Dan Simmons' classic sci-fi novel Hyperion is being adapted at last -- as an event series for Syfy.

The cable network (which, full disclosure, is Blastr's corporate parent) announced this morning that it will team with producer/actor Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Oscar-winning producer Graham King (Argo) and director/producer Todd Phillips (The Hangover) to bring the massive novel -- the first in a tetralogy -- to the screen.

Cooper, King and Phillips will executive-produce the series, which is being penned by Boardwalk Empire writer Itamar Moses. Cooper said in a statement:

“It is an absolute honor to enter into the world created by Dan Simmons that is arguably one of the greatest works of science fiction, and help realize it for television audiences."

Syfy president Dave Howe added:

“As Syfy continues to forge important partnerships with award-winning talent on and off screen, this powerhouse team led by Bradley Cooper, Graham King and Todd Phillips brings an extraordinary track record in producing entertainment of the highest creative ambition. Epitomizing the gold standard of science fiction story-telling, Hyperion tackles smart and provocative themes that help define Syfy's development vision.”

Those comments aren't just boilerplate. Hyperion is a modern sci-fi masterpiece that has long confounded attempts to adapt it as a motion picture, with Cooper himself trying for years to make it happen. Set in the 28th century, it takes place long after humankind has abandoned the Earth (which was destroyed by an artifically generated black hole) and spread out into the far reaches of space as the Hegemony of Man through the use of a vast teleportation network created by AIs.

With the Hegemony beset by an imminent invasion from the Ousters (alleged barbarians who reject the Hegemony's AI-dependent culture and live in deep space), seven pilgrims are sent to the remote planet Hyperion, where strange structures known as the Time Tombs -- guarded by a brutal, time-traveling monster called the Shrike -- may be altering the course of human history.

The original novel was followed by The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and The Rise of Endymion, so there's a lot more material there to adapt if Hyperion scores. The event series is really the perfect format for this complex, multi-layered story. With the channel already producing high-profile adaptations like The Magicians, Childhood’s End and The Expanse, are you ready to see Hyperion come to Syfy as well?