With a third adaptation for the purportedly unadaptable Frank Herbert’s Dune coming out in late October, now might be the perfect time for some other well-regarded sci-fi books to try their hand at the silver screen. Hyperion by Dan Simmons is another sci-fi series with highly regarded worldbuilding, plotlines, and characters that could easily lend themselves to an adaptation that performs better than any Dune adaptation thus far.
Released in 1989 and winning several awards, such as the Hugo and Locus Awards for best novel, Hyperion has long been lauded as a must-read for sci-fi fans. While it has never been officially adapted, it has been in talks to be adapted in various forms since 2009, with the latest attempt being a Syfy channel miniseries announced in 2015. Hyperion hasn’t quite gathered the massive cult following seen with Dune, although there are many fans who swear by the book as classic sci-fi.
Hyperion tells the stories of how seven separate individuals were chosen for a pilgrimage to the titular planet in search of the fearsome Shrike, a legendary creature that guards the Time Tombs and plays an integral role in the arc of human history. The Time Tombs themselves are mysterious structures wherein time moves backward. While each character works back through why they were selected, the group hopes to discover a way to avoid the horrifying, often quite gory, fate imparted upon Shrike pilgrims every year.
While the politics and intricate story present in Dune are what have driven many to consider it a cult classic loved by many through the years, with Hyperion it’s actually the world of the story that has kept people interested. From the outset, Dan Simmons presents a fully realized world with answers to nearly every question. The world feels lived in and fleshed out almost to an extreme, as various biomes have entire ecosystems unique to their parts of the planet. Simmons spends the first fifty pages of the first book alone establishing the essential elements, then continues building on this baseline as the story continues.
The planet itself stands apart from Dune’s Arrakis in several ways. The desert environment of Arrakis only now being adapted unfortunately lends itself to comparisons to Tatooine from Star Wars. The original Star Wars, like much of sci-fi following Dune’s release, owes a lot of its world and story to Frank Herbert’s story. Tatooine is undeniably inspired by Dune, from the desert world to the moisture farms on it. This comparison, although likely misunderstood, will be unavoidable upon the new film’s release, making the new film feel derivative of what it actually inspired.
The planet of Hyperion, however, is instead a unique, original world for modern sci-fi. There are flame forests, wherein massive electrical storms pop bulbs naturally growing on the trees. These bulbs in turn set the forest ablaze, and only the bestos trees can survive; essential knowledge for those looking to journey on Hyperion. There are parasites called cruciforms, that upon the infected person’s death completely regenerate everything except for a small part of what makes up their “soul”. These are just a few of the many areas in which this world shows fun, new ideas for the world of sci-fi.
The varied characters and world could also allow for more than just a film adaptation. A story of this magnitude, spanning four books and three short stories, with a world this alive means that a series adaptation would likely be the only way to truly capture everything that makes this series what it is. Allowing a season to showcase the, at times hauntingly, beautiful environments as well as fully exploring every inch of Hyperion could even put this story on par with Game of Thrones or the upcoming Amazon Lord of the Rings series. These are both, as Hyperion likely would be, stories set in large worlds that fans would be eager to see more of.
The enticing thing for fans about Hyperion is just how much more they want to see of the world. Similar to Tolkien’s or George R.R. Martin’s books, Hyperion presents a world where there is clearly more story that could be told. Multiple seasons, spin-offs, and movies could all easily take place in the same world and there would still be something new to explore as seen with the Game of Thrones prequel series.
This book is, of course, not without fault. The way many of the female characters are portrayed would likely need adjustment, as it presently does come across as somewhat misogynistic. There are several moments where the male gaze is clear, however, these are simple corrections that would not in any way truly affect the story being told upon their removal or shift to modern standards. The characters as a whole are still strong and stand on their own.
With a largely fleshed-out world, unique sci-fi elements, and a very solid story as a launching point, Hyperion has the potential for something great and long-lasting. Unlike Dune's many adaptations, it will unfortunately likely be quite some time before any ground is broken on a screen adaptation for this series. While Bradley Cooper had been attached for some time to the series, and consistently lauded his praises of the story, nothing has been heard since. There have even been rumors, supposedly stemming from a Dan Simmons blog post, that the project is dead in the water. For now, all that can be done is to wait and hope that audiences can someday make a pilgrimage of their own to see an adaptation of this classic sci-fi story.
Dune is set to release on October 22, 2021 in theaters and on HBO MAX.