Last night I finished Rise of Endymion after a three-week push going through the last two of the Cantos. I read Hyperion a year ago after someone telling me ten years ago I should have read it and got through it while I was having a rough day in the hospital and it was so powerful. It's one of the best books I've ever read, absolutely fantastic, and each story drew me in more and more.

I love the Dune series and I see a lot of structural parallels between the two. Hyperion/Dune can be relatively standalone. The first two/three books also tie together a nice story arc whereas the last two/three books are another story arc that fill in a lot more of the context of the universe as a whole while still leaving some of it a mystery. The universe-building in both is magnificent though Hyperion is definitely easier to penetrate at first. And even though I love Dune, I've found Hyperion better in my opinion. I really like the different writing styles throughout the series and how it gets pieced together as the story progresses.

It's a shame it took me so long to pick up the book. I wish I could experience the awe of reading it for the first time again!