Banks and Iain M. Banks your best of them...

[kyser_soze]

I'm stupid and don't understand the end, but I don't care

Ok, I'm assuming you got the actual end of the story, and are referring to the last page of the epilogue?

Spoiler: The End of Excession

It's a monologue by the Excession itself, where it talks about it's role as a conduit between universes and all the things it's done for pan-reality civilsations, mentioning universe pairings (marriage?!?!), resuce missions from collapsed realities. Clearly it works for another species, as far beyond the comprehension of the Minds as the Minds are of humans, and within the monologue mentions 'presenting the entities know as Peace Makes Plenty, the other Elench ships and the Grey Area, which dives into the portal through the energy grid just before the Excession dissappears. It's final remark is that the inhabitants of the reality it's just visited aren't suitable for it's services as yet (echoes of Contacts comments about Earth in State of the Art), and that as an entity it wishes to be known as the Culture's term for it, Excession.

 

[mitochondria]

just finished Excession. liked it VERY much.

I guess I need to start the Culture series from the beginning - is Consider Phlebas the first?

 

[DotCommunist]

just finished Excession. liked it VERY much.

I guess I need to start the Culture series from the beginning - is Consider Phlebas the first?

yes, and it is one of the best. I'd go Consider Phlebas, Inversions and then Look to Windward.

they are stand alone novels all, but the trio above dovetail nicely as well as being (imo) the best ones

 

[mitochondria]

Thanks DotComm

It is great stuff for these cold evenings. Excession took me four - this way I will have next two weeks' entertainment sorted

 

[DotCommunist]

oooh, do also get the State of The Art novella. It's when GCU observes earth in the 20th century while considering Contact. Very good indeed, and it contains an odd but good little story 'A gift from the Culture'

 

[butcher]

I actually enjoyed the Business and Dead Air, but the one with the glass factory (can't remember the title) is my fave standard fiction Banks.

The Use of Weapons, AADB and POG have to be my fave culture novels.

Butcher

 

[ChrisC]

The Bridge which I'm reading at the moment is rather good, if a little weird. Life on Mars takes the piss by ripping it's idea from it though.