Hyperion (Hyperion, #1)

Essentially a collection of slightly interconnected short stories in a rich setting. No story overstays its welcome and every story is in a completely different genre, making for a fun reading experience. This is a classic and absolutely holds up.

Forced and artificial, but a bravura pastiche of some main currents of SF. The sudden ending is annoying; I can't think of any non-pretentious reason for it.