# Anyone here read Dan Simmons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2009, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800 "2009-02-14T07:19:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SuntanTigerTamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@SuntanTigerTamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanTigerTamer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/1 "2009-02-14T07:19:36Z")
A couple of his books, namely **The Terror** and **Drood** sound interesting. I don’t read a lot of fiction, but I do like to just have a fast entertaining read every once in awhile. So, if you’re a fan of his, or not, please let me know if you think it would be worth my time, and where you would rate him among other writers of his ilk. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/2 "2009-02-14T07:58:06Z")
The \*Hyperian Cantos \*(\*Hyperion \*and the _Fall of Hyperion_) are the best science fiction written since _Dune_. The sequels (\*Endymion \*and _the Rise of Endymion_) are very good, but not as good. The \*Ilium/Olympos \*cycle is excellently written and hugely imaginative, but also deeply flawed. The rest of his stuff that I’ve read is hit-or-miss. ---
**Author:** ![Hellestal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hellestal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hellestal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/3 "2009-02-14T08:09:23Z")
> [@SuntanTigerTamer](#): > > A couple of his books, namely **The Terror** and **Drood** sound interesting. I don’t read a lot of fiction, but I do like to just have a fast entertaining read every once in awhile. > > So, if you’re a fan of his, or not, please let me know if you think it would be worth my time, and where you would rate him among other writers of his ilk. He’s prolly best known for **Hyperion** and **Fall of Hyperion**. They are works of genius. I can’t recommend them highly enough. The two **Edymion** sequels are good, but disappointing in comparison. Even more so, I think, because they retcon the first two books. They’re fundamentally different ideas dressed up in the same universe. I also read **Ilium** after that and was hit with the same disappointment again. New ideas mixed with convenient old ideas, with the book as whole not working. He’s got craft. He’s an incredibly skilled writer. But I haven’t wanted to try anything else by him. I didn’t even bother with **Olympos** , which is the sequel to **Ilium**. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/4 "2009-02-14T10:53:15Z")
I recently read his first published novel Song of Kali and I thought it was very good. It’s about a writer who goes to Calcutta in the mid-70’s in pursuit of a new manuscript that has emerged from a poet who mysteriously vanished a decade before. Once there he becomes entangled with a cult of Kali worshipers. It’s atmospheric and punches the reader in the gut repeatedly. The first Hyperion book is also impressive but the fact that he didn’t resolve it without changing format and making a much worse novel undermines it. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/5 "2009-02-14T11:22:10Z")
Summer of Night is the best horror story I’ve read. Well worth your time if you like horror. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/6 "2009-02-14T11:38:04Z")
I loved **Hyperion** - as a literature major all the literary allusions made me want to squee. And it’s an amazing read. I wasn’t as impressed with the sequel, but it was still good. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/7 "2009-02-14T15:08:22Z")
I’ve read some of his stuff, including _The Terror_ (fantastic buildup; not-so-great ending), and was impressed enough that I plan on picking up _Drood_. I really enjoyed _Summer of Night_. It almost seemed like the creepy, evil mirror version of Robert McCammon’s _Boy’s Life_. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/8 "2009-02-14T16:30:51Z")
Rate him? For me, he’s up there with King and Straub. They’re sort of a trinity, the Horror Kings of the 80’s. 🙂 I liked _The Terror_ a lot, but then I like novels about sailing and explorers. The supernatural element was a surprise but I think Simmons made it work. I haven’t read _Drood_ yet but it’s in the stack by the bed. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/9 "2009-02-14T16:38:04Z")
I ordered a signed copy of Drood but have not yet received it. I agree that it looks good. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/10 "2009-02-14T19:13:28Z")
The Terror was the best book I read last year and I read a LOT of books. 😃 It’s…haunting, to say the least. It also inspired a keen interest in Arctic exploration in me which I found very surprising. I’ve read several nonfiction books on the subject, which is not a subject I’d ever given much thought to before. I’ve got Drood sitting by my bed too. I’m reading a few faster, shorter and lighter books before I dive into it. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/11 "2009-02-14T19:17:16Z")
I’m reading Hyperion right now-it was recommended as one of the best sci-fi books ever written on Goodreads. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/12 "2009-02-14T19:53:02Z")
I’ve read a lot of Simmons’ work, at least his horror and sci-fi. Here’s my take: _Summer of Night_: I enjoyed the hell out of it when I read it, but remember very little of it today - something about some kids and a bell. Worth reading. _Carrion Comfort_: 2 members of a group/race of people who have the ability to control minds go to war against each other. This one was wordy but a lot of fun - worth a read. _Fires of Eden_: Polynesian god gets pissed off, goes volcanic. So-so. _The Hollow Man_: Some astronaut is having issues. Completely boring. _Hyperion_: His classic. Big, grand space opera written with panache. A number of people going on a journey tells their tale of how they got to this point ala _The Canterbury Tales_. The neat thing about _Hyperion_, however, is that each tale is stylistically different: Simmons wrote them mimicking the writing styles of 6-7 different science fiction authors. One is Bradbury, another is Gene Wolfe, etc. _Fall of Hyperion_: The conclusion of the story started in _Hyperion_. Standard narrative structure, nothing stylistically like its predecessor. Despite this, I enjoy FoH more than the original and still consider Meina Gladstone one of my favorite characters in all science fiction. _Endymion_: With _Endymion_, Simmons violated one of _my_ Cardinal Rules of Fiction: _The story must be “real” in the context of the story_. In other words, I don’t want to read two books and then be told, “Well, what you read isn’t really what happened.” It’s like that episode of _Buffy_, where they raised the possibility that the previous six years were merely a figment of imagination inside an insane teenagers mind… I _hated_ that show for it made me ask “So why did I waste the past years of my life watching this if the characters aren’t ‘real’ even within the context of the show?” _Endymion_ was like that. A character died in FoH, one that Simmons either (a) forgot he killed off, or (b) wanted to bring back to life. His solution was 1. Bring the guy back to life 2. Claim that another character wrote _Hyperion_ and _Fall of Hyperion_ 3. … and that the character took wide liberties in telling the stories, essentially just making up large parts of it. :rolleyes: I also read the _Olympos_ books and found them to be mere warmed-over _Hyperion_. ---
**Author:** ![statij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@statij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statij)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/13 "2009-02-14T21:13:03Z")
I read The Terror and LOVED it! If you have the remotest interest in arctic exploration or horror I highly recommend it. It has a huge cast of well developed characters, some historical, extremely interesting story, very good ending I thought, I just couldn’t put it down. Drood looks brilliant and I can’t wait to read it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/14 "2009-02-14T21:19:57Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > _The Hollow Man_: Some astronaut is having issues. Completely boring. That’s _Phases of Gravity_; your assessment is correct, though. \*Hollow Man \*is about mind-readers, I think. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/15 "2009-02-14T21:22:43Z")
[Here](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/09/AR2009020902977.html) is Louis Bayard’s review of _Drood_. It’s discouraging, but I’m gonna read the book anyway. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanTigerTamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@SuntanTigerTamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanTigerTamer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/16 "2009-02-14T22:03:18Z")
> [@statij](#): > > I read The Terror and LOVED it! If you have the remotest interest in arctic exploration or horror I highly recommend it. It has a huge cast of well developed characters, some historical, extremely interesting story, very good ending I thought, I just couldn’t put it down. > > Drood looks brilliant and I can’t wait to read it. This is it. Thanks guys. A lot of the non-fiction I have been reading lately have been about high altitude climbing, a subject I had zero interest in before reading **Into Thin Air** a few years ago. I also count King as one of my favorite horror writers, so I think I’ve been sold. I’m picking **The Terror** and **Drood** up after work. I’m not a big sci-fi reader, but your love for **Hyperion** means the man can tell a story, at the very least. Thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/17 "2009-02-14T23:00:01Z")
Boy, do I read Simmons! I’ve loved the guy’s books ever since the Song of Kali and Carrion Comfort. He’s up there with Straub in my estimation, except not only does he write great horror he’s also a fantastic sf author. The Shrike from the Hyperion saga is one of the most brilliant and fearsome creations ever. Good news (or bad if you’re distrustful of Hollywood’s treatment of good books) is that Warner have optioned the first two books of the Hyperion Cantos. It won’t be easy to film but there’s a possible classic scifi movie there if they do it right. One of his early works, Carrion Comfort, is also in production or pre-production with a French studio. Dan Simmons is one of the titans of both sf and horror. Last one I read of his was The Terror, a magnificent work, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Drood, especially as I love Dickens. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/18 "2009-02-14T23:29:54Z")
I’ve only read Hyperion and it’s sequels, but I really enjoyed them. Never did figure out exactly what or who the Shrike was though ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/19 "2009-02-14T23:38:47Z")
Agree with all that’s been said about the Hyperion books. _Darwin’s Blade_ was one of the worst novels I’d ever read. It put me off reading any other Simmons. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800/20 "2009-02-14T23:41:25Z")
I loved both _Hyperion_ and _The Terror._ These two novels are vastly different, but I think the enjoyment of each really depends on if you can “go with it.” In _The Terror_, you have to accept the supernatural resolution, for _Hyperion_ the lack of resolution. This thread is making me wonder why I haven’t read more Dan Simmons. Hmm, I do have that Barnes and Noble gift card… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-read-dan-simmons/485800.md?page=2)