Hyperion By Dan Simmons

In Dan Simmons' science fiction book Hyperion, the theme of the danger of pursuing knowledge is explored. Dan Simmons develops this unique theme within several characters: Paul Duré, Martin Silenus, and Rachel Weintraub. Hyperion is a story told in a format similar to that of The Canterbury Tales, in which each character tells their story of how they ended up where they are today. Hyperion's theme of pursuing knowledge and being met with consequences can be found in all of the characters' stories. One example of a character looking for knowledge is Father Paul Duré, "Their secrets will last. But how long will the Bikura culture last before being absorbed into modern colonial society?" (Simmons 29). Father Duré is the first person to have their

It started right after Duré was exiled from the church for falsifying records. He decided to travel to the planet Hyperion, with Hoyt as his driver, where he could learn more about a mysterious tribe named the Bikura. "I have found the Bikura. Or rather, they have found me" (52). Soon after traveling to Hyperion, he found the tribe and continued wondering about their origins and culture. After staying with the Bikura for some time, he grew too curious and decided to search the area where the Bikura often went telling Duré not to follow. Simmons emphasizes the size of Duré's discovery by writing, "I must let the worlds know of this find!" (70). By searching around, he found a massive structure, too big and perfect to be made by man, which he wished to let the world know of. Though his discovery was not without repercussions, "I understood he'd been hanging there for…oh Dear God…seven years. Living. Dying. The cruciform…forcing him to live again." (99). When Hoyt returned to check on Duré, he found the Duré who had staked himself to the ground forcing himself not to return to the cleft. Duré's story directly relates to the dangers of pursuing knowledge because his life was taken after searching for the Bikura and their