One of the things I love about this series is the way that Simmons does metafiction in such an original way. Ostensibly, this novel is science fiction–there are robots, quantum technology, space travel, genetic manipulation, nanotechnology and so on. But a number of the characters are from The Iliad and from The Tempest. And the thing is, it makes sense once you get used to it.
Olympos is the sequel to Ilium, which set the stage for what’s happening in this book. In Olympos, we find the Achaeans, the Trojans, and the robots squaring off against people who theink they’re the Greek gods. We still don’t know why these gods are there, but it’s related to something that’s going on between Prospero, Ariel, Sycorax, Setebos and Caliban.
This series is an absolutely amazing read. And it’s so well done! If you’re interested in metafiction, I really recommend these books.