Ha! You are my hero, friend. I was thinking of Hyperion the whole way through this list, and (though there are some truely brilliant titles here) was terribly disappointed to see it absent. One of the most imaginative and stylish books ever written, folks. You haven't begun to see the possibilties of sci-fi until you've let Simmons take the wheel.
JFrog Agreed. I also enjoyed Illium and Olympos. Also check out The Lensemen series by E.E. "Doc" Smith, Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer, The Sheep Look up by John Bruner and Blood Music by Greg Bear. Oh and no list is complete without Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke