Olympos
by Dan Simmons · first published 2005
64% recommend36% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Sci-fi set in a reimagined ancient world, blending grand world-building with alternate classical history. It is fun and imaginative, suited to sweeping, idea-rich epics.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Beneath the gaze of the gods, the mighty armies of Greece and Troy met in fierce and glorious combat, scrupulously following the text set forth in Homer's timeless narrative. But that was before one observer -- Twenty-first Century scholar Thomas Hockenberry -- stirred the bloody brew; before an enraged Achilles joined forces with his archenemy Hector; and before the fleet-footed mankiller turned his murderous wrath on Zeus, Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, and the entire pantheon of divine manipulators.Now, all bets are off. Dan Simmons, the multiple-award-winning author of The Hyperion Canto
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…charming. Lords of Light by Roger Zelazny has more style, pizzaz, & spirit than I feel like any of us deserve. An interesting, storied tale from the post-singularity, with a remarkable & robust cast. Illium/Olympos by Dan Simmons, are, in my mind still the clear winner, far above Hyperion. The cast is charming beyond belief, stumbling through a world they both know all too much about & far far too little. Some really…
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗I second it, if you enjoyed it, I warmly recommend Illium/Olympos from the same author which is a bit in the same vein. And generally I really like Dan Simmons. What I found fascinating is that he does not write always the same book (as a lot of author), and he can…
on “Entitlement issues (2009)” ↗Lot's of my favorites already listed Some more good ones: Ilium/Olympos - Dan Simmons Centuries - A. A. Attanasio Callahan's Crosstime Saloon - Spider Robinson Signal to Noise - Eric Nylund
on “What are your favourite sci-fi books?” ↗Ilium/Olympos by Dan Simmons is very good, also anything from Alastair Reynolds.
on “The Intelligent Forest” ↗Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons. Fantastic blend of sci-fi and (alternate) ancient history. Give it a try if you like grand world-building and a really fun imagination.
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗Dan Simmons' Illium/Olympos saga blew my young mind away, feels hard to top. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilium_(novel)
on “"Netflix's Kaos is the cleverest retelling of Greek mythology I've ever seen"” ↗You might want to read Dan Simmons' Ilium and if you can stomach some weird post-9/11 shit, Olympos. One of the overarching themes is what you describe... or similar.
on “Physicists Solve a Muon Mystery. Now, Old Results Don't Add Up” ↗…(stretching a bit since IIRC the Arab kept using it) ? That a subject that never cease to amaze me. Civilizations rises and fall and with them knowledge. To me, Dan Simmons kind of use that in Ilium and Olympos as background. What will happen when our digital civilisation falls ?
on “We used to sleep twice each night” ↗I'm reminded of the books Illium and Olympos by Dan Simmons.
on “Planet Found in Habitable Zone Around Nearest Star” ↗In "Ilium/Olympos" by Dan Simmons, the post-human society is riddled with quantum magic. Achilles has had his future narrowed down to two possibilities: dying at a specific time after being shot in the heel by an arrow…
on “Universe Splitter” ↗Olympos by Dan Simmons The Players of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt
on “Ask HN: What are you reading right now?” ↗