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.

  • Nutteman@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Hyperion, then Dune. Hyperion is really awesome but its gonna pale in comparison to Dune, IMO

    • Muffi@programming.dev
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      1 year ago

      I agree with this. They are two entirely different kinds of books, but anything pales in comparison to the Dune series.

      • Nutteman@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        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

  • KingJalopy @lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Dune is my pick. I’ve read both and I’ve gone back to dune time and time again but only read Hyperion the once. Just my personal preference. Both were amazing but for me dune had better reread value.

    • abracaDavid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      To add to this, Dune is a really slow start. It takes a minute to get to the good parts, but it’s worth the wait.

      • hot_guava@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Hyperion is a bit uneven, but I wouldn’t call it dense. It’s deliberately exploring different literary genres, some more successfully than others, but I’d never call it difficult reading. Dune can be a real slog at time and there are parts when I’m not even clear who’s saying what.

          • hot_guava@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Well, I was referring to the book Hyperion rather than the whole series. I actually wouldn’t necessarily recommend any of the sequels to Hyperion. They are fine, but forgettable and as hard as they try, they just don’t recapture the big ideas of the first.

            So for me it’s Hyperion > Dune, but probably Dune Chronicles > Hyperion Cantos overall, especially in terms of ideas because I never warmed to Herbert’s style.

  • nemanin@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Dune over Hyperion all day. But you should really read A Deepness in the Sky. Everyone should.

      • Weirdmusic@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Any and all (including his short stories) Vinge’s works are well worth a read. He’s up there with David Brin IMHO. Do yourself a favour and read his Uplift series.

  • SexyTimeSasquatch@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Read the first book of each series and see how you feel about them. No need to commit to the whole series until you’re sure you like one. Both are great in their own way. But it is worth noting that Dune gets really different after the first book and books 3 and 4 of Hyperion are like a whole different story. You might consider reading the first book of Dune, then Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion. Then see about the rest.

    • Alteon@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Hell. Books 4 & 5 of Dune are pretty much an entirely different story. I couldn’t bring myself to finish 5 or even start 6. The first three books were legendary though.

  • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Dune. Just so you can participate in the buzz generated by the films, and have a greater appreciation of their adaptation attempt.

    • KingJalopy @lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      They did a great job on the first one imo. I saw the trailer for 2 while watching Oppenheimer and looks legit.

      • snowyday@lemmy.worldB
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        1 year ago

        Book 4, God Emperor, is the best.

        I hated it the first time. Struggled the second and third. Loved it every reread since

  • heavyboots@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • InverseParallax@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    That is a very hard question.

    Hyperion first, because it’s nice and will give you momentum.

    Dune is beautiful, but dense, and especially later it starts sapping energy, in fact quit after God-Emperor, the last 2 don’t have that much to offer.

  • Muffi@programming.dev
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    1 year ago

    I love both series from first to last book. Hyperion is a fun blend of genres and ideas, whereas Dune is epic fantasy in space. They are VERY different, but equally amazing.

  • iridiom@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • gina@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    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.