[Freak_NL]

The Hyperion Cantos is a masterpiece which every scifi fan ought to have read, but I would like to recommend a lesser known title of Simmons for readers who have read at least some works of Charles Dickens (self-explanatory) and Wilkie Collins (such as The Woman in White or The Moonstone).

Simmons wrote Drood (2009), which takes these two classical authors and places them in a mystery novel. What struck me as particularly masterful is that Simmons managed to write his prose in such a way that as a reader you soon forget that this book was not written in the 1800s — his tone and style match that of Dickens and Collins so convincingly.

[nz]

Great writer. For people who want to get a taste of Simmons without committing to an entire book, I would recommend this (very) short story: The River Styx Runs Upstream[1].

[1]: https://talesofmytery.blogspot.com/2013/02/dan-simmons-river...

[shrubble]

Has a Strugatsky Brothers “Roadside Picnic” feel.

[rurp]

Despite being a huge fan of Simmons I had originally passed on this one because I didn't care for the Dickens novels I had read in school. At a family gathering I was surprised to learn that my Grandma was a big Simmons fan. She convinced me to give Drood a shot and sure enough I really enjoyed it! So I'd say it's worth checking out even if you're not a big Dickens reader.

[jdashg]

I read Hyperion and I found it... alright, just not my thing. Maybe it is indeed a masterpiece but "that every fan of sci-fi ought to have read" oversells it. I honestly can't conscion the time to read the rest of the Cantos versus other things on my reading list. Quality does not alone compel consumption! :)

[peterlk]

You have to read it all the way through. It’s a pretty hefty investment, but the series is truly a masterpiece. I had to read the whole series twice to feel like I was actually starting to understand some of the symbolism. I don’t blame people for not being able to get into it; it’s dense. But it’s so epic and there is so much symbolism and philosophy packed in.

[UltraSane]

Carrion Comfort is a ridiculously entertaining novel.

[tsumnia]

I favor Carrion over Hyperion and find myself repeating Sheriff Bobby Joe Gentry's line "I like junk" quite often.

[rdedev]

I tried reading it but I couldn't get into it. Maybe it the heavy religious themes or just the science fiction being so far into the future? I really should give it a shot again

[samus]

It starts very slowly and the worldbuilding is exquisite and you will likely uncover many facets only upon rereading it. However, it is well worth persisting.

Works with considerably more action are Olympus and Ilium.

[sleepybrett]

It's Canterbury Tales structure put me off and the reveals didn't do anything for me. I think I stopped after the second book.

[pilooch]

Try Flashback, it's darker but genius as well, maybe more approachable.

[layer8]

> The Hyperion Cantos is a masterpiece which every scifi fan ought to have read

You have to have some affinity to religious/Christianity/church topics, otherwise it’s quite a turn-off.

[mbeex]

Atheist here: Not true, there is much more in Hyperion (and even Endymion)

[castral]

To be fair, the first novel Hyperion is quite literally a survey of major world religions, not just Christianity. It does settle onto Christian symbolism in the second book onward, but the first two novels alone are still worth reading for their ideas. No affinity required, it's just the default Western canon at work.

[stickfigure]

I don't want to dogpile on the other comments (atheist, loved the book) but I think there's something interesting here.

Most science fiction tends to assume that religiosity will fade as humanity matures, and in a few thousand years we'll all have a good laugh at those silly ancient humans. This feels generally right to me. But it's not the only possible future, and Hyperion explores a far future in which religiosity becomes more ingrained.

I thought it was one of the more interesting aspects of the book, and contributed to the feeling of "not just another space opera". You don't have to appreciate religion to like the story.

[bayindirh]

The religious themes are a thin veil in Hyperion, looking behind them opens another dimension to ponder about.

I’m not a Christian, BTW.

[ceejayoz]

I have zero affinity for those and found it a fascinating read.

[Supermancho]

It's interesting how different stories have different underlying religious underpinnings in different parts of the world. It's important to consider that these themes are precisely because the stories are born from the surrounding culture.

Christian references in the Cantos were probably incidental, given the expected familiarity of the intended audience (american white male young men). eg The Matrix trilogy started with the obvious messianic hero's journey, then attempted to expand it in the following films (karma, cycles of death and rebirth, etc).

For some, these religious messages can be a turn off, I agree. I happened to be raised in a culture that allowed me to ignore it more or less and I can recognize that.

[samus]

It's up to anybody to not have a particular taste for religious topics, however, spirituality (or the lack thereof) is an important part of human culture and psychology. Therefore a science fiction novel in a sufficiently different setting from Earth's early 21st century really ought to cover these topics as well, lest the worldbuilding would be very shallow and the resulting work would likely lack depth.

[kakacik]

Atheist/agnostic here, completely untrue statement

[LakesAndTrees]

I don’t, and this stands as one of the best reading experiences of my life.

[Trasmatta]

I disagree strongly. I'm not religious at all, and have a strong aversion to Christianity, and I loved those books.

[Brian_K_White]

Atheist. Loved it.

[davkan]

Did you like Dune?

[loloquwowndueo]

Entirely untrue.

[kjs3]

You hate mythological subjects in mythological stories. Or, rather, you selectively detest them. Whatever you need to feel superior, I guess.

[iamtheworstdev]

:shrug: I'm an Atheist, I loved the series.

[matthewsinclair]

100%. One of the genuine great writers.