IliumIlium
Score Modern
What it's about
Thousands of years in the future, beings with godlike technology have recreated the Trojan War on Mars and live as the Greek gods on Olympus Mons. They've resurrected a 20th-century classics professor to observe the war and report on whether it follows Homer. Meanwhile, robots from Jupiter who love Shakespeare head for Mars, and on Earth a few last old-style humans live idle lives, unaware.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Hugo finalist. It's a wildly ambitious mashup of Homer, Shakespeare and space opera, from the author of Hyperion.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's long and ends on a cliffhanger; the sequel, Olympos, finishes the story. There's violence and sexual content.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #182 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #276 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #998 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1845 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Adventurous
More by Dan Simmons
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Quick answers
Is Ilium worth reading?
Yes. It was a Hugo finalist. It ranks #1,845 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Ilium about?
Thousands of years in the future, beings with godlike technology have recreated the Trojan War on Mars and live as the Greek gods on Olympus Mons. They've resurrected a 20th-century classics professor to observe the war and report on whether it follows Homer. Meanwhile, robots from Jupiter who love Shakespeare head for Mars, and on Earth a few last old-style humans live idle lives, unaware.
How long does it take to read Ilium?
About 19 hours (752 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Ilium?
If you liked it, try Hyperion by Dan Simmons, The Iliad by Homer or Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny.