The Cantos continues!! It is time to release details of our upcoming edition of The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons.
We are currently shipping copies of Hyperion and we’re very pleased with the tweaks we made to the Deluxe edition – the Labyrinth design is incredible in the flesh. Whilst all copies have not shipped yet, we have taken the decision to reveal Fall of Hyperion with a long rights-holder period to allow people to purchase now (to help with finances prior to Hitchhikers in November) or later in the month of October when they’ll have the copy in hand.
We had a tough act to follow on this one and we hope you like what you see! Once again on the brush/pen is the titanic Jaime Jones, who will go down as one of the all-time greats.
As the Cantos is split between two major storylines, I was really pleased to secure Jaime’s work for the second book and we are looking at a different artist for the final two books (Jaime will be working on something else for us).
What can I say about Fall of Hyperion? We’ve tried to give owners something a little bit different, but yet still fits nicely together which is why we have gone with the icy blue this time. The final two books will be two shades of another colour (undecided!).
There are just two tiers of the book this time. Deluxe and Lettered as we only did the Roman Numeral for book 1. The relevant time tomb for Fall of Hyperion is of course the Crystal Monolith, which is why we have opted for an icier blue.
For more details please scroll down!
Dan Simmons
Simmons is an acclaimed American author known for his remarkable ability to transcend genres, blending science fiction, horror, historical fiction, and fantasy into compelling narratives. As a teenage reader I discovered Dan’s work through Hyperion and it was a tale that stuck with me through the years. I hadn’t actually moved onto the rest of the Cantos until around 10 years ago, and I wish I had done earlier as it’s a masterful collection.
Born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1948, Simmons began his writing career after a decade as a teacher, drawing on his love for literature and storytelling. His debut novel, Song of Kali (1985), set in the dark, myth-infused streets of Calcutta, earned him the World Fantasy Award and established him as a rising star in speculative fiction. Simmons’ unique style is characterised by his rich imagination, vivid descriptions, and skillful interweaving of complex themes like mythology, history, and human consciousness.
His most celebrated work is the Hyperion Cantos series, starting with Hyperion (1989), a novel that blends space opera with literary homage, earning Simmons a Hugo Award. The series delves deep into themes of time, religion, and the nature of existence, drawing readers into an intricate, multilayered narrative. Alongside his science fiction successes, Simmons has written across genres, including the chilling horror novel The Terror (2007), based on the real-life disappearance of the Franklin Expedition, and Drood (2009), a historical thriller about Charles Dickens. With his impressive range and fearless storytelling, Simmons has become a towering figure in contemporary speculative fiction, known for challenging readers’ minds while keeping them on the edge of their seats.
Fall of Hyperion
Book two in the Hyperion Cantos, Fall of Hyperion finishes off the storyline started in book one, following all the pilgrims and main characters from Hyperion.
As the pilgrims inch closer to their fateful encounter with the mysterious Shrike, a godlike being capable of manipulating time, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, galactic warfare looms between the Hegemony of Man, the AI-controlled TechnoCore, and the enigmatic and otherworldly Ousters. The novel introduces the perspective of Joseph Severn, a cybrid with a connection to the poet John Keats, who serves as a bridge between the pilgrims’ journey and the political upheaval threatening the universe. With philosophical musings on fate, artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness, The Fall of Hyperion deepens the complex narrative while exploring the profound consequences of the pilgrims’ choices.
Art
It’s Jaime Jones and it just had to be. We have the same brief for Jaime on this with 8 full colour pieces and 25ish B&W illustrations nestled within the text. Again we won’t be having a dustjacket as it is the Deluxe version, but we are able to share our hero image preliminary for this edition (the finals are being painted in oils) – feast your eyes on the below!
We absolutely love Jaime’s depiction of The Shrike, and one of the key scenes in Fall of Hyperion is no doubt Colonel Kassad’s fight with the Lord of Pain.
Jaime is once again painting the colours in oils and will be using his quill and Indian ink for the interior illustrations. They will be available to purchase too, so drop me a note if you are serious about wanting to purchase!
As is known with CK collectors, Jaime is one of the most versatile and talented artists out there and is able to put his hand to anything. I also genuinely enjoy working with him on my books, and hope for the exterior to match his beautiful interior images.
Deluxe Edition
Limited to 300 copies only, the Deluxe Edition stands at 480 pages and is two colour letterpress printed by Nomad Letterpress on Munken 120gsm Rough Cream.
The book is fully bound in an icy blue veg tan goatskin, and has an all over blind-stamped labyrinth design to follow on from Hyperion. The front board and spine also has 3 colours of foil stamping. The top edge has also been gilded following on from Hyperion.
We have gone with another solander box as the enclosure and updated the designs to match the new Time Tomb and book-tone. The solander is black metallium with an all over black stamped labyrinth design, and the front boards have also had 3 hits of foil stamping.
This book comes with all 8 colour pieces and 25 B&W illustrations by Jaime Jones and signed by both Author and Artist.
Pre-order Price: £630
Published Price: £650
Lettered Edition
Limited to just 26 copies, the Lettered Edition also has 480 pages and has been two colour letterpress printed by the wizards at Nomad Letterpress on Liber Charta 145gsm paper.
We have a new lighter blue/gold marbled leather produced by the incredible Freya Scott at Paperwilds which adorns the books leather onlays and solander edges. The book is fully bound in finest harmattan black goatskin, with two onlays and 3 colours of foil stamping.
The solander is rounded with four raised bands, has two leather onlay, and the edges are finished by the custom marbled leather also. The front and back cruciform design has progressed from Hyperion’s (and will continue through all four books). Inside the case, the trays are gold stamped with an image of Corporal Kassed on the bier, and the Crystal Monolith on the opposing tray.
There is no Keats book with this edition.
Pre-order Price: £2,250
Published Price: £2,400
