Endymion

By: Dan Simmons

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

The multiple-award-winning science-fiction master returns to the universe that is his greatest triumph - the world of Hyperion and The Fall ofHyperion - with a novel even more magnificent than its predecessors.

Dan Simmons's Hyperion was an immediate sensation on its first publication in 1989. This staggering multifaceted tale of the far future heralded the conquest of the science-fiction field by a man who had already won the World Fantasy Award for his first novel (Song of Kali) and had also published one of the most well-received horror novels in the field, Carrion Comfort. Hyperion went on to win the Hugo Award as Best Novel, and it and its companion volume, The Fall of Hyperion, took their rightful places in the science-fiction pantheon of new classics.

Here, Simmons returns to this richly imagined world of technological achievement, excitement, wonder and fear. Endymion is a story about love and memory, triumph and terror - an instant candidate for the field's highest honors.

©1995 Dan Simmons (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Great book

great book and continuation to hyperion saga in fact I liked it better than first two as it is fast paced.

great science fiction

I don't read much in the way of fiction and I was hesitant to invest time in such a long series. I don't regret choosing this as a source of entertainment. It's a wonderful story with fantastic performances that are enjoyable to listen to.

I could listen to this Universe forever

I was hesitant to leave the pilgrims behind when I started this book. But my hesitation was pointless, for this story was fantastic! I will be starting rise of endymion immediately. The journey and bonding of our three heroes brought my personal investment into the relationships far beyond my attachment to the original pilgrims and their stories. I truly love the focus, the concept and the constant concern. Dan simmons... thank you

4 and 1/2 stars really

This volume suffers from typical “mid-trilogy” (yes, I’m fully aware that it’s a “quadrology,” or 2 books in 4 volumes, as Simmons put it once) drag and bridge-service exposition, besides the fact that I personally found the Endymion character less than engaging (Simmons does ameliorate this somewhat in the next/final volume by explaining that some of Raul’s more irritating aspects are in fact intentional, ostensibly to make the character more believable and approachable, rather than less so, which was the effect he had on me in this book and the first part of the next). It’s still a great book, and obviously indispensable in the Hyperion Cantos epic; it just suffers from living up to the extremely high standard set by Simmons himself in the first two.

disorienting initially but brings you back in

it's hard when a sequel starts with characters and locales that have no connection to the events chronicled in previous episodes. but simmons seems to do this deliberately - so that he can expertly start dropping in elements from the world that was established previously in a way that makes their re-introduction feel extra sweet and special. and once the story gets going in earnest, it's as imaginative and exciting as the original tale which serves as a constant reference once you get past the beginning. the narrator is phenomenal. initially, i was disappointed when "the fall of hyperion" didn't feature the full cast that was in the original but bevine quickly earned my admiration in that audio book and continues to great effect in this one. a really great tale told well.

Possibly the best book in the series!!

Wow! What an excellent masterpiece in sci-fi, I immediately bought the next book and starting it now.

My father read the books as they came out and has been telling me about them for years. So glad I finally started.

You can start with this book because it takes place a few hundred years after the 1st two BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND STARTING AT THE BEGINNING since this one references the 1st two extensively.

Not as good as first two

I enjoyed it, but it lacked the suspense and punch of the first two books. For the uninformed, this novel takes place around 250 years after the first two books in the cantos.

Odd choices in production

The story is good, the narrator is good, but for some reason the production added an introduction to the book at the beginning of every chapter, which was distracting and annoying.

What a universe to behold

The masterful work of poetic science fiction continues with a story arc that is less epic but no less poetic. This series is special and I highly recommend you take your time reading it to savor its beauty and wonder as I have.

A Good continuation to a fascinating tale.

It's an interesting follow up to the last sequel. The new characters were fun and relatable. compared to the last 2 books this seemed more like an adventure novel compared to the usual mystery and suspense. The plot was still good and enjoyed the twists and turns.