Endymion

Great story. Much more straight forward than "The Fall of Hyperion", which seemed very busy and confusing.

It must be 25 years or so since I read Simmons' 'Hyperion' novels, and this is a sequel which has languished on my shelves for far too long. I was a little intimidated by the passage of time and was concerned that my memory of the first two novels would be insufficient to see me through this novel. I needn't have worried: although things would have been better if I'd not long read 'Hyperion'/'The Fall of Hyperion', Simmons painlessly fills in the details the returning reader needs. In this, he is helped by setting this story nearly 300 years after the action of the first two books.The Time Tombs on Hyperion have opened again, and Aenea, daughter of two of the characters from the first books, has emerged. And so has the Shrike, the inimical God of Pain - and it seems to be protecting Aenea. Raul Endymion, an ordinary man from Hyperion, has been engaged to protect Aenea by Martin Silenus, the aged poet from the earlier books. Meanwhile, after the fall of the TechnoCore, the AI that ran the farcasters, the network of matter transmitters that made Galactic society possible, the Catholic Church has re-established and greatly increased its power and influence. The Vatican sends Father Captain Federico de Soya on a mission to retrieve Aenea, because the Pope - also a character from the first novels, resurrected by the cruciform parasites that confer immortality - believes Aenea to be connected to the TechnoCore, and considers her to be a threat. Much space operatic whizzing about in various forms of transport ensues.Just dismissing this book as an interstellar chase story does it no justice, though. The first two 'Hyperion' books were notable for their extreme Baroque settings, their well-realised world-building, and strong characterisation. This book carries that on. The settings are exotic but realistically drawn, and there is a good sense of the passage of time since our own day, though the characters do seem better informed about the Twentieth Century than we are about, say, the Tenth (representing an equivalent passage of time).Endymion is Everyman; Aenea is a bit more of a problem, as Endymion is telling the story in retrospect, and we are led to understand that Aenea - who is supposedly 11 at the time of the events in this novel - will later become Raul Endymion's lover. This makes for some slightly difficult situations as Endymion and Aenea are thrown together in various situations. Simmons writes about Endymion's feelings for Aenea in a sensual way, but never erotically; though it has to be said that he writes Aenea as displaying more maturity than any 11-year-old I've ever encountered. (Whether this may be due to her parentage, or her sojourn in the Time Tombs, is never mentioned and is one of the things I'd want to look out for if I re-read the earlier novels.)Their pursuer, Father Captain de Soya, is more clearly drawn. Allocated a platoon of Swiss Guards, de Soya and his three comrades build an effective relationship and we come to know them well. As Vatican politics turns into conspiracy, de Soya begins to question his motivations and actions, but never his faith. I find it no coincidence that early on during de Soya's briefing, he fleetingly meets a priest by the name of Father Brown; and certainly, de Soya combines the humanity and the calculating mind of Chesterton's detective priest.There is a range of supporting characters who are sympathetically drawn; we find ourselves caring for them. There is also action, some of it gruesome; and humour. The final book in the quartet, 'The Rise of Endymion', is not too far down the To Be Read pile; I shall look foward to it.

I absolutely love this series. Mixing Sci-fi with literary ideas is fantastic (though Simmons has always done this in his works). 3rd in the series, but still at the same level (if not better than) when it started.

Picking up 274 years after The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion follows the titular character as he travels with Aenea, the daughter of Brawne Lamia and John Keats, and A. Bettik, an android who appeared briefly in Hyperion. Aenea is the one who will become the One who Teaches, and a sort of messiah. The Church has risen to power after the collapse of the Hegemony and considers Aenea to be a threat to their hold on the former Web. Sent to capture her is Father Captain de Soya. The point of view alternates between Endymion and de Soya. Initially I found de Soya's chapters more interesting as you learn more about the new order and the aftermath of the Fall. Most of the novel is de Soya in pursuit of Aenea, but the early chapters with Endymion an Aenea don't show much urgency unless de Soya is in the vicinity. Later chapters feel more tense when other threats appear. While the third book in the Hyperion Cantos, it is not necessary to read the first two books. However, you will be missing out on a lot of backstory on why things are the way they are.

Preferred the first two books but still good science fiction and an amazing universe.

Set several hundred years after The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion relates the tale of Aenea, Raul, and A. Bettik as they journey through the much-changed worlds of the old Hegemony. The readers are surprised to discover that, after the fall of the Core and the AI overlords, things only became more dystopic, with the Catholic Church-led Pax taking over using the incredibly disturbing "cruciform" parasites introduced in the original book to allow its citizens to be "resurrected". Of course, the incredibly militaristic Pax has determined that Aenea, the daughter of one of the original Hyperion pilgrims who has time traveled to this era, is a deadly threat to their regime. Thus begins the chase. However, what I really enjoyed about this book was re-discovering the worlds we knew from the previous books, and how the downfall of the farcasters and the introduction of the Pax and its cruciform have changed them. Everything is steeped in mystery. Additionally, many of the characters are very relatable and likable, even the Pax captain sent to hunt down the fugitives. While the ending was certainly not the conclusion of the story, I felt that this book ended at a good turning-point place where the reader could feel some optimism. This book was a welcome change from the scattered action of the previous book.

Endymion takes place 274 years after The Fall of Hyperion and yet Martin Silenus is still alive, thanks to life extension treatments called Poulsens. In truth, I was kind of glad to see the old bastard. As soon as the nameless character started using profanity I knew the old poet was back! But, let me start from the beginning. Raul Endymion is the first character we meet in Endymion. He is a hunting guide framed for, and convicted of, the murder of a wealthy client. After a ridiculous trial he is ultimately sentenced (read: framed) to die. Only he does not die. He has been "saved" from execution in order to do Martin Silenus a favor. Well, more than a few favors:

1. Save this one child, Aenea, from the Swiss Guard and the Pax
2. Keep Aenea safe until she becomes old enough to be The One Who Teaches
3. Find Earth and bring it back (back from where, I don't know)
4. Stop the TechnoCore from its activities
5. Convince the Ousters to give Martin real immortality and not this life support crap
6. Destroy the Pax and put an end to the Church's power
7. Stop the Shrike...ah, the Shrike is back!

At the same time Raul is attempting to complete his honeydew list, the resurrection of Father Captain de Soya is also playing out. His story isn't half as interesting as Raul's, but he's also after the future One Who Teaches so their stories run parallel to one another and intersect from time to time. A real cat and mouse thriller, only it's hard to determine who is the real mouse and who is the cat. And, if I thought all the dying and resurrection in Fall of Hyperion was crazy, that's nothing compared to how many times Father Captain de Soya is "reborn." Don't worry. You get used to it.

Excellent!

This is an excellent book. I liked it a lot.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not as good as Hyperion, better than Fall of Hyperion. Looking forward to the last book in the series.

This one brings the series back into its glory

Book 2 had something of a weak ending, but this one is strong throughout. Now I can't wait to dig into the final installment of this fine series.

Picking up 274 years after The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion follows the titular character as he travels with Aenea, the daughter of Brawne Lamia and John Keats, and A. Bettik, an android who appeared briefly in Hyperion. Aenea is the one who will become the One who Teaches, and a sort of messiah. The Church has risen to power after the collapse of the Hegemony and considers Aenea to be a threat to their hold on the former Web. Sent to capture her is Father Captain de Soya. The point of view alternates between Endymion and de Soya. Initially I found de Soya's chapters more interesting as you learn more about the new order and the aftermath of the Fall. Most of the novel is de Soya in pursuit of Aenea, but the early chapters with Endymion an Aenea don't show much urgency unless de Soya is in the vicinity. Later chapters feel more tense when other threats appear. While the third book in the Hyperion Cantos, it is not necessary to read the first two books. However, you will be missing out on a lot of backstory on why things are the way they are.

It seems that Dan Simmons decided to take a break, exhale and allow the reader to collect themselves. In this third volume to the HYPERION series we find ourselves in more action, adventure and simple SCI FI…that is compared to the first two novels which utterly melted our brains. By scaling down the brain drain ENDYMION allows the reader to relax and just enjoy the happenings. The story takes place a considerable time after the first two books. Now. With that being said it is to take nothing away from the book itself. It is well written, a little comical and our characters are allowed to show themselves to the reader regarding their development. Good addition to the series

The popularity of this series seems to fall off as it goes on. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a more straightforward plot than the first two.Aenea is overly mature for a 12 year old but she's not meant to be fully human - she has knowledge and experience beyond a "normal" 12 year old.Am hoping for a satisfying conclusion.

This is book three of the author’s Hyperion canto, taking place several hundred years fallowing the collapse of the Hegemony which occurred in Hyperion Falls. Under no circumstances can you read this book without having read the two preceding Hyperion books. Following the chaos of the Hegemony collapse, and the loss of farcaster (instant interstellar transportation) and fatline (instant interstellar communication) technology, the remnant of the Catholic Church attains supremacy and recobble the remnants of the Hegemony into the Pax.This entire series of novels is very complex in areas of artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and philosophy, sometimes to levels that lose me. In this installment, a young girl (a messiah figure of sorts) named Aenea is transported from the time of the Hegemony collapse to the time of the current novel (roughly 300 years) through use of the Hyperion Time Tombs. She meets up and is protected by a native of Hyperion, Endymion.Aenea and Endymion, along with a robot of sorts, travel through a variety of farcasters (operable only by them), to various worlds as they are being chased by operatives of the Pax. All the while, the Core (a combination of AI) lurks in the background, perhaps pulling the strings. For reasons not explained, Aenea is a treat to Pax rule.Overall, this was probably my favorite of the three Hyperion novels to date.

A fine action-space opera book. Lacking the serious headfuckery of the earlier books that made you feel in the presence of genius, but well worth a read nonetheless.

I'm really enjoying this set (not exactly a series but 2 2 books). Fitting that I've finished this one on the 200th anniversary of the death of John Keats at age 25, since his poetry is the framework for these works. Great adventure, gorgeous writing, admirable characters, wonderful imagination.

Getting ready to read the 4th and last book of Hyperion cantos, and I'm already feeling sad it will be the last one.
This book is righteous, amazing and imaginative beyond imagining. I fall in love with the characters--especially A. Bettik, the Android, Father Glaucus, and especially Aenea. I began to suspect the Catholic Church before it was admitted in the book--probably because I used to be a Catholic, and I know how that pseudo-holy mumbo jumbo works. The ones spouting the most God-stuff are often the very ones that sold their souls, and are trying hard to convince everyone how holy they are.
Dan Simmons is something else--certainly an incredibly talented writer. I wish I didn't know that he likes to hunt. Non-human animals.

It seems that Dan Simmons decided to take a break, exhale and allow the reader to collect themselves. In this third volume to the HYPERION series we find ourselves in more action, adventure and simple SCI FI…that is compared to the first two novels which utterly melted our brains. By scaling down the brain drain ENDYMION allows the reader to relax and just enjoy the happenings. The story takes place a considerable time after the first two books. Now. With that being said it is to take nothing away from the book itself. It is well written, a little comical and our characters are allowed to show themselves to the reader regarding their development. Good addition to the series

Plus half a star. And this felt like half a book, despite being so long so I guess I shall look out for the Rise of Endymion. And I did get a bit impatient somewhere in the middle but the book recovered my attention very well. I liked the structure with short chapters alternating between two points of view and sometimes a long chapter to break the pattern. The biggest gap for me is that it failed to bring the Pax and Church into focus - we encounter shadowy figures that are defined by their roles and never their individuality.

The start of a journey of david vs the great empire. In lots of places feels like dragging a bit & sometimes a lot.

The writing in these books is surprisingly strong. I thought I was going to stop after the 2nd book, particularly because this one happens far in the future, but the story is pretty darn compelling.

Like many, I was let down by this continuation of the Hyperion universe. They are still a good read, but it's hard to make up for the fact that they can't stand alongside the first two books.

I don't like abandoning a book halfway through -- I'd rather just finish it so nobody can reply to my criticisms with "the ending was amazing, you don't even know". But for me this was one of those books that I put down for a minute and all my interest in the plot completely vanished. The central character, Aenea, doesn't talk like any 12 year old girl I've ever heard, and the story doesn't have the same sense of mystery or building tension that made the first two so good. I'd rather have the interesting mysteries of this universe remain unsolved than learn their answers through a story I don't even care about.

Again a reread and a great read- my kind of SciFi.

I absolutely love this series. Mixing Sci-fi with literary ideas is fantastic (though Simmons has always done this in his works). 3rd in the series, but still at the same level (if not better than) when it started.

EndymionBy Dan SimmonsPublisher: Bantam BooksPublished In: New York City, NY, USA Date: 1995Pgs: 468Summary:The Fall of Hyperions and the World Web is 274 years in the past. A shepherd, jack of all trades finds himself with a death sentence for crossing one of the favored rich of the Church. Raul Endymion awakens from his death sentence in a hidden place under the care of an android and a poet out of myth and legend. Charged with a quest by the old poet, he sets out to rescue a messiah, travel the collapsed web, and find Old Earth. Father Captain DeSoya follows them, his mission to capture the girl and return her to the Holy See of the Church on Pacem. And the Shrike stalks them all.Genre:fiction, science fiction, militaria, space operaWhy this book:My love of the previous two books in this series.This Story is About:facing destiny and dutyFavorite Character:Raul Endymion is an everyman hero. It’s wrong that the Shrike is a favorite of mine in this series. It’s a remorseless killing machine, hopscotch teleporting through time and space killing at will...and it’s just one of the best villain/anti-villain/doomsday machines in books, ever.Father Captain DeSoya grew on me over the course of the book. He’s just a wonderful, fully imagined character.Least Favorite Character: M. Heurig...the thrice damned MFer. He’s every fatcat who ever thought that his money, power, and position made him more important than everyone else around him. Course, he is just a precursor to the corruption that DeSoya finds as he explores further on his mission.And every one of the slimy politicians hiding in clerical robes that populate this book. Politicians might be the wrong term, shills for a power of beyond fits as well.Character I Most Identified With:Raul Endymion. Dog lovers will identify with him...severely as regards his “first” death sentence. Swept along by events, doing what he must, doing what’s right, he’s a great character.The Feel:As much as I loved Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, the first few pages of Endymion breaks my heart.Favorite Scene:The aftermath of the swimming in space scene. Sure the ship whose AI housed the girl’s father’s persona, who you were just skinny dipping with, didn’t intentionally turn the gravity back on while you were standing under the huge antigravity pool. Sure he/it didn’t.The too short interlude with Father Glaucus on Sol Draconi Septem. Really wanted to have one of the adult wraiths appear on page/screen.Settings:Hyperion, space, starships in transit and in battle, battlefields, the fog of war, the worlds of the old Web, The River TethysPacing:The pacing on this story is excellent.Plot Holes/Out of Character:Corporal Nemes inclusion toward the end of the book feels rather deus ex machina. She should have appeared sooner. Maybe not included with Father Captain Federico DeSoya team right away, but more background on who and what she is would have been appreciated.Last Page Sound:Damn. It stands up to Hyperion’s Oz march denouement and to the Fall and the Opening of the Tombs in the second book. Author Assessment:I will give Dan Simmons my money and my time again. I have only been disappointed once by his storytelling, Drood. And I think that was more a function of the time period he was having to represent and my vile mood and relationship with Great Expectations than a reflection on his writing style or ability.Editorial Assessment:100%Disposition of Book:Irving Public Library, Irving, TXWhy isn’t there a screenplay?The Hyperion Cantos and the Endymion Cycle, or whatever it is called, could absolutely be a movie. I stand corrected. The entire cycle of novels are labelled as the Hyperion Cantos: Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and The Rise of Endymion.Casting call:5 or 10 years ago, Ryan Reynolds would have made an excellent Raul Endymion. Now, I’m not sure who should be in the role. Although, it seems like every time he shows up in a movie critics pan it. I believe they don’t like him. Shrug.Chloe Moretz as Aenea.Michael Nouri as Cardinal Lourdusmay.Would recommend to:genre fans, Wars, Gate, Battlestar, browncoats, and Trek fans, militaria fans

I’d heard that the latter books in Simmons’ Cantos series weren’t as good as the first two (the excelllent Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion) so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself thoroughly drawn into this book, reading huge stretches at a time and finishing it in a few days.Endymion takes place 274 years after The Fall of Hyperion. Following Gladstone’s destruction of the farcaster (teleporter) network, the hundreds of planets of the Hegemony were cut off from each other and plunged into a new Dark Age. Only recently has the “Pax,” a Catholic Church theocracy, begun to once again unite the scattered worlds. The story begins with Raul Endymion, a 27-year old hunting guide on the familiar world of Hyperion, killing a man in self-defence and being sentenced to death for it. Mysteriously rescued and taken to a different continent, he is charged by his benefactor (a returning character from the previous books) with rescuing Aenea, a foreshadowed messiah who will be emerging from the Time Tombs in two days.The thing about the Cantos is that it has a very complex higher plot, involving AIs and time travel and fate and destiny and all that jazz. Which I never really grasped – like the climax of Neuromancer, I didn’t quite wrap my head around what happened at the end of The Fall of Hyperion. But, again like Neuromancer, I didn’t really care, because the “lower” plot is very enjoyable and comprises the vast majority of the book. Endymion has a few sections talking about the “Godhead” and the Machine God and the role of love and belief and the nature of the universe, etc, but for the most part it’s a fantastic science fiction adventure tale. The bulk of the story involves Raul, Aenea and their android companion A. Bettik (almost a Jim the Negro analog) escaping from their Pax pursuers by rafting down the River Tethys, a river that once ran through two hundred worlds thanks to the farcaster portals (which Aenea can somehow reactivate). Since the Hegemony is one of the most awesome science fiction universes ever written, in my opinion, I was more than happy with this story of high adventure on a dozen different worlds. Half the book is told from Raul’s perspective, and the other half from Father de Soya, a Pax warrior-priest charged with capturing them, who has his own companions in the form of a few surviving spec ops troops from the failed capture attempt on Hyperion. Simmons writes de Soya not as a heartless antagonist, or a demonised religious caricature, but a believable and sympathetic character – in fact, while reading the Raul sections I was rooting for him to escape, and while reading de Soya’s sections I was rooting for him to capture them. If you can make a reader do that, you’re doing something right.My favourite book, on the whole, is still The Fall of Hyperion – a brilliantly conceived and executed brink-of-war, end-of-the-world, high stakes space opera. And if I had to pick, I’d probably say Hyperion is slightly better than Endymion. But it’s still a great addition to a great series, and I look forward to reading the final book.

Wow, what a drop-off! After a highly enjoyable tour through Dan Simmons's universe in Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion, this third installment in the four-volume series is an enormous disappointment. I found the going hard right from the outset, lost interest completely about a third of the way in, and decided my reading time could be better used elsewhere. I've heard that the final book of the series is better, but this plodding cosmic car chase of a tale has proved too daunting a barrier for me.

The third book in the Hyperion Saga is not quite as flashy or full of surprises as the previous two but it still manages to entertain. It is probably the combination of adventure, philosophy, real references and science fiction which makes the series so unputdownable. I would definitely recommend this book -- but of course you should read Hyperion and the Fall of Hyperion first.