Reading order · 4 books · 1989 to 1997 · Set in space
Hyperion Cantos Books in Order
The Hyperion Cantos is a far-future science fiction epic. In Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, seven pilgrims travel to the Time Tombs on the planet Hyperion to meet the Shrike, a deadly creature, as a war threatens humanity. The two Endymion books are set nearly three centuries later.
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Series facts
- Books
- 4
- Published
- 1989 to 1997
- First book
- Hyperion
- Latest
- The Rise of Endymion (1997)
- Setting
- Set in space
The reading order
Every Hyperion Cantos book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
4 books · Set in space
- 1Hyperion1989With The ConsulOn the eve of war, seven pilgrims travel to the planet Hyperion to visit the Time Tombs, guarded by the Shrike, a creature of spikes and blades that can move through time.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Fall of Hyperion1990The pilgrims reach the Time Tombs as war breaks out across the human Hegemony, and the secrets of the Shrike and the artificial intelligences are revealed.Buy on Amazon
- 3Endymion1996With Raul EndymionNearly three centuries after the fall of Hyperion, Raul Endymion, a former shepherd, is rescued from execution and given a mission: to protect Aenea, a girl who is about to emerge from the Time Tombs, from the powerful Church that wants her.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Rise of Endymion1997With Raul EndymionRaul Endymion and Aenea, the young messiah he has sworn to protect, continue their journey as the Pax closes in, in the final book of the Hyperion Cantos.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion first, then Endymion and The Rise of Endymion.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Raul Endymion | The Consul | Martin Silenus | The Shrike | Fedmahn Kassad | Sol Weintraub | Brawne Lamia | Aenea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Hyperion | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 2 The Fall of Hyperion | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 3 Endymion | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | ||||
| 4 The Rise of Endymion | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor |
Characters in the Hyperion Cantos books
10 characters from Dan Simmons’s chart, with the number of Hyperion Cantos books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Raul EndymionFormer shepherd | 2 | Endymion 1996 |
| The ConsulFormer diplomat and pilgrim | 2 | Hyperion 1989 |
| Martin SilenusProfane poet and pilgrim | 4 | Hyperion 1989 |
| The ShrikeSpiked, time-shifting creature | 4 | Hyperion 1989 |
| Fedmahn KassadSoldier and pilgrim | 2 | Hyperion 1989 |
| Sol WeintraubScholar travelling with his daughter | 2 | Hyperion 1989 |
| Brawne LamiaPrivate investigator and pilgrim | 2 | Hyperion 1989 |
| AeneaGirl who becomes the One Who Teaches | 2 | Endymion 1996 |
| A. BettikBlue-skinned android | 2 | Endymion 1996 |
| Father Lenar HoytCatholic priest and pilgrim | 1 | Hyperion 1989 |