The Barnes & Noble Review
Olympos, the shelf-bending sequel to the Hugo Award–nominated Ilium and the concluding volume of Dan Simmons' epic Homeric duology, mixes hard science fiction with classic literature in a cataclysmic re-creation of the Trojan War that includes posthumans, biomechanical robots, the heroes of ancient Troy, the pantheon of Olympian gods, and even little green Martians!
At the conclusion of Ilium, the Greek and Trojan armies -- battling it out on a terraformed Mars -- joined forces to take on Zeus and all the other gods in a battle to end all battles. But gods will be gods, and after Hera seduces and temporarily sidelines Zeus, the Trojan War resumes with even more brutality, as deities manipulate pivotal human participants such as Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, and Helen. Meanwhile on Earth, an army of robotic voynix -- former human servants -- have begun systematically killing off all of their ex-masters. In yet another plot thread, Odysseus sets out on another quest to find his home -- and just maybe save the human race...
One of the most ambitious science fiction works ever attempted, Simmons' Ilium and Olympos are massive in every sense of the word. Set on an immense stage of alternate Earth and Martian realities, peopled with literally hundreds of integral human and nonhuman characters, and powered by truly colossal themes, the books' numerous plotlines slowly interweave and eventually converge in an explosive conclusion that will leave readers shocked, stunned -- and utterly satisfied. Paul Goat Allen
A sequel to Simmons's Ilium (2003) offers up the Trojan War along with elements from The Tempest, The Time Machine, Victorian poets and pop SF. Ilium ended with the Greek and Trojan heroes allied against the Olympian gods, advanced space-going robots called moravecs aiding the human side. Meanwhile, in a different reality, a lovely but decadent human civilization is under attack from its feral former servants, the robotlike voynix. A third plot strand now updates the conflict between the sorcerer Prospero, Caliban and Caliban's monstrous god Setebos. And the revived 20th-century American scholar Hockenberry attempts to chronicle the events while making love to volatile Helen of Troy. Simmons brings each subplot to a boil and spins off sub-subplots about Achilles' love for a dead Amazon queen, Odysseus' voyage to the alternate Earth with the moravecs, the arrival of Setebos and his minions in what was once Paris, etc. Everything comes together into a solid adventure story, with all the mysteries explained in respectably up-to-date SF terms. At the same time, Simmons adopts the device of having his characters quote freely from Homer, Shakespeare, Shelley, Browning, Proust and a host of other sources that liberal arts majors can have fun spotting. The author often gives his borrowings an ironic twist-as when Odysseus quotes Tennyson's "Ulysses" to a classical scholar who half-recognizes the poem, or when Prospero objects to playing himself in a production of The Tempest, not wanting to memorize so many lines. Homeric tags alternate with tough-guy street talk, and several of the moravec scientists turn out to be Star Trek fans. Simmons's gift for vivid description is evident throughout, aswell. He effectively combines a serious subject, ironic perspective, strong action and believable (if not always sympathetic) characters. Ambitious, witty, moving: Simmons at his best. Author tour
Explores the relationship of history and culture to the idea of humanity. An exceptional creation.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“[OLYMPOS] manages to mix great literary pastiche with some highly original storytelling...thoughtful, inventive, clever and action-packed.” — Sunday Denver Post
“Ambitious, witty, moving: Simmons at his best.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Insanely ambitious . . . Ilium and OLYMPOS together solidify [Simmons’s] reputation as one of science fiction’s genuine modern masters.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“A thoughtful but fast-paced tale that will leave heads spinning and hearts racing.” — Newark Star Ledger
“Philosophy, physics and literature 101, wrapped up in the trappings of Buck Rogers-style space opera: great fun.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Fans of epic, action-driven science fiction will talk about this inventive and highly-addictive thriller for years.” — School Library Journal
Insanely ambitious . . . Ilium and OLYMPOS together solidify [Simmons’s] reputation as one of science fiction’s genuine modern masters.
Philosophy, physics and literature 101, wrapped up in the trappings of Buck Rogers-style space opera: great fun.
[OLYMPOS] manages to mix great literary pastiche with some highly original storytelling...thoughtful, inventive, clever and action-packed.
A thoughtful but fast-paced tale that will leave heads spinning and hearts racing.
Insanely ambitious . . . Ilium and OLYMPOS together solidify [Simmons’s] reputation as one of science fiction’s genuine modern masters.
