of The New Sun - it’s dense and really rewards re-reading.
There’s also the Urth Of The New Sun, which sort-of concludes the story.
I liked Urth of the New Sun, but I can also see why it is separate from the others. For me it felt like a step back for the main character.
I second the finishing of the quatrology. I think one could stop at the first book, maybe even the second, but if you're in for the third you should be in for the fourth.
If you're into a rich narrative and deep references, don't miss Cryptononicon and the whole Baroque cycle by Neal Stephenson.
I wouldn't recommend Anderson Dune books.
Pohl has some classics Heechee Saga Space Merchants Man Plus
Ringworld
Vernor Vinge: Fire Upon the Deep
John Scalzi: Old Mans War Series
Some of my suggestions:
The Forever War is such an important and great read. I'd put it alongside Catch-22 and Johnny Got His Gun for an anti-war novel.
I'm surprised I don't hear about it more. I only stumbled upon it somewhat recently and am amazed it doesnt get brought up more. While you can feel the Vietnam War influences, it transcends that war and give a compelling story about the costs of war writ large.
Both of these are excellent but very different thematically. Forever War is much more “space” and “time” where Stranger in a Strange Land is a mostly an Earth story with a critical eye on the being/psychology of humanity (albeit from an “alien” perspective).
Yeah, that's why I added the descriptions. Given Dune and Hyperion, I think OP could enjoy both of those, but they are different (from each other and Dune/Hyperion).
If you’re going with Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was awesome too. One of the only Heinlein ones that didn’t make me feel weird after I learned more about him.
I haven't read that, but adding it to my list.
I didn't really like the Hyperion series much myself, but both Dune and Hyperion are sci-fi with religious elements. Maybe A Canticle for Leibowitz.
I loved Canticle. I recommend it to everyone
Maybe Flowers for Algernon? I read this for the first time near when when I read Canticle. I much more connected to Algernon.
MaddAddam trilogy also touches close to home for me, not least because Atwood is Canadian.
I was also late to Childhood's End and The Chrysalids.
Flowers for Algernon is one of my top books of all time.
That being said, it's definitely a different vibe than Hyperion or Dune. It's a lot more personal and almost doesn't read like scifi.
Just bought that book, you will be hearing from me when I am 12 beers in after finishing it
After the end of that book you'll probably need 12 drinks.
12 more drinks.
Honestly, now — not promoting binge drinking or alcohol consumption at all — but that book tears something in you. It can't be undone.
Similar in nature, but a bit more space focused would be the Foundation Series. It's a series by Issac Asimov where a mathematician sets up a planet to try to speed up a galactic dark age due to an empire collapsing.
Apple TV has a series on it, but it actually focuses on what happens leading up to the main story of the first book.
Foundation Series and the Caves of Steel series are so good.
Give Philip K Dick a chance: Start with 'Ubik'. I think we all need a little bit of Dick in our lives, to broaden our horizons.
Very surprised I haven't seen Red Rising mentioned.
If you're looking for something epic but self-contained I really liked "Seveneves" by Neal Stephenson. If you want something that's got a similar level of art to Hyperion I'd suggest "This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This is how you lose a time war is fantastic I haven’t read Hyperion yet but that’s definitely another vote for Time War.
Haven't seen these mentioned here, but the "Old Man's War" series by John Scalzi is great as are "The Expanse" books by James SA Corey. I'd highly recommend those to anyone, but especially those looking for grounded and hard-ish sci-fi that doesn't lose the reader or become overly technical.
I highly highly recommend Old Man's War to anyone looking to get into sci-fi novels for the first time, Scalzi really takes care of his reader and his writing is a delight. The Expanse books are awesome whether or not you've seen the TV series... the show runners really took care with the source material and, ask any fan of the books, it is a great adaptation. The show hits the same plot points of the books while getting there in new and interesting ways. Further, the show created a new character in Kamina Drummer who immediately became a fan favorite of both show and book lovers (she's an amalgamation of a couple of book characters and becomes her own thing that really adds SO much to the story and world building).
Thanks, I never considered myself a sci-fi fan so what you mentioned about old man’s war is appealing. That’s interesting the Expanse show added a character and still gets love from the book fans, speaks volumes to their adaptation
I don't want to hype it up too much, but the Expanse show is really great... IMHO some of the best sci-fi television in decades. I'd say it's easily up there with "Battlestar Galactica" (the RDM or "re-imagined" series) and "Farscape" as a triumph of what I'd guess you would call "post-9/11" science fiction story telling. Most fans of the books would tell you to read them first, but I think either is fine because both are great (I read them as the show was airing and it was awesome all the same). My favorite character in both the books and TV series is hands down Amos Burton... Wes Chatham is the actor that plays him; he has said in interviews that he read the books before filming season 1, fell in love with the character, and it really effing shows. From the writers and show runners to the actors, costuming, and set design... they took great care to be loyal to the books while creating something new at the same time.
I think the original idea by Joe Haldeman is superior. I definitely like both though.
Ursula K. LeGuin's Always Coming Home is an intriguing approach to novel writing. Some can't get into it because it looks more like an ethnologist's report, but there is a story there (and I don't mean the segments with Stone Telling: the entire novel has a story that rewards those who pay attention).
I believe the most popular PKD is Man in the High Castle, my favorite is Ubik. But to be honest, if you disliked Do Androids, PKD may just not be your thing.
Hmmm… maybe next go for something a little less ponderous, try some Neal Stephenson, maybe Diamond Age.
I read Snow Crash last year and it was one of the worst slogs I've ever endured. I get that people like Stephenson, but definitely not for me.
Ubik is a lot of fun. I enjoyed high Castle, but man that tv show soured me on it big time. (Which is stupid, i know, but here i am)
Haven't done Ubik yet, but I loved a Scanner Darkly. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep didn't really appeal to me either. It's got a bunch of cool stuff, but doesn't really manage to tie any of it together in a satisfying way.
You read the expanse series?
The 4th and final you say? That means Endymion and it's sequel. I couldn't stand them. Loved Hyperion. Additionally loved Ilium hated Olympos. Idk what it is about Simmons and his inability to stick the landing for me.
Honestly Hyperion landed so hard for me that I didn't need the second or the Endymion books. The second is certainly superior to the rest but Hyperion was so magical that it was just downhill from there for me.
The first book is such a well-contained story, when I started the second one, I just had no interest in continuing it and potentially ruining it for myself. So I didn't.
I'm currently three books into the Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. The first book is a Dune rip off until about the halfway point when it gets really good. The second book is awesome. I'm about 100 pages into the 3rd book. Most reviews I've read mention the 3rd book as the best in the series. There's still four more books after though. The latest one is set to release this year IIRC. The best I've heard the plot be described is imagine Anakin was justified about turning to the dark side.
Someone way to far down in the comments mentioned Arthur C Clark and the Rama series already.
I’ll go with Philip Jose Farmer and the Riverworld series then. Excellent 70´s to 2000´s philosophical sci-fi!
I second Riverworld.
If you read Rama, stop after the second book. Trust me.
Against The Day
Inherent Vice
When Women Were Dragons
Circe
Annihilation
Dang are you me? Galapagos is one of my favorite Vonneguts. I recently finished Hyperion cantos too, and am now on book three of the Xeelee sequence which so far have been very good and give similar vibes as Hyperion.
Someone else mentioned Blindsight which is maybe a top three for me. Different tonally than the Hyperion Cantos but still excellent. Same goes for Children of Time.
That is wild, Galapagos was my favorite novel for a while; one of the few I’ve read more than once
I'm you! Just finished rereading The Hyperion Cantos and started Vonnegut again.
... fine, noted, seems now I have to read these.
Hyperion was def one of those series that I was sad to finish, like, it impacted me that "how tf can there be no more of it" way more than the norm.
Simmons in general has a very wide variety of topics in genres & Hyperion alternates them nicely (while never really leaving sci-fi).
Maybe as a short palette cleanser 'The Terror' by the same author? It's completely different, but nicely done. I've read a few more books by Simmons after Hyperion & this one stood out* a bit more (it's not as polished as Hyperions, but much more than the rest I've read - overall easy to read, I like it when the setting/spaces are always explained, and most importantly it's one of those stories that I gladly let live in my mind).
Warning: it has one instance of horse riding! But it's in horny a flashback :). It's a historical fantasy with good semifictional characters, really tasteful blend of actual Inuit stories, historical nautical facts, & authors own derived reality of both, also one of the top tier "monsters" ever ... and the Hyperion-style technical description that make sense of the basically literal alien world (the same story could have been set in planet exploration).
[*Edit: I completely forgot about Ilium & Olympos. Those are sort of more of the sci-fi with the expected classical twist, but I stand by my Terror recommendation too, it just lacks interplanetary travel.]
The real suggestion (and I can't/am unable to explain why the association in my mind) is the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke. It's prob one of the top easiest writer/books for me to read (the way things are explained & which things are explained, how characters act, etc). It's nicely logical & absurdity fantastical without it ever being fantastical for the sake of being fantastical (ie the big amazing things always make sense & don't seem forced or unlikely).
Somewhere I heard about Rama, I think I’ll check out more of Simmons’ books at some point. Thanks for the great recommendations
Oh god. If you read Rama, stop after book two. Please. The first two are fabulous.
... I see them as nice continuations, but are def different bcs of how the story is set up (then again, so is Hyperion to the rest of the cantos).
I'm glad you enjoyed them. I couldn't even finish them.
Dogs of war
To sleep in a sea of stars
Expeditionary Force
Three body problem
I gotta say I think Three Body Problem is not very good. Some interesting ideas and an interesting perspective re:Chinese revolution, but as a story it was weak. Plus when you get to the second book it drags out the premise so much and relies on basically deus ex machinima to handwave the plot holes.
I'm struggling to get through the first book. The writing is just downright bad.
Guess it's not for you! Hyperion isn't for me; too much pedophehelia
Never read Hyperion. That's pretty gross.
Yeah... I read the series as a kid and found the world engrossing. Re-read and you notice the female main character starts out as a child and the adult male main will be fucking her by the end and well, humans flying trees through space in symbiotic space suits isn't worth it.
It's a convoluted Jesus story but Jesus is a little girl in a multi solar society. Now you don't have to read it!
While nothing like Dan Simmons, The Three Body Problem is the only one that has knocked my socks off in the last 10 years. If you want to stick with Simmons I recommend Song of Kali.
I put down three body after first book, perhaps I should push through
I didn't like the rest as much, it did more get more universal in scope. It's OK to give them a miss, first book is satisfying on its own.
The escalation of story/plot stakes from Three-Body to Dark Forest is huge, but if you don't like the writing style or the author's voice, it's more of the same.
Roadside Picnic is awesome. It inspired the film stalker. I loved it.
Thanks y'all, I'm saving this post for all the good recommendations in there :)
The Aubrey-Maturin series, not sci-fi but just about the best novels there are.
Maybe Foundation series, original 3.
Adrian Tchaikovskuly Children of Time, Ruin, and Memory. Also The Final Architecture book 1 Shards of Earth by same author and there 3 books in thar series.
Then after all those The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. That should keep you busy for a while.
In the same sort of vain like Hyperion are the Revelation Space series by Alastair Reynolds. He does the same sort of excellent work of world building and I found both series very comparable and intriguing. Also would recommend the Berserker series by Fred Saberhagen, very much a similar feel.
Check out the Miles Vorkosigan saga. Tons of novels. Good stuff.
I only read shards of honor so far And loved it.
Sue Burke's Semiosis was an interesting read (go in blind is my recommendation)
Wraeththu Chronicles by Storm Constantine.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is fine, but it's not Bladerunner so yeah it might be jarring. It's also not even close to his best work imo.
Some of my favorite Dick novels: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch and A Scanner Darkly. I think those are his two best imo. The Man in the High Castle is pretty good, but not at all indicative of his other work.
Now Wait for Last Year, and Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, are also pretty good. I liked what I read of UBIK, but didn't finish it. I have a friend that swears by it though.
Some people swear by his latter stuff (e.g. VALIS), but I was never able to get into it. You can kind of see his mind starting to slip as you read his stuff (which leads to some incredibly mind bending shit in his early-mid works), and by the end, it's kind of nonsensical imo.
It's kind of tragic to read about his life at the time he was writing. The afterword of A Scanner Darkly goes into some detail, including listing the names of friends that "didn't make it" (usually due to drugs). Later, during the VALIS years, he was having full-own psychotic breaks and hallucinatory events where he thought he was Thomas from the Bible, living in ancient Rome or some shit. And his writing started to reflect all of this.
I've only read the first Hyperion book (and fucking loved it), but keep in mind, Dick wrote a different kind of sci-fi that was more about exploring consciousness, existence, the concept of self, psychedelic drugs, etc. as opposed writing space epics or whatever. Not to say that they don't sometimes take place in space, but just don't expect the kind of grand narratives you're gonna get with someone like Asimov. Completely different type of sci-fi.
That said, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch is his hidden gem imo. If you know, you know.
If you're wanting a break from the serious sci-fi, take a look at Expeditionary Force, it's hilarious.
The dude on the cover looks like Longfinger Kirk from Dark Souls 3 with the Thorn set armor.
A lot of good recommendations already but here are some I didn't see.
The Madness Season. Follows a vampire secretly living among humans after a alien race with a hive mind conqueres Earth.
Eight Worlds series by John Varley. Aliens with reality warping powers show up and kick humanity off Earth and Jupiter. Humanity has now colonized all the other planets. People and society have evolved in strange ways.
The Final Architecture. giant aliens sometimes show up and reshape planets with life into giant sculptures.
Anything by Brandon Sanderson. You're welcome.
Edit: also the bobiverse is nerdy and lots of fun!
OP says he's not a huge fantasy fan. Sanderson may not be the best recommendation. Most of his stuff is pretty squarely in the fantasy space. Even the cytoverse novels are more Sci-fantasy and less sci-fi.
Bobiverse could be a good recommendation though, assuming OP is looking for something more comedic.
The sparrow by Mary Dora Russell. Jesuit and his friends make first contact with not one but two alien species on a planet 4 light years away
Read this one recently. I honestly didn't really get the point.
(spoiler warning)
Like what was the point of the suffering the guy had to go through? Is it just a critique of religion? It just seemed kinda pointless to me.
The Pliocene Exile series by Julian May, starting with The Many-Coloured Land. I've read that series at least 50 times, and it's always a great comfort to read again.
Just wrapped up Fall of Hyperion, which I enjoyed, but much less than Hyperion. I don't think I'm interested in finishing the series though. I've moved on to The Three Body Problem.