Would those be Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons? I haven't read any of his books, but I'll look for them.
Yes, that's who it is. The quality level of the writing is very high in these + Simmons plays with some interesting and strange concepts. I guess its SF, but also operates as fantasty on a certain level.
Anyway, I rate them high, not just on the SF scale, but as fiction in general. I read them in the last year, so my perspective is still pretty fresh.