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Hi:
I've started reading Hyperion. I'm curious about one point. If you've read at least part of it (now or in the past), can you answer this without too many spoilers:
The story begins with a "pilgrimage" of seven people who agree to tell each other about what significance the planet Hyperion has had to them in the past. On a very general level, it sounds like Simmons is making a parallel with Cantebury Tales. However, the Hyperion "pilgrims" are of a variety of religions and all state they are not believers in the church under whose auspices the journey is being taken. My recollection of Chaucer is pretty dim, but I can't imagine that is consistent with Cantebury. So just how much parallel is Simmons trying to make?

Thanks,
David

I don't think the parallel is too extensive.

The religious aspect really isn't too strong. Most of the pilgrims aren't going there for religious reasons, much less for spiritual worship. (I seem to recall there are some cultists, but the book isn't their story.)

Most important is the obvious gimmickusage of a framing device to integrate the stories of several people. Without that trick, coming up with a plot that brings together such disparate folks would be hard. I think both Chaucer and Simmons were concerned less with the voyage or its religious implications, and more interested in sparking the such different characters off each other.

So in that sense, I guess the parallel is strong, although not within the story per se.