The
Tree of
Pain is a unique
visage of
hell (or perhaps
purgatory) from the first two
books of
Dan Simmon's
Hyperion series.
The tree itself is the
instrument of the
Shrike, who
impales his
victims on it (if he hasn't chopped them to
little bits yet).
The unlucky ones are taken to the Tree. The Shrike's Tree of Pain is a poignantly gruesome, if somewhat overly symbolic image. An enormous shining metal thorn tree reaching into the sky, it exists outside of time and upon its giant barbs are impaled the undying bodies of The Shrike's victims, writhing in a chorus of agony as they ever futilely attempt to pull themselves off the frictionless spikes. Since the Tree exists outside of time, as does the Shrike itself, this allows for the truly horrifying possibility of seeing ones self on the Tree, knowing you are fated to be impaled there, knowing in a way you already are.
--James Serendip, Bookideas.com Book Reviews