Endymion and its Rise - are they worth it?

[Thadlerian]

Spent part of this summer rereading the awesome Hyperion by Dan Simmons, in truth the greatest SF I've ever read, except for the gory parts. I've read it along with Fall of Hyperion before, and started Endymion. I got about 150 pages in before I put it down in disappointment - it felt trite and unoriginal, retaining only the goriness of the original two, and none of the magic of the first.

But now, with another reading of Hyperion done, my curiosity has been rekindled. I want to know how and why. Where does the Cruciform parasite come from? What role does the TechnoCore play in all this? Or the Ousters? What did, sorry, will happen at that point in the future from which the Time Tombs got sent? What about the whole poetry subplots? And what is that freaking Shrike thing? What does it want? Who made it?

So, the question is: Do Endyminon and The Rise of Endymion fulfill, or are they simply action spin-offs?

 

[Prefx]

I was stuck in the same boat as you. Hyperion was my favorite science fiction novel, but I couldn't digest the sequels after Fall. Truthfully, I don't think too many people think the Endymion books are on par with Hyperion and the Fall. And they won't rank up there as my favorite books, either.

Yes, you will get most of the questions answered. And there are some good characters and plot turns. The ending to the Rise of Endymion is probably one of my favorite parts to any of Dan's writings. However, there is a lot of action (particularly with the Shrike, which makes the monster lose its appeal). So I guess it's a double-yes.

 

[clovis-man]

Neither Hyperion or Endymion are easy reads. But they are worth the effort. Stick with it. It gets better.

 

[avs]

Worth it, despite all continuity problems. Just for the tour de force which is Rise of Endymion's ending.

 

[Zakalwe]

Personally I love the two books pretty much from start to finish. They do ramble from time to time but I love the setting so much that I consider it a bonus. While not as 'good' in a literary sense as Hyperion, I enjoyed them just as much.

And that ending.....

 

[avs]

Yeah that ending made me start a whole separate thread about the most disturbing endings.

Is Illium/Olympus any good?

 

[Thadlerian]

However, there is a lot of action (particularly with the Shrike, which makes the monster lose its appeal

Hmm... If the Shrike is de-mystified through action, I think I'll better skip those books. I want my Shrike to remain scary

 

[avs]

I don't think Shrike is demystified, you just see him in action.