Endymion is the third of a saga of four science fiction novels by Dan Simmons, collectively known as the Hyperion Cantos. It was shortlisted for the 1997 Locus Award, and has been well received like Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion - within a year of its release, the paperback edition had gone through five reprints.
The Endymion story takes place 274 years after the Fall, in an universe left in chaos by the fallout from the destruction of all farcasters and the abrupt end to most intergalactic travel and commerce, in which the Pax had most control over the former Web worlds.
The main protagonist and narrator is Raul Endymion, who was once a shepherd and convicted murderer in the planet of Hyperion. He narrates the story by writing on a transcriber while imprisoned in a Schröeder cat box satellite in orbit around Armaghast. Raul is chosen as a pawn in a cosmic game whose outcome will determine the fate of all humanity. He is chosen by a very old Martin Silenus to be the protector of the next messiah, Aenea; and first to rescue her from the awaiting Pax forces as she re-enters the present time from the past, among other tasks.
In his mission, Raul crosses time, space and the very fabric of reality in a dizzying world-hopping adventure - first as Aenea's body guard, then as her lover and finally disciple. And throughout all this, ever-present is the Shrike - part monster, part killing machine, part avenging angel - who has also followed Aenea into the 32nd century, as the girl prepares to announce her message to the world, for the sake of all mankind.
According to the author Dan Simmons, Endymion is actually the first part of a larger book, the second part of which is The Rise of Endymion. As such, although the story line hits a natural pause in the narrative, it continues on in the fourth book of the saga.
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External Links[]
Endymion on Wikipedia | Endymion at Worlds Without End