Like Dune? Read Hyperion!

[Efour]

I'm sure there's a thread for this but...

Given the recent re-emergence of science fiction back to TV and the bigger screens, my novice self, although a huge fan of dune, have not such a huge range of other reading/audiobook listening.

I started foundation finished the first book but found it very dated, it's a product of its time in the 1950s, atomic washing machines etc, but it certainly is respectful to see "where it all began". I'll come back to the rest of the series soon but right now I started on....

The Hyperion series.

This book was superb, very easy to listen too, and paints such a fantastic image of a far future both the goods and the bads...

It's structured like the Canterbury tales, a group traveling on a "pilgrimage" each telling their story of who and why they are there. Each is unique and fascinating.

I won't spoil anymore than that. I just say acquire a copy and read/listen.

I just finished it literally started to write this.

If anyone has any other tips for sci-fi of this style please spill the beans.

 

[peige]

Added to my wishlist on Audable

 

[SixTwoSix]

I follow Quinns Idea's on youtube, my favourite Dune channel and he has done a lot of videos on Hyperion so it's semi on my radar.

We're also getting a movie - https://www.darkhorizons.com/cooper-retooling-hyperion-as-a-film/

 

[Bluecube]

Both the Hyperion books and the very closely connected follow ups (Endymion) are superb. I wouldn’t say they were like Dune though!

 

[Minstadave]

I found this a real struggle to be honest. I don't think I finished it, got about halfway through.

 

[Andrew_McP]

I found this a real struggle to be honest. I don't think I finished it, got about halfway through.

That's a shame. To me it's one of the all time great sci-fi universes. I read most of the Dune stuff a very long time ago and found it to be a bit of a slog.

Another underappreciated series is Stephen Donaldson's Gap Cycle. Bleaker than a bleak thing on national bleak day at the start, but *so* satisfying in the long run.

 

[SPG]

Nothing like Dune, (but still galactic level shenanigans) but if it is on Audible

Player of Games

Thank me later.

Then thank me again for the entire universe of books, then be sad as the author died way before his time.

 

[EddScott]

Not sure if should be considered "as good as" but I greatly enjoyed Children of Time and Children of Ruin.

Last remains of human population attempt to jump start the evolution of primates on a planet but due to reasons jump start the evolution of spiders.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Not sure if should be considered "as good as" but I greatly enjoyed Children of Time and Children of Ruin.

Last remains of human population attempt to jump start the evolution of primates on a planet but due to reasons jump start the evolution of spiders.

I flew through Children of Time, it's a brilliant book.

I got about a third of the way into Ruin and just found it monotonously boring by comparison

 

[Bluecube]

Nothing like Dune, (but still galactic level shenanigans) but if it is on Audible

Player of Games

Thank me later.

Then thank me again for the entire universe of books, then be sad as the author died way before his time.

All of Iain M Banks books are excellent. His non sci-fi books are published under the name of Iain Banks. They're pretty decent but apparently he wrote them just to keep his publishers happy... The sci-fi books are superb. Certainly some of the most imaginative stories I've had the fortune to read. Highly recommended.

 

[bazzabear]

That's a shame. To me it's one of the all time great sci-fi universes. I read most of the Dune stuff a very long time ago and found it to be a bit of a slog.

Another underappreciated series is Stephen Donaldson's Gap Cycle. Bleaker than a bleak thing on national bleak day at the start, but *so* satisfying in the long run.

I never got on with Stephen Donaldson's scifi books. But the first two Covenant trilogies and the Mirror of Her Dreams books were all excellent. I struggled again with the third Covenant trilogy - I don't think I ever read the 3rd (9th) book.

 

[Somnambulist]

That Cantos quartet is bit more straight up epic (soft) space opera, with the obvious novel narrative structure for the first one, but it’s good wholesome fun and I enjoyed it. Apparently there’s a film adaptation in the works but the odds for these things sucking are usually pretty high.

If you want something a little bit trashier but similarly galaxy-spanning than Neal Asher’s innumerable Polity universe books are in that vein too.

I always liked Larry Niven’s Known Space universe too.

Dan Simmon’s also has the Ilium/Olympos duet too which are bonkers but good fun.

 

[Andrew_McP]

I struggled again with the third Covenant trilogy

I have one book somewhere that I ground to a halt on. I had intended to try and read them again from the start to try and get back into that universe (which I loved initially) but... life is getting shorter by the day. It's not going to happen. Mirror of Her Dreams is excellent though, I agree. It's not sci-fi, but I rationalise most fantasy as manifestations of "magic" nano-tech.

 

[checjb]

I listened to Hyperion and decided not to bother with the rest of the books. I find it tiresome, meandering and very reminiscent of JJ Abrams' stupid "mystery box" BS. All the parts that interested me just head nowhere and then you're expected to read the next books for some answers. Not for me, thanks.