Coming to grips with this book is like coming to grips with quantum mechanics. You can see what's happening, but it's tough to understand why it's happening.

The book is a triumph. It's a mind-bending opus that incorporates poetry, religion, philosophy, and intrigue. With Hyperion as its prelude, The Fall of Hyperion delivers on its promise of a worthy conclusion (despite my fears that it would end on yet another cliffhanger, something for which Mr. Simmons has a talent for writing.) Enemies shift, and characters grow in unexpected ways.

Despite these laudable qualities, I feel like I'd need a degree in literature AND religion to truly "get" this book. There is some weighty stuff in here. Mr. Simmons juggles multiple characters in multiple locations in multiple timelines with effortless aplomb, and I applaud his ability.

For me, however, reading the Fall of Hyperion was like being trapped in a sandstorm at the Time Tombs. You can't see anything very clearly, there's a lot of turbulence, and the settings are strange indeed.

The Fall of Hyperion doesn't play down to its reader. It challenges its reader to keep up with it.