I really appreciated his theme of life evolving from one race of gods to another, with one power having to give way to another, as Hyperion must.
But it's not just a game of finding literary references.
Writing, I'm convinced, should be a subversive activity - frowned on by the authorities - and not one cooed over and praised beyond common sense by some teacher.
Finally, there's the simple fact that I would be bored silly if I read in only one genre or one type of author - so why write in only one form?
I have more respect for The Iliad now than I've ever had, and I've always thought it was possibly the finest piece of literature there was.