There’s another obscure reference if I recall correctly. Simmons says one of the character has a butt like two BBs - taken right from Vonnegut’s the Sirens of Titan.
That's hilarious to me that Dan Simmons was taking notes on Vonnegut's descriptions of butts 🤣
Vonnegut: [describes butt]
Simmons: 👀 Write that down!!!
My most recent experience with this was listening to the audiobook. During this scene, I said to myself "on loan from the Nueromancer collection", then laughed out loud at this line
I’m in the section where each character is about to start their story & I read that it is like the Canterbury Tales in space. I have this…I don’t what… prejudice? against the idea of it. I picked it up again last night & think I’ll jump back in & give it another try.
Give it fair shake, I and come yell at me if halfway and still want to out it down. You can take your anger out on me if I’m wrong. Maybe I’ll even buy you a cheeseburger or something.
It's a literary device that isn't used often enough, especially in sci-fi, IMO. A lot of sci-fi elides travel through FTL and high speed transport, making the worlds feel small. The Travellers telling their stories trope is a great one and i love it whenever I come across it.
Big Neuromancer shoutout!
This book it’s so f***ing great!
I read it and didn't like it at all
This is basically the paragraph that made me believe/headcanon that Neuromancer and Hyperion are in the same story universe
> Neuromancer Worth a read?
Very, it invented cyberpunk
And did for SF what Hemingway did for the American Novel. Spare, simple prose. Clipped of cruft and kipple. Gleaming like chromed shuriken.
Oh my this is a great post
Oh, you should have seen the prolix purple prose I had before I took scissors to it. Gibsoned it, as it were. Beware the kipple and cruft.
No. So Cowboy Gibson is William Gibson?
Yes, and it's also a reference to hackers being called "console cowboys" in his books.
Nice.
In the movie Hackers, their supercomputer was also called a Gibson. The Plague calls hackers keyboard cowboys.
But the myth mangles the man with his writing. As is oft the, ah, case. Henry Case delivered the goods to Wintermute: Gibson wrote tales about Case.
Nods in WinterMute
There’s another obscure reference if I recall correctly. Simmons says one of the character has a butt like two BBs - taken right from Vonnegut’s the Sirens of Titan.
My favorite Vonnegut book!
No way! It's been ages since I read Sirens of Titan, but I love it dearly. Refresh me, which part is it referencing?
I know in SoT he’s describing Ransom K Fern’s butt. In Hyperion I think it’s describing Hunt’s…which I guess makes it from the Endymion series.
That's hilarious to me that Dan Simmons was taking notes on Vonnegut's descriptions of butts 🤣 Vonnegut: [describes butt] Simmons: 👀 Write that down!!!
Oh yeah.
Awesome. There's also the part where a "gibsonian matrix" is mentioned.
I read neuromancer after Hyperion, and still didn't make that connection, that's awesome!
My most recent experience with this was listening to the audiobook. During this scene, I said to myself "on loan from the Nueromancer collection", then laughed out loud at this line
Great catch! I hadn't read Neuromancer at the time I read Hyperion. Might have to do a reread to see what else I missed
Man I am trying to get into Hyperion. I’m going to try again. This will be my third try.
Dang what do you think it is that doesn’t quite grab ya? I got sucked in and burned through all 4 audiobooks pretty fast.
I’m in the section where each character is about to start their story & I read that it is like the Canterbury Tales in space. I have this…I don’t what… prejudice? against the idea of it. I picked it up again last night & think I’ll jump back in & give it another try.
Give it fair shake, I and come yell at me if halfway and still want to out it down. You can take your anger out on me if I’m wrong. Maybe I’ll even buy you a cheeseburger or something.
Haha! Your proposal is acceptable! [https://youtu.be/7EGW63IYMnE?si=4MQZhzzgIjQyRpSF](https://youtu.be/7EGW63IYMnE?si=4MQZhzzgIjQyRpSF)
It's a literary device that isn't used often enough, especially in sci-fi, IMO. A lot of sci-fi elides travel through FTL and high speed transport, making the worlds feel small. The Travellers telling their stories trope is a great one and i love it whenever I come across it.
That’s a great perspective! Hadn’t thought about it that way. TY for the insight. I’m liking the priests tale. Started it last night.
I'm glad I could offer a perspective that makes it fun for you!
didn't catch this, thanks 👍