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If you happen to find yourself reading this article, you must enjoy Hyperion by Dan Simmons, a classic science fiction novel published in 1989 dealing with multiple characters from different timelines.
Its structure is often described as similar to the 14th century The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
This is a fairly decent reason to get acquainted with it, even if you’re not much into sci-fi as a genre.
So if you have finished Hyperion and now search for something like this, this article is for you.
Take a seat and keep reading.
The list of books similar to Hyperion
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Neuromancer by William Gibson is a classic Sci-fi novel published in 1984 and is often regarded as one of the first Cyberpunk stories.
This story was the first to conceive what technology would do to us in the future by predicting that artificial intelligence would become so advanced that it would be a threat to humanity.
We follow a man who has to dive deep into the mysteries of the Matrix, a metaverse in cyberspace, to fulfill one last hacking job for a client, who turns out to be an artificial being.
To see where the origins of classic movies like the Matrix come from, or if you want to read the origins of stories like Ready Player One, check it out on Amazon.
And if you love the Cyberpunk genre, check out more books like Neuromancer.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Published in 1965, Dune was a marvel of its time as it imagines humanity in the future living on distant planets well before the 1969 Moon landings.
It follows an heir, Paul, to an important house that rules a planet and trades in a valuable spice called melange, which allows its users to extend their life and enhance their mental facilities.
However, this drug is so sought after that his house and life are threatened.
Paul must take on a mysterious new identity, Muad’Dib. to protect his life and venture out into the strange universe that is Dune.
To delve into the fantastical world-building and slow-burn epic sci-fi that is Dune, get the book.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Forever War, written by Joe Haldeman and published in 1974, inspired a lot of writers that came after.
It follows a soldier fighting a thousand-year war with an alien race for the fate of humanity.
He travels in time and through space knowing that his job is essential, but knows that regardless of where he ends up, he will either die in battle or return home to a planet that is thousands of years in his future.
The cost of deep space travel has enormous costs, and even if not much time changes for the soldier, Earth ages faster by comparison.
If a deep dive into space wars and time travel interests you, check out The Forever War.
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
The Three-Body Problem is a modern classic by Liu Cixin set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution when a secret signal is sent off into space to try and contact aliens.
An alien race about to die obtains the signal and decides to invade Earth as a last-ditch attempt to save themselves.
The result of this alien contact leads to several groups forming, with some welcoming the extraterrestrials to repair their corrupt world, whilst others want to fight against them.
Get The Three-Body Problem to find out what becomes of Earth. It may surprise you.
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
In the far future, where the whole Solar System has been colonized, yet the stars are still out of reach, Leviathan Wakes follows a celestial miner returning from a mining job.
They encounter an abandoned spacecraft between Saturn and Jupiter that holds a secret that, if anyone else got their hands on it, could spell the end to peace in the galaxy.
With the threatening war on the horizon and their lives on the line, they must keep this secret safe.
First, they need to find out who left this ship and why to repair the building tensions between superpowers, but it will be a momentous task.
If you want to know how this story goes, buy the book.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Children of Time is an intense reading experience following the last survivors of humanity as they fight for survival in the stars.
They find a seemingly perfect planet at first until they realise another civilization occupies it, and they are about to walk right into its trap…
There is now a war between two races brewing, and the fate of humanity’s side could spell the end of humans as we know it.
To find out who wins and how humanity in the future might face such dire challenges, purchase the book.
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
In a controversial tale about wars in space, we follow a recruit sent to the most brutal and best space military camp for training.
But, when he is sent out into space, he meets one of the most destructive forces ever witnessed by humanity in the universe, and it’s now at their doorstep.
This is an excellent choice if you love gritty war action movies set in space. Consider getting it on Amazon to experience this classic sci-fi novel for yourself.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
We follow Valentine Michael Smith on this earling’s return to being raised on Mars.
He gets an outsider’s perspective of how alien humans must seem to extraterrestrials.
Valentine must learn to understand human culture and ways of ‘being’ whilst showing humanity one or two ways of living better lives.
He loves swimming, love, and grokking, and he means to express those to everyone he meets.
You can meet a stranger in a strange land by purchasing the book here.
Ringworld by Larry Niven
The sci-fi classic that inspired the Halo video game series is, of course, Ringworld by Larry Niven.
With the discovery of a great ring-shaped artifact or “planet,” humans are sent on a mission to study it and abstain from its origins because many fear the creators of such a giant magnum opus in the heavens.
But unfortunately, the ship crashes onto the Ringworld, and they must set off on foot to discover it from the ground.
If you are a massive Halo fan and you love classic sci-fi adventure which a twist, consider buying Ringworld.
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
When a strange celestial object is spotted hurtling to Earth, they only know it by one name: Rama.
But as it gets closer, they realize it is a spacecraft, and humanity starts to prepare for the first meeting with an extraterrestrial species.
Of course, no one knows what it brings and why, but they must make a means to rendezvous with Rama to find out.
Make your first alien connection with Rama by getting this book.
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Fraa Erasmas is a follower of a thousand-year-old convent of scholarly monks who have separated themselves from the outside world.
They forbid using technology and making contact with the outside world unless due to set days of specific years based on the scripture.
Then one day, an alien spaceship arrives, and their traditional world that had survived governments falling and rising is set to be changed forever.
To discover how an alien spaceship uproots Fraa Erasmas’ life, get Anathem and dive into the story.
Conclusion
In summary of this blog post, as you see, there are many books like Hyperion to be consumed.
Your next big space adventure awaits, whether as a big space opera like Dune or an intense character-focused military space drama in Leviathan Wakes.
You are guaranteed a mind-changing and world-bending experience.
If you’ve read all these books, you might look at more great sci-fi, so check out Books Like The Peripheral, or the top picks suitable for younger audiences.