Recently I finished Asimov’s Foundation universe and now I want to try something from other authors. Two series I’m most interested in are Dune and Hyperion but I’m not sure which one to read first. Any recommendations?
Edit: I decided to go with Hyperion first and after that I will read Dune. Thank you all for commenting.
Can‘t comment on Dune, but the Hyperion Cantos starts awesome, becomes a bit dull later and then has a surprisingly emotional ending in Fall of Endymion.
For my money, Dune is by far the better book. But I’d personally stop reading after about the 4th one in the series max (might even stop at 3). They don’t hold up well after that I don’t think.
Just out of curiosity, when you say Foundation universe do you also mean his Empire and Robots books? Because if not, I’d get on that before I move on to anything non-Asimov.
There are a few other books in that universe, 3 in that story line by Bedford, Brin, then Bear. Another series in the world, Caliban by Roger McBride Allen
I loved Hyperion, I'm thinking about rereading it. The original Dune has been my favorite since I was 13 years old. I'm going to get flayed alive for saying this, but I honestly enjoyed most of the prequels his son and Kevin J. Anderson wrote.
Dune is different. There is nothing else like it. Maybe the closest I’ve found to it is the Book of the New Sun series but I have to take those even slower than I did Dune because they are DENSE
Foundation is the front runner of “Epic” sci-fi, by far. It’s relatively easy to follow. Some of the individual stories are memorable, and a few are less memorable when compared to the others. Foundation is my favourite sci-fi series of all time.
Dune is epic when compared to any series apart from Foundation. The earlier books are more memorable, but the later books are still excellent. I prefer the more nuanced political plots in Dune compared to Foundation.
Hyperion is more about some top-tier stories that spill over in to epicness. Some of these stories are more memorable to me than the individual stories in Foundation and Dune. Political intrigue is developed later and isn’t as central to the overall plots.
Just keep in mind that they’re very different books. You might not even like both of them - personally, I really struggled to get through Hyperion, but Dune is an all time favorite.
I would say Dune first but give Hyperion a shot. I actually just finished the Hyperion cantos the other day and am still working through the 6th Dune book.
I personally think Hyperion has some cool ideas and concepts but just never really hit greatness for me.
To also mimic what others are saying Dune changes drastically after book 3 and 4 and Hyperion is basically separate stories split between books 1,2 and 3,4.
Hyperion is my favorite of the two, but I don’t think you could go wrong with either. If you are interested in audiobooks there is one for Dune that is very good.
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