The Hyperion: Tales from Hell

by Suzanna Lundale, Marc Tizura, Jessica Laymon (contributor)

The more urban explorer Brayden Winchell learned about the mysterious Hyperion building that supposedly appeared in his native Chicago only once a year, the more he smelled a challenge... and a serious boost for his channel. He went in on Halloween night ready to debunk some myths and get some solid content. He was not prepared for what he found. Follow Brayden's journey through The Hyperion, as he goes floor to floor, reading eerie poetry on the walls along the way. Each floor, a resident. Each resident, a tale, and a piece of a surprising puzzle. In these ten stories, ranging from deliciously grotesque horror to tricky considerations of moral relativity and whether the punishment fits the crime, the reader explores questions of what Hell might be, how one might land there, and the idea that it may well be entirely different for every soul residing in its domain. Welcome to The Hyperion. We've been expecting you. Horror/speculative fiction anthology including 10 short stories and 10 poems. 212 pages.

212 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2023

About the author

Suzanna Lundale is a writer, poet, and observer of worlds from Phoenix, Arizona, now haunting North Carolina. She is passionate about language, history, wanderlust, dogs, and the loved ones – real and imagined – who form her galaxy. Much of her current work falls in the nebulous range of speculative and weird fiction. Her Latinx/Scandinavian-American heritage, and her identity as a witch, lend to the complexity of her worldview.

Reviews

[Celina]

A group project with a fascinating concept: a building that may be in Chicago houses denizens of Hell. Brayden Winchell, urban explorer, checks it out. There are some good illustrations and some poetry integrated with the stories. Some stories are beautifully written and really stayed with me. In others, the writing is so-so but the settings, characters and action would make a great movie.

[timeforthecheck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible book; I actually had to restrain myself to not finish this in one night and just slow down.

The Hyperion is a modern day Inferno, and that is an epic that is incredibly hard to live up to. You’ll see the vision when you read it though, and The Hyperion does a great job being its own thing while respecting Dante.

MASSIVE respect for the editors editing and proofreading to the standards of the contributors’s countries; it truly makes a difference when we have a melting pot of voices.

Speaking of the contributors, I was really impressed that we had different voices for these stories and it never seemed jarring. The stories flowed beautifully into the next poem into the next level/apartment. Some stories will stick with you more than others, and some may want to look up some trigger warnings. However, all of these stories are from some incredibly talented authors, and they deserve their flowers.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book! You’re in for a devastating climb up to each apartment in The Hyperion.

P.S. I’m now looking into sin-eaters so thanks for that new rabbit hole.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cohesive and fun anthology to read through, following the character of Brayden Winchell through his urban spelunking / adventure through the mysterious building known only as The Hyperion. Each story, and poem, fit together perfectly like expertly crafted puzzle pieces. Even with each piece done by a different author, and shined for their individual skill at crafting words, each story still hit the same beats and felt very much all part of the bigger picture.

[Suzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the editing and formatting process, I suspect I read every piece in this collection at least 15 times. You'd think I'd be sick of it by now. On the contrary, I love this book more with every reading. There is delightful diversity of ideas and approaches between these covers. I'm so proud to share our collection with the world!

[Elle McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hyperion: Tales From Hell follows a central character Brayden Winchell. Brayden is an urban explorer who embodies a modern day Dante. The transition between stories in this anthology was seamless and really pulled me in.

If you have ever been urban exploring then you know that the buildings hold echoes of their past. The same can be found of The Hyperion. Every floor and every chapter provides a glimpse into the character that resides there. The stories are unique and captivating. I found them unsettling in the best possible way. I couldn’t put it down.

Each author provided something special to this anthology creating a tapestry of disturbing twists and turns. I will definitely be keeping my eye on these writers.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, ‘The Hyperion’ is a thematically connected, multi-author collection of poems and short stories, bringing together some truly talented independent writers currently working in dark fiction and poetry.

As you get into it, though, you find that each element is a step in a journey of a single character. Brayden Winchell is an urban explorer who sees the challenge of the mysterious, eponymous building as a chance to make a name for himself, planning to record the experience and share it with his social media followers.

Like a modern day Dante turned influencer, Winchell makes his way through level after level, interviewing the denizens of ‘The Hyperion’ hearing their stories and learning about their sins.

While all the stories are written by different authors they are all definitely on the same page. While each brings their own, distinctive, style to the tales, the stories hang together like a single narrative. As Winchell is drawn deeper into the mystery of ‘The Hyperion’ the stories become more and more terrifying and the stakes more and more serious.

I really enjoyed this collection. The premise is fresh and the poetry and prose are beautifully executed. Highly recommended!

[Shannon Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hyperion is a mysterious building that makes an annual appearance in Chicago. The story follows Brayden Winchell, a young man with a passion for exploring the unknown.

The most excellent part of this intriguing tale is how the editors amalgamated stories from several authors into a cohesive, chilling whole. Each story offers its own unique characters, setting, and style while still honoring the core story and advancing the plot. In addition to this, there are also short poems and complementary graphics -- a feat not easily pulled off, but made to look easy from these authors and editors.

An excellent look at morality, vengeance, and the many faces of hell. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Silent Hill and Dante's Inferno. These stories were refreshing, frightening, heartbreaking, and more.

[Marc Tizura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a year (a little over) worth of hard work. I am so grateful to all our collaborators and I am proud to present this collection of stories to you!
Within this gorgeous cover you will find 10 unique poems and stories with their own take and interpretation of Hell. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!
10 stories
10 poems
1 trip through Hell
Welcome to The Hyperion
We've been expecting you!
Every soul has a tale to tell...

[Andy Harrowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clever collection of stories and poems that twist and turn their way through this unique building.
There's something for all horror fans, and many of the dark tales stick with you long after the last page.
The editors have done an excellent job, creating a fascinating setting, unleashing the creativity of the writers and poets, while bringing everything together very nicely.
I highly recommend!