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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
The Shrike is one of fiction's most terrifying monsters — a creature of pure violence; some stories contain graphic death
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Some
Adult sexual content in some of the seven stories
Substance Use
Barely any
Drug use in the future world setting
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Deeply psychologically affecting — the crucifixion tree, a father watching his daughter age backwards, immense existential horror
What this book is about
Seven pilgrims travel toward the planet Hyperion and the Time Tombs — where the lethal Shrike waits — each telling their story in the manner of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The stories they tell span genres and centuries, unified by the approaching end of human civilization and the mystery of the Shrike. One of science fiction's undisputed masterpieces.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
The Shrike and its tree of crucified victims
A father watching his daughter de-age into infancy
Existential horror about consciousness, time, and death
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