丹·西濛斯（1948~），被美國讀者公認為“美國最會講故事的人”。齣道近三十年來，他寫遍奇幻、科幻、恐怖、推理、驚悚、曆史等幾乎所有小說類型，隻要他齣手，必叫好又叫座，捧迴無數大奬，是名副其實的“跨界之王”。

他的長篇處女作《迦梨之歌》一舉拿下瞭奇幻小說的最高奬項世界奇幻文學奬；

第一次涉獵恐怖題材的《腐朽的慰藉》就將恐怖小說界重量級的三大奬項布蘭姆·史托剋奬、英倫奇幻奬和軌跡奬包攬囊中；

第一部長篇科幻史詩《海伯利安》更是獲得瞭全球科幻小說至高榮譽雨果奬，以及軌跡奬、日本星雲奬、法國宇宙奬，入圍阿瑟剋拉剋奬、英國科幻奬等國際重量級科幻奬項，被譽為“二十世紀科幻文學史上難以超越的裏程碑”。

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike.There are those who worship it.There are those who fear it.And there are those who have vowed to destroy it.In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives.Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret.And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

From the Paperback edition.