[sueVee]

I have gotten so many wonderful recommendations form this board, particularly during my dry periods. So, when I read "Ilium" I enjoyed it so much I thought I would pass it along.

This book may be more Science Fiction than Fantasy, but I think both groups will like it. I have seen it listed in some threads in the Fantasy Forum.

"Ilium" is convoluted. It has sentient robots from Jupiter's moon who spout Shakespeare and Proust, a pastorial, illiterate, pet population of humans on earth, post-humans in space, Greek Gods re-enacting Troy with modern historian commentators on Mars, mysterious controllers, a Wandering Jew....and it all works. There are three separate story lines that converge by the end.

Even though it took about 100 pages or so to get hooked, once there I found it hard to put this book down. After you get past page 125 or so the pace really picks up. The writing is smooth and literate, the plot compelling and the characters engaging. This book doesn't seem to be quite as complicated as Hyperion books or as long-winded as I found Endymon books.

Other authors (to name the most recent) I have truly enjoyed are Robyn Hobbs, JV Jones, Martin, Erikson, McKillip, Gemmell, Barclay, Bishop, Duncan, Brust, and Farland.

[Mithfânion]

It looks to likely to be voted best SF book of 2003 so it has to have some things going for it. I agree it looks interetsing, but I'll wait till Olympos is out because I've also heard from several people that it breaks up rather abruptly and is so clearly unfinished. Since this is a duology, I think I may be able to wait.

[Solaar]

Anyone read this?? Thoughts?

My friend - 42 - suggested this and I've picked it up but haven't had a chance to read it yet thou!

Solaar
likes the shiny cover

[Rob B]

HERE (http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/138.html) is my official SFFWorld review. Overall, I liked it quite a bit.

[Drakonslair]

I loved this book. I had read the Iliad before so I knew some of the story but Simmons did an excellant job of putting it into a sci-fi context. Definately recommend it.

And solaar those Gollancz covers are really nice. They are on the Alaistair Reynolds books as well.

[GeminiWeb]

Loved it. Can't wait for the next in the series.

[Hobbit]

Thread merged with older thread. If you do a search (try Simmons or Ilium), you will find it mentioned a lot. One of my faves over the last year. Waiting for Olympos to arrive - the order's in!

Hobbit

[Literbug]

I really enjoyed Ilium too. Simmons is one of our most talented authors, and continually impresses me with the way his work displays both intellectual depth and entertaining sense adventure. What good science fiction should be. Perhaps not all three story threads grabbed my attention to the same degree at the start, but I was absolutely riveted by the end of the book. I probably enjoyed Hyperion a little more than this one, though. I hope Olympos doesn't fall slightly flat in the same way Fall of Hyperion did.

[Hobbit]

I hope Olympos doesn't fall slightly flat in the same way Fall of Hyperion did. Actually, I really enjoyed Fall of Hyperion.

Like much of Simmons' work, Ilium works on lots of levels - the referencing to the old myths I enjoyed; though I'm not an expert by any means on it, it is another level of understanding, and pretty much gives what's going to happen in Olympos away - though with Simmons I take nothing for granted. :)

I did like the reimagining of the old myths though.

Hobbit

[Literbug]

Hobbit - I enjoyed Fall of Hyperion, just not as much as Hyperion. I tend to read them as one long novel rather than two seperate ones (which is the way Simmons prefers to look at them as well). I loved Hyperion, and I just felt Fall of Hyperion didn't match its greatness. Ultimately, I think Simmons wrote one, long, brilliant but flawed novel, with a second hald sub-standard to the first. I still haven't got around to reading the Endymion books yet, because of my disapointment with Fall of Hyperion. I will get around to it one day. I've heard the same thing said of them though - Endymion is brilliant, then Rise of Endymion again falls flat. But sub-standard Simmons is still better than most and very much worth reading.