Hyperion
Hyperion by Dan Simmonsby Dan Simmons
Hacker ApprovedRanked 6 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
Fans praise its ideas, religion and prose as top space opera. Common caveat: it ends on a cliffhanger.
Fans praise its ideas, religion and prose as top space opera. Common caveat: it ends on a cliffhanger.
70 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 66
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 94%
Recommended in 11 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 1 year
Median of the 4 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it carries the badge
- 66 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 17 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 11 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Strong ideas on AI and religion
“The messages about AI and human stagnation are highly relevant to our current world.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “Hyperion explores a far future in which religiosity becomes more ingrained.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “The religion is great (and I say that as a staunch materialist atheist)”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” - Comment from 28 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77”
- Comment from 19 May 2026 in “Anthropic co-founder to present AI encyclical alongside Pope Leo XIV”
- Comment from 12 Jun 2026 in “Policy on the AI Exponential”
Beautiful, moving prose
“It reads like literature, food for the brain and soul - like what good science fiction should be.”
Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion and The Terror, dies aged 77” “It managed to move me, an aging hardcore sci-fi fan, with its silly, chaotic, poetic universe.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “Hyperion is amazing, it's one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time.”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” - Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77”
- Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77”
Top sci-fi recommendation
“Hyperion is still to this day, going to show up at the top of my scifi recommended reading list”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “Hyperion is a great read for anyone looking for their next scifi book”
Comment from 29 Jan 2026 in “Satellites encased in wood are in the works” “easily one of the top five space opera novels of all time”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” - Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77”
Outstanding audiobook version
“It legitimately is the best audio book I've ever heard.”
Comment from 28 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “It is, hands down, the best audiobook ever made.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Preachy, heavy religious focus
“the rest of the hyperion books were a little bit too preachy but a good series never the less”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “I was very fast disappointed about the overwhelming focus on boring religion.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” Romance with a young character
“I liked all of the Hyperion/Shrike novels, except when Raul Endymion persistently refers to the heroine/love-interest as "my young friend"”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “found some of the specific language around intergenerational romance to be troubling”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” Cliffhanger ending
“Warning: Hyperion ends on a cliffhanger, you'll want to get The Fall of Hyperion (the sequel).”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “The end of the first book made me wish for a paper copy I could throw against the wall”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Hyperionby Dan SimmonsThis page | 66 | 4 | 94% | 11 | 1 yr4 owners | Approved |
What people said
40 of the 78 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The end of the first book made me wish for a paper copy I could throw against the wall”
“as I near the end I know I'll seek out the next one”
“Hyperion is amazing, it's one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time.”
“getting harder than two above, but enjoying it so far”
“Warning: Hyperion ends on a cliffhanger, you'll want to get The Fall of Hyperion (the sequel).”
“There are a few that do, like Left Hand of Darkness, Ender's Game, Hyperion”
“he foresaw something human would carry to get connected to other humans and information.”
“Hyperion has THE best take on sci-fi religions IMHO”
“For the book style + ideas throughout the short stories - you only need to read book one”
“I once read Hyperion because a crush has read it. I didn't enjoy a single page because all I was thinking about was her.”
“It reads like literature, food for the brain and soul - like what good science fiction should be.”
“It legitimately is the best audio book I've ever heard.”
“Hyperion is a beautiful book, and prophetic in many ways”
“I loved the Hyperion books, but I moved on to other authors over time.”
“I doubt I could tell you where his influence on my taste & opinions on fiction begins or ends.”
“I had recommended Hyperion to a friend, and they loved it.”
“The religion is great (and I say that as a staunch materialist atheist)”
“easily one of the top five space opera novels of all time”
“I find it awesome that the true nature and mission of the Shrike remains a secret.”
“It managed to move me, an aging hardcore sci-fi fan, with its silly, chaotic, poetic universe.”
“It is, hands down, the best audiobook ever made.”
“found some of the specific language around intergenerational romance to be troubling”
“Hyperion is still to this day, going to show up at the top of my scifi recommended reading list”
“Hyperion explores a far future in which religiosity becomes more ingrained.”
“Hyperion was the first science fiction book that made me cry.”
“it has become one of my favorite books of all time”
“I was very fast disappointed about the overwhelming focus on boring religion.”
“looking behind them opens another dimension to ponder about”
“I enjoyed the Hyperion books but this got him put on my”
“If one enjoys the Hyperion books, then it is highly likely one would also enjoy the Ilium books.”
“some of the character stories I LOVED and some felt like a slog”
“the first two novels alone are still worth reading for their ideas”
“I liked all of the Hyperion/Shrike novels, except when Raul Endymion persistently refers to the heroine/love-interest as "my young friend"”
“Hyperion is the first sci-fi series I have ever described as beautiful.”
“The messages about AI and human stagnation are highly relevant to our current world.”
“I was just thinking about rereading the entire saga the other day”
“the rest of the hyperion books were a little bit too preachy but a good series never the less”
“Hyperion is a great read for anyone looking for their next scifi book”
“Loved Hyperion with the canterbury tales structure and the politics”
“Each story could be its own novella but especially the priest's tale.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.