Ahira's Hangar

Has any1 else read this guy? I'm only 40 pages in2 Hyperion and it's like I'm already living on this "planet from hell"! Great writing style--def involves the reader--can't wait 2 meet The Shrike! This is a cool-ass book!!! How far do you fall Pilot?<i></i>

I love this book! I'm almost finished..it's amazing how each of the "pilgrim's" tales r like there own short stories, almost as if a dif writer is writing each 1! What's more amazing r the connections 2 the overall story found in each 1! And the trip they all r taking 2 the Time Tombs is so intense--The Poet's Tale reminds me of Zindell, The Detective's Tale reminds me of Herbert, The Soldier's Tale reminds me of Donaldson and the Priest's Tale reminds me of, well no 1 but Simmons himself!! I love all the facets Simmons touches upon like the Allthing--the AIs--The Techno Core--and the cybrids. The weaving in of complex enviromental issues and the believability of each planet we come across--amazing stuff! Mathematics is a game. It's pieces are the axioms we create, and it's rules our logic. That mathematics is occasionally useful to mechanics and pilots is accidental -Mahavira Lal, third Lord Cantor<i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 11/23/02 6:40:10 pm
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I love all four of the books, the two Hyperion ones, and the two Endymion ones.
The Shrike is way cool. my sister, o my sister! There's the cause on 't. Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust -- John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", first performed in England in 1614<i></i>

Oh, by the way, Simmons has a new science fiction series coming out. There is an excerpt from the first book at his website under "extras" along with a bunch of other interesting stuff (his writing hideaway sounds like heaven, even with the beaver infestation!). To read it go visit www.dansimmons.com my sister, o my sister! There's the cause on 't. Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust -- John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", first performed in England in 1614<i></i>

Well, like the Neverness series, this could bcome a secret topic, or forum 4 that matter, on one of the best, but not that well known (or discussed) Sci-Fi works. Welcome Duchess! We'll have 2 try 2 drag Xander and Lady I over here from ASOIAF and Director Dios and pitchwife from KW.

I am VERY xcited about starting the Fall of Hyperion, as soon as time permits, I love the covers--if we DO start a full forum on DS--I must upload them! M. Wientraub offering his dau 2 the Shrike @ the Time Tombs! Awesome! I def grok w/the rendition of the Shrike on Fall much better than on Hyperion.

If I do start a forum, I could use a good Simmons moderator, Duchess, hint, hint

My 1st xposure 2 Simmons was about 4 years ago..I bought a book of short stories called A Prayer for the Broken Stones. Some cool, but some downright weird stories. I quickly tucked that away in the garage, but once I found Hyperion, WOW I MEAN WOW!!!
If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.
Lyall Watson
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi  at: 7/29/03 11:03 pm
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Danlo, I would have no clue what to do as a moderator! But maybe if you and Mhoram and Ms. Mary would fill me in, I might think about it... my sister, o my sister! There's the cause on 't. Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust -- John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", first performed in England in 1614<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 11/23/02 9:32:57 pm
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I changed my post above--it's M. Weintraub not M. Silenus...Silenus is the poet -- hey! there's the Naria connection! Now I remember all the Satyr allegory in the Poet's Tale--SO beautifully done!

Duchess--as a mod u would run this forum, be given the title of Lord Pilot, or the Neverness discipline of ur choice, i.e; Lord Cetic, Horologe, Eschatologist etc..., U have access 2 the Timekeeper's Tower and the Rose Womb Cloisters. You have the artistic say on how u want your forum 2 look--banners, buttons, features, background. You also can move, edit, delete and stick topics--u can have a views feature, poll whatever u want! Give me all ur urls and suggestions and I shall "Make it so!

Then ur main duty becomes resources, links, creating topics and keeping the discussion moving...

We need a good Sci-Fi forum desperately! My attempts w/Herbert and Brin fell a little short--but then again we didn't have that many members back in those days
If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.
Lyall Watson
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi  at: 7/29/03 11:04 pm
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I'm pretty much a total newbie with computers! I don't know even half the stuff you just said means! I'm in a total panic now! my sister, o my sister! There's the cause on 't. Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust -- John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", first performed in England in 1614<i></i>

Don't b in a panic at all! I'll walk u thru it...it's ez! If u have the willingness I can talk u thru it and create the forum 2 begin with. We all discuss building and improving our forums in The Rose Womb Cloisters--we'll all help u get set up. Geez I mean if mhoram can do it...hehehe!
If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.
Lyall Watson
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi  at: 7/29/03 11:06 pm
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I heard that!

Duchess, youll get used to it. When Danlo means url, he means locations etc. for pictures, like the one in the background of this forum for example. Youd make a great mod, I think!

Danlo--weve gotta get caamora and Hearthcoal back here! And some other members from the Watch that dont post... The dead pay the debts of the living. <i>Edited by: mhoram6910 at: 11/24/02 11:06:05 am
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Well, Ok, I will try, BUT I'm also going to be out of town for a few days for Thanksgiving, so we probably won't really get started until I get back, around Dec. 2 or so...and Danlo, if I lived in New Mexico, I think I would consider spanking you!
Did you know that there is also a Hyperion/Endymion short story in a science fiction anthology? I will look for that when I get home, too. One thing I think we should do is make a link with Dan Simmons' web site...if you haven't already. He writes books and stories from all sorts of genres. He also writes mystery-thriller types of things as well as science fiction. my sister, o my sister! There's the cause on 't. Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust -- John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", first performed in England in 1614<i></i>

Excellent, thank's Duchess! We'll improve it while ur gone! Email me and I'll send u the password 2 the Rose Womb Cloisters! (or PM me @ KW...)
If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.
Lyall Watson
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I just read these. They're great! The only thing that seems dated about them today is the plot thread in Simmons' equivalent of cyberspace (which you won't get to for a while, if you're just starting Hyperion); these scenes are very Gibsonian, noir-ish people flying around in colorful geometric VR, and reek of the 1980s. But it's completely forgivable given when the books were written.

About the cover paintings, I will say that the Shrike isn't *quite* right. He's got the wrong number of arms, and, if anything, too many spikes. But the paintings are at least fair symbolic representations of the books, if not literal representations of scenes in them.

My favorite bit is the very first pilgrim's tale, about Fathers Duré and Hoyt among the Bikura-- eerie, terrifying and strange.
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Welcome Matt! I totally agree with u about Father Dure (and would also like 2 know how u got that cool little accent mark up there! ) Very strange and eerie and OMG how it ends! I would b VERY interested in hearing ur take on the current state of affairs on AI, VR, Cybernetics, Nanotech, etc..vs the 80s. I would assume u would agree that, in fictional literature, Neal Stephenson is helping us bridge that gap. Any other reccomendations? And now Danlo looked in that direction, too. He remembered that snowy owls mate in the darkest part of deep winter, and so along with this beautiful white bird perched in a tree a hundred feet away, he turned to face the sea as he watched and waited.

Ahira, Ahira, he called out silently to the sky. Ahira, Ahira<i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 1/18/03 12:07:58 pm
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Welcome Matt! I also find the priest's tale too be very very creepy! And that creepiness will last until the end of all four books in the series!:mrblue
I think that you know much more about cyberspace than I do, and hope you can fill me in a bit more on your comments? They are very interesting! Ankh-Morpork people considered that spelling was a sort of optional extra. They believed in it the same way they believed in punctuation; it didn't matter where you put it, so long as it was there.~Terry Pratchett<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi  at: 7/29/03 11:07 pm
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