On the eve of Armageddon, seven pilgrims journey to the distant world Hyperion, home to the Shrike—a legendary creature of metal and thorns worshipped by some, feared by all. As the Ousters threaten humanity's Hegemony and the mysterious Time Tombs drift backward through time, each pilgrim carries a desperate hope: to bargain with, destroy, or simply survive the Shrike. Structured like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the travelers share their interwoven stories of love, loss, faith, and fate—each tale revealing that their destinies, and the galaxy's, hinge on secrets that span centuries, religions, and the very fabric of time itself.
