Ilium
Ilium by Dan Simmonsby Dan Simmons
Shares rank 56 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a gripping, hard-to-put-down science fiction novel, and fans of Simmons' Hyperion books say they enjoyed it too.
People recommend it as a gripping, hard-to-put-down science fiction novel, and fans of Simmons' Hyperion books say they enjoyed it too.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 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
Gripping, hard-to-put-down read
“Ilium by Dan Simmons was an exceptionally good read, if you're looking for another review.”
Comment from 1 Aug 2026 in “The End of an Era” “Ilium was my first Simmons & I was glued to it.”
Comment from 28 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” Appeals to Hyperion fans
“then it is highly likely one would also enjoy the Ilium books.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77” “I loved Hyperion cantos, Illium”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77”
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 |
| Iliumby Dan SimmonsThis page | 8 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
7 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Ilium by Dan Simmons was an exceptionally good read, if you're looking for another review.”
“One of the overarching themes is what you describe”
“I alternated chapters from both books and it was fantastic.”
“Ilium was my first Simmons & I was glued to it.”
“I loved Hyperion cantos, Illium”
“Work with considerably more action are Olympus and Ilium”
“then it is highly likely one would also enjoy the Ilium books.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.