Has anyone read this book yet? Its by Dan Simmons, who is one of my favorite authors. His major work of science fiction is the Hyperion Cantos, which I recommend to just about anyone who will listen.
Ilium is a new book thats out only in hardcover, but I couldn't wait to read it. It turned out to be pretty damn good. Without giving too much away, it combines Homer's Illiad, complete with all the major characters (including the gods!), with cyborgs from Jupiter, 21st century scholars, and far-future humans. It sounds complicated, and it is, but it all makes sense. Sort of anyway. Its a bit confusing in parts, but the story is fun and about as original and crazy as I've ever read.
If you liked Hyperion, I suggest you go check this out. If you haven't read Hyperion though, read that first. Oh, and it helps if you have a decent understanding of the Iliad. You don't necessarily have to have read it (though it helped that I had), but a summary and some analysis would help understand things a lot. Also relevant are Shakespeare's sonnets and The Tempest, along with some Proust, but I'm not familiar with them and I got along fine.
I want to go into it more, but there's not really any point if nobody else has read it yet. Anything beyond a general intro would be a major spoiler.
The ending I must say though was the coolest cliff-hanger I've ever encountered. I was glad that the book stopped there, since nothing that followed could have possibly lived up to its set-up. The trojan war looks like a couple of kids scuffling in a play-ground in comparison. There's a sequal due to conclude the series, but I almost would rather my imagination finish it instead .
Posted by Destineer (Member # 821) on :
Oh man, I want to read this book so bad, but it was $26(!) at Borders. I'll have to find it at a library or something.
Luckily, my only required course in college was a 'great books' class which taught a bunch of ancient & classical Greek works, including the Iliad and the Odyssey.
I was amazed to just read the first page of Ilium while browsing in the store. I am so glad that Simmons has finally returned to SF.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
Thank you for replying Dest, I was worried this would disappear into page 2 hell without a reply.
I get depressed whenever a thread of mine does that...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I did not get the book, not because it was too expensive, but because I noticed it was the first of two. I refuse to read it, and then wait in agony for the second book, like I am doing for Sean Russell's third book in his fantasy series.
It looks very good, but I will have to wait impatiently.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Thanks for the heads up! I've got a copy on hold at the library now Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
Is it just me, or does "ilium" sound like a body part?
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
I read the book this week and enjoyed it thoroughly. Simmons expands on an idea that he first explored in his book The Hollow Man--consciousness as a standing wave front. In that book, the idea was presented within the paradigm of telepathy. In this book, Simmons uses it to explore the well-worn sf trope of the author-created universe.
This book does not seem to be as vibrant as his other books. I think this is because Simmons is not taking his time with each aspect of the various civilizations Xavier mentioned at the beginning of this thread, but rather basically paints the story in quick strokes, hopping back and forth between the characters. Yes, he did this in the Hyperion series, but each individual book in that series seems to be much longer than this book, allowing him to take more time for character and civilization development.
I do enjoy the book. I just wish I could have seen more.
[ March 22, 2004, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: Storm Saxon ]
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
I have an autographed copy, but I have not yet read it. I will have to finish Quicksilver first.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
quote: Is it just me, or does "ilium" sound like a body part?
It's not just you. The ilium is a bone in the pelvis, and its homonym, the ileum, is a part of the small intestine.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Sounds like a great book! I'll have to wait for paperback edition, though.
Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
I loved Carrion Comfort and the Hyperion series. Song of Kali was a bit frightening. I will have to order Ilium from my local library, now. Thanks for suggesting it! And thanks Storm Saxon, for bumping the thread!
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
I read it this summer and loved it. It took me a while to get into it, but by the end I literally wasn't able to put it down. I brought it to meals, I read it while watching football, I just had to finish it. But yes, very very good book.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
quote: The following formal announcement of the film option for Dan's book SONG OF KALI is currently appearing in various film and publishing journals. Darren Aronofsky is the director of such films as Pi and Requiem for a Dream:
Film rights to Dan Simmons's first novel SONG OF KALI, which portrays a journalist's descent into horror as he investigates reports of a famous Bengali poet returning from the dead in nightmarish Calcutta, to be adapted for screen by Louis Sussman, with Darren Aronofsky and Eric Watson set to produce, to Protozoa Pictures; the deal was finalized in conjunction with Richard Curtis of Richard Curtis Associates and Michael Prevett with The Firm Entertainment.
This makes me very happy. Posted by Polemarch (Member # 3293) on :
quote: Thank you for replying Dest, I was worried this would disappear into page 2 hell without a reply.
I get depressed whenever a thread of mine does that...
Hear, Hear. I know the feeling. It's probably why I lurk more than anything else.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Dude, X, we should totally be roomies or something. I just finished Ilium and it was great. That's all I have to say about that .
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