Victoria BC science fiction book club discussion

Discussion thread after half of book has been read

So, I'm halfway through now.

I think this book is great. I knew nothing about it when I started, and it sounded more like a fantasy story to me, based solely on the title and cover (a poor way to judge a book I know). The world building has been excellent, the characters interesting.

I thought it would be nice to have a timeline of the events of the book so far. Here's how I think it goes:

-Ousters leave
-Earth destroyed by black hole
-Hyperion colonized by people leaving the moon of Saturn with the same name (might have happened before destruction of earth?)
-Silenus' literary success/stagnation
-Silenus meets Sad King Billy, relocates to Hyperion
-Silenus summons Shrike with his writing (according to him)
-Shrike pilgrimages begin
-Ousters become a threat
-Someone makes brief contact with Bikura
-Some amount of time...
-Father Dure arrives on Hyperion after disgracing himself by faking evidence of Christianity on an alien world
-Father Dure makes contact with Bikura, learns secrets
-Father Hoyt arrives on Hyperion and finds the remains of Dure, his journals, gets Cruciform'd
-Some time...
-Ousters attack Bressia (I think)
-Kassad at Bressia, wounded in battle with Ousters
-Kassad at Hyperion, meets the woman, Shrike.
-Some time...
-Ousters threaten Hyperion, final Shrike pilgrimage started.

This is how I interpret it. Can anyone see any errors, or have some input?

The members who are in Victoria met tonight to discuss the book. The discussion was attended my myself, Andre, and Jason. We all agreed that the book is fantastic so far, and are looking forward to reading more. Here are some of the things we discussed:

-How much is religion going to play into the story?
-Dure described the cross in the Bikura's 'cathedral' as being in the style of the crucifixes of Earth. Is this a coincidence, or is there some connection between whoever created it and christianity?
-Where does the Shrike come from? It seems plausible that it's from the future. Could one of the pilgrims be transformed into the Shrike in the future?
-What do the labyrinths on the labyrinthine worlds mean? Supposedly they are all geologically dead worlds, yet Hyperion's labyrinth has undergone some shift (I don't recall this myself, anyone remember where it's mentioned?)
-What does the opening of the tombs mean?
-We all agreed that the writing style of each chapter fit the characters quite well. The journal style of Dure/Hoyt's story is reminiscent of a missionary's journal. Silenus's story sounds like what a poet like himself would right. Kassad's straightforward narration is reminiscent of the man.

If I've left something out, please add it. For those who are not in Victoria, let us know your thoughts on the book.

Sorry I missed this discussion. Definitely some interesting questions. Religion, poetry, time... and yet it's great sci-fi too!