Eleventh Century Remnant wrote:Hm. The entire Hyperion Cantos cycle is basically a gloss in the margin of Keats, so the obvious thing to do is sic the invisible worm that flies in the night on it, problem solved.
I don't buy the caveat; it is fantastically, symbolically deadly hand to hand, and the way to fight it and defeat it is with symbols, with myth, with literary devices. Like the invisible worm.
From Trek, Kirk wouldn't have much of a chance, he'd try to do it the hard way; it would simply eat Janeway or Archer (and they deserve it); Picard, being better read, would probably have a better chance.
Star Wars, a hero could do it, but not a detached, emotionless hero- the jedi would be helpless, because they are not in tune with the myth, they're almost as much empty symbols as it is. Palpatine- or Luke, falling and rising- would have the meaning and the mana to overwrite it, overcome what it represents. Damn' few else.
For the Shrike, looking at a later, Time War era Dalek would be looking into a mirror. So very alike in meaning if not motive and means- and it would be one among, against millions.
Earlier? I doubt it could defeat Whoverse time- engineering; it has the subtlety of a craftsman, not a calculating genius- Gallifreyan technology would fix it, and being stasered would be poetic justice.
Photino birds, it's doubtful if it could even touch. Xeelee, likewise- certainly not what would be sent against it (nightfighters) if it ever actually became a problem. Lesser beasties, like the Squeem and Qax [Baxter has no flair for names, almost as bad as David Brin]- have lesser abilities to resist, but the physical work of eliminating a Qax may be difficult.
I know nothing of Faction Paradox, and don't really care.
I said non-humans, so why are Kirk, Janeway, and Archer fighting it? Though, Janeway may not be human...
Oops, I will remove Xeelee and Photino birds from thelist of things needing to be killed, since they are out of the Shrike's league.