Hyperion

Structured in a manner reminiscent of Chaucer’s <i>The Canterbury Tales</i>, <i>Hyperion</i> is a linked series of stories, all relating to the mysterious planet Hyperion. The stories are told by 7 hand-picked pilgrims, while in transit to the Time Tombs of Hyperion, which are opening for the first time in centuries, and are normally inaccessible due to the lethal actions of its guardian, The Shrike. The stories are told against a space opera backdrop in which humankind has formed the Hegemony, a far-flung collective of planetary systems linked by farcaster portals, threatened with attack by the Ousters (who are space-evolved humans) as the novel opens. The novel has elements of both science fiction and horror, and covers a wide range of themes such as: time-travel, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, religion, ecology, and the works of John Keats. The book does not have closure in the conventional sense, and is continued in the sequel <i>The Fall of Hyperion</i>.

Year	Award	Category	Status
1990	British Science Fiction Award	Best Novel	Nominee/Finalist
1990	Hugo Award	Best Novel	Winner
1990	Locus Poll Award	Best SF Novel	Winner
1990	SF Chronicle Award	Novel	Nominee/Finalist
1992	Arthur C. Clarke Award	Best Science Fiction Novel	Nominee/Finalist
1998	Locus Poll Award	All-Time Best SF Novel before 1990	Nominee/Finalist
2012	Locus Online	20th Century Science Fiction Novel	Nominee/Finalist