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Ilium (Gollancz S.F.)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Gollancz (2004-03-01)
ISBN: 0575075600
EAN: 9780575075603
Dewy Decimal #: 813
Paperback: 656 pages
Edition: New Ed
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Editorial Reviews
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Genre-hopping Dan Simmons returns to science fiction with the vast and intricate masterpiece Ilium. Within, Simmons weaves three astounding story lines into one Earth, Mars and Jupiter-shattering cliffhanger that will leave readers aching for the sequel. On Earth, a post-technological group of humans, pampered by servant machines and easy travel via "faxing," begins to question its beginnings. Meanwhile, a team of sentient and Shakespeare-quoting robots from Jupiter's lunar system embark on a mission to Mars to investigate an increase in dangerous quantum fluctuations. On the Red Planet, they'll find a race of metahumans living out existence as the pantheon of classic Greek gods. These "gods" have recreated the Trojan War with reconstituted Greeks and Trojans and staffed it with scholars from throughout Earth's history who observe the events and report on the accuracy of Homer's Iliad. One of these scholars, Thomas Hockenberry, finds himself tangled in the midst of interplay between the gods and their playthings and sends the war reeling in a direction the blind poet could have never imagined. Simmons creates an exciting and thrilling tale set in the thick of the Trojan War as seen through Hockenberry's 20th-century eyes. At the same time, Simmons's robots study Shakespeare and Proust and the origin-seeking Earthlings find themselves caught in a murderous retelling of The Tempest. Reading this highly literate novel does take more than a passing familiarity with at least The Iliad but readers who can dive into these heady waters and swim with the current will be amply rewarded. --Jeremy Pugh, Amazon.com
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Customer Reviews
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Intelligent and surprising.
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-02-06
This is a strange book with an unusual mix of viewpoints and characters.
The idea of post-humans and the exploration of a variety of futuristic concepts is interesting with a good pace and with idea after idea being dropped in.
We see a variety of future races as concepts as they interact with lots of surprises and mini dramas along the way.
We get to see a version of the Iliad with the very human reactions of Hockenberry who is remembering his past and being trapped into actions he would prefer to avoid by the gods.
There is also some humour injected by the two literary robots who are probably the most human characters in the book.
It is quite a dark book with a bleak future in many ways but with so many ideas thrown together that you never dwell on the possible extinction of humanity.
The sequel to Hyperion was a let down never being better than average and it only remains to see if the sequel to this book can keep to the high standard set here.
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Excellent, eclectic, fascinating
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-01-04
This book made me late for work.
I kept reading it late into the night.
The three themes come together in an unusual way, well researched (Troy) and a few open plotlines left for the sequel -which i hear is called Olympus.
I shall be ordering that ASAP.
The idea of an altered Earth is fascinating; I always love trying to figure out how the historical changes happened and what I would do to survive in such an environment.
The 'Gods' are a mystery and remain so - the question to Zeus, "Who are you and where did you come," from is never answered - hopefully the sequel will. likewise the big question - why the hell does an advanced culture want to play Greeks and Gods is never answered; I assume they like the bloodshed of crude battle.
I rather liked the little Moravec, sentient machine from the moon Io, although his harping on about Shakespeare's sonnets did get on the mammaries after a bit. I suppose the author wanted to educate us a bit - but the classical scholars never read the Sc-Fi books at University, just us geeks -the same ones they now need to advise them on Technology. Ha!
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Thoughtful, weird but at its core a real page turner
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-12-17
I avoided this novel for a few years - the plot summary made it seem so contrived that I simply couldn't imagine how Simmons could actually make it work.
A friend finally loaned me a copy and I devoured 300 pages in one sitting. This is a well oiled machine of a book - an unashamedly old school SF novel - big ideas, cracking plot, robust characters, a robot dog(!), and all leavened by some nice thoughts on Homer, Shakespeare, Proust and Browning.
I'm not sure it would suit the non-SF fan but if you liked Hyperion (and were disappointed by the mis-firing Endymion) then you are in for a treat.
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A masterpiece of modern Science Fiction
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-26
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is a truly excellent book. Challenging? Yes. Outlandish? Definately? Unbelievable? Well, you'd think so, but strangely, no.
Simmons seamlessly merges classicl mythology and poetry with modern science fiction . There are many plots being weaved together, copntrasting between a modern man trapped on the plains of what seems to be ancient Troy, even though its happening thousands of years in the future, artificial intelligences analysing poetry in the cold confines of space, and humans living in a world that is falling apart with brutal and horrific celerity.
Simmons seems to have a great gift, easily mastering all the diffrent scenes and emotional resonances this book has to offer. I particulaly enjoyed a scene later in the book, where two of the characetsr are trapped ona a space station, with something hunting them. Absolutely brilliant and not something I'll forget in a hurry.
If you like your Sci-Fi mature, thought provocing and constantly imaginative, then this is the book for you.
(P.S I think its better than Hyperion =D )
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Complex, crazy, but worth sticking with
Rating  (3)
Date: 2007-05-18
I am new to this author, and not a big SF reader. I have read most of Iain Banks SF novels so I am familiar with a lot of the quantum mechanics and general "space" theories used by many of these authors. I have to say that this book doesn't do a great job of explaining how the physics behind the main plot actually works. It is never really made clear what version of the battle of Troy we are actually reading about (as other reviews have mentioned). It is interesting to read about the history of the battle, and I did like the notion of a race of evolved "post humans" masquerading as the Gods using technology to simulate the powers and looks of those characters, but there is no explanation as to why, or how, they have managed this, let alone how they have managed to recreate the battle of Troy down to the last detail.
There are some very passing references to this being a "dimension" thing - all the fiddling with Quantum time/space allowing other realities to cross over, perhaps even recreations of literary realities such as the tale of Homer's Iliad, but I don't think I ever really understood this set up.
I am a bit opposite to some other commentators in that I found the first half of the book a bit of a slog, but actually found the second half quite gripping and much easier to read. Once the robots encounter the gods on their way to Mars and some of the plots started to pull together, I found it really picked up.
I do agree with some other reviews that in the end this is really just one big set up for another book, and to be honest the stuff I was really looking forward to in this book (Achilles and Hector laying siege to the Gods themselves) starts, but never gets going. Mind you, The Fellowship of the Ring was a bit like this and is none the worse for it.
I will buy the sequel, and hopefully get the pay off with the big story (I hope..) and overall would say this is a book for those willing to spend a lot of time patiently working with the characters and letting the story find its way - this ain't a quick read!
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Retail Price: £7.99
Amazon.com's Price:£0.01
That's 100% Off!
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