During the Christmas season, I introduced my eldest son to a few science fiction novels to read over the holidays. I was hoping that the books would keep him offline for a few days.
I showed him a couple of Star Trek novels and Frank Herbert's Dune. But what got his attention was Dan Simmons' Hyperion series.
My son loves to read. I remembered reading to him Ernest Cline's Ready Player One when he was just Grade 2 or 3. He loved the geek and gaming cultural references, as well as the puzzles that challenged the heroes in the story.
After rummaging through the old bookshelf, I showed him a old paperback copy of Hyperion.
"I think you'll like this. It deals with concepts like time travel and religion. One of the main characters is a Catholic Priest who encountered an alien."
"Really?" He took the book, flipped it on the back and read the blurb.
"You might like it," I added. "There's also an alien half-machine half-living predator called the Shrike."
The series covered a lot of diverse topics, which the author managed to weave into one cohesive work of fiction. Its biggest mystery revolves around the seven pilgrims on their journey to the planet Hyperion.
I thought he would find the story a little bizzare and the science part even more confusing. But he finished the first book after a few days.
Honestly I was amazed that he was able to understand and appreciate the story. I was already in my late 20s when I first read the novel. Even then it took me time to digest the contents of the book.
At least now I know who will inherit my entire collection of books in the future.
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