The narrative of Hyperion

Abstract

“Hyperion Cantos” is a series comprised of two sci-fi novels, written by an American author Dan Simmons. The series was, and still remains successful among literary critics, and won a Hugo award at the time of its original release. Though the series is well regarded by most who encountered it, to this day it remains largely unknown to the public at large, and, as a possible result, goes unexamined by academia. Sci-fi novels have become a recognized part of literature around the world, with sci-fi studies becoming a separate branch in academic studies. But Simmons and his work remain untouched by them. This is a loss. “Hyperion cantos” is a unique work of its genre, that provides us something unseen in literature before. For starters, it is a work that transcends genre itself. It combines many forms and styles of literature, from horror to cyberpunk, from an intimate character piece to an intergalactic epic space opera. It examines themes of religion and poetry. But the thing, that interests me the most is how “Hyperion” arranges its narrative. The narrative in “Hyperion” is beyond unconventional. Not only it is unique in the genre of science fiction, it fundamentally changes the very basic rules on which any narrative functions. I believe, that “Hyperion” presents us with a new unique way of storytelling, that has simply been unexamined before. Its elements have appeared in other works of the sci-fi genre, but only in “Hyperion” it truly forms itself. And in this research paper I am going to explain in detail how exactly Simmons changes the rules of narrative, and what can we learn from him. In order to fully understand the subject, we are going to discuss the series at length, though the focus will mostly be on the first novel titled “Hyperion”. A complete knowledge of the book is not required from the reader, but at least a surface-based familiarity with the novel’s plot is advised. However, before that, we have to fully explain how narrative and storytelling work in most conventional forms of fiction. The research paper will also touch upon the author’s background and how his experiences shaped his style. Afterwards, the research paper will touch upon the main influences behind “Hyperion”, how their narratives are arranged, and what influence they had on Simmons’s approach to narrative.