tommers
Currently in investor / advisor mode.
apart from the wasp factory and crow road, and possibly walking on glass, his mainstream stuff is in the "pleasant read" category rather than the "omfg" that his sci fi often enters....
IMO of course.
Matter - New Iain M Banks Culture Novel
- Thread starter camouflage
- Start date
apart from the wasp factory and crow road, and possibly walking on glass, his mainstream stuff is in the "pleasant read" category rather than the "omfg" that his sci fi often enters....
IMO of course.
Yep. It had plenty of set pieces and action. The only bit that got on my nerves, was the prelonged pissing about with the dwellers.
Excession was near-unreadable toss.
Stigmata
sexual tyrannosaurus
Actually that was the bit I enjoyed most. The Dwellers were great. I'm not really into the action stuff.
tommers
Currently in investor / advisor mode.
I quite liked excession I think. It's hard to remember. Isn't that the one with the fugitive mind?
I like minds.
Can't really remember what else happens though....
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
There's that guy, and that women, and that tower by the sea, and the heartily-violent alien things.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
I love Excession, think it's one of the best Culture novels, mainly because of the ITG conspiracy...plus, the idea of the Excesstion itself is wayyyyy cool.
Will wait til this is out in paperback. Bought LTW (also great) in hardback and hardly ever re-read it owing to it weighing a ton!
Against a Dark Background is his weakest IMV, altho it has some sequences that would make for mighty good action scenes in movies (the monorail hijacking in the karst desert being a particular favourite of mine, not to mention the Crownstar Heist). I loved Feersum Enjin (which some argue alludes to a post-Culture contact diaspora situation type thing); Algebrais...I'd like to see another in the universe of the Dwellers before condeming it...
So what's Matter about then?
Will wait til this is out in paperback. Bought LTW (also great) in hardback and hardly ever re-read it owing to it weighing a ton!
Against a Dark Background is his weakest IMV, altho it has some sequences that would make for mighty good action scenes in movies (the monorail hijacking in the karst desert being a particular favourite of mine, not to mention the Crownstar Heist). I loved Feersum Enjin (which some argue alludes to a post-Culture contact diaspora situation type thing); Algebrais...I'd like to see another in the universe of the Dwellers before condeming it...
So what's Matter about then?
tommers
Currently in investor / advisor mode.
I've just read the plot synopsis on wiki and I have no memory of reading it. Altho I'm pretty sure I have. That probably says everything. Which is a pity cos it sounds great.
tommers
Currently in investor / advisor mode.
I dunno, I read about 20 pages and it was all random computer printouts and stuff. It just seemed self-indulgent.
I enjoyed "Consider Phlebas" and "Feersum Endjinn" the best of his scifi.
Shell Worlds. (Ancient artificial multilayered planets.)
Hirearchical alien civilisations
Few swords and lasers.
SC having to do stuff.
With out wanting to say too much. i found the story dragged a bit. Specifically in following the human characters. The plot your folowing there also seems
to just hit the buffers and you're off with the latter developing theme. This was a bit jarring I thought. I really liked the mix of aliens in this. You
also get an insight into where the Culture fit, regarding other high evolved civilisations in the galaxy. There's some good Culture tech, history about
the Shell Worlds and other orientating detail. Would have liked a few more spaceships and general hightech blowing shit up. Even so, there probably wasn't
room. it's a bbig book. Circa 600 pages, including indexes.
Slight gripes aside. I recommend it.
to just hit the buffers and you're off with the latter developing theme. This was a bit jarring I thought. I really liked the mix of aliens in this. You
also get an insight into where the Culture fit, regarding other high evolved civilisations in the galaxy. There's some good Culture tech, history about
the Shell Worlds and other orientating detail. Would have liked a few more spaceships and general hightech blowing shit up. Even so, there probably wasn't
room. it's a bbig book. Circa 600 pages, including indexes.
Slight gripes aside. I recommend it.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
OO, liking this idea...
Your wrong about Algabraist, I actually think it is one M Banks's best, although Use of Weapons and Consider Phlebas are the best IMO.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
My single biggest issue with Algebraist was the whole Sal/uptight naval chick sub-plot - it wasn't necessary, had fuck all to do with any of the other themes, stories or ideas in the book, and ended badly.
And Fassin is NOT an AI. The gardener is, and the book ends on the point of Fassin and The Beyonders about to start making use of the Dweller Wormholes to start some shit with the Mercatoria (and no doubt Luceferous). I stil hope that we'll be going back there, cos I really loved that whole 'Completely opposite to the Culture' idea...
Luceferous is an excelent bad guy.
Yep, I hope we return to that universe.
I'm reading Consider at the moment. Loving it so far. Loads of tense, violent colourfully written scenes. And being the first Culture novel. You see they're vunrible. Not quite the almost godlike, seemingly invincible society you see later.
Yep, I hope we return to that universe.
I'm reading Consider at the moment. Loving it so far. Loads of tense, violent colourfully written scenes. And being the first Culture novel. You see they're vunrible. Not quite the almost godlike, seemingly invincible society you see later.
That makes more sense to me. After all, Fasin talked about his parents and family.
I've been holding off buying Matter for ages because I've been looking forward to it so much. I absolutely love everything Iain M Banks has ever written. The same can not be said for his Iain Banks stuff. Dead Air, for instance, was pretty unimpressive.
When I read the Algebraist for the first time, I had to keep putting it down in order to make it last the whole week. Otherwise I'd have devoured it in one go!
I've since re-read all of his SF stuff and would probably re-read them all again.
Favourites: Consider Phlebas, Player of Games, Look to Windward, Use of Weapons
Would love to listen to the LTW audio book. Has anyone found it on bit torrent?
When I read the Algebraist for the first time, I had to keep putting it down in order to make it last the whole week. Otherwise I'd have devoured it in one go!
I've since re-read all of his SF stuff and would probably re-read them all again.
Favourites: Consider Phlebas, Player of Games, Look to Windward, Use of Weapons
Would love to listen to the LTW audio book. Has anyone found it on bit torrent?
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
I'm up to P437 and am devouring it - really enjoying it, loving the wider picture and also enjoying the focus on SC. Indeed, I've changed my tagline in the book's honour!
elevendayempire
Registered Loofah
Dunno if anyone's seen, but Banks' The State of the Art is Radio 4's Afternoon Play on March 5, at 2:15pm. It's adapted by Paul Cornell (he of the Doctor Who story Human Nature) and stars Sir Antony Sher, Nina Sosanya and Paterson Joseph. Win! 
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
Dunno if anyone's seen, but Banks' The State of the Art is Radio 4's Afternoon Play on March 5, at 2:15pm. It's adapted by Paul Cornell (he of the Doctor Who story Human Nature) and stars Sir Antony Sher, Nina Sosanya and Paterson Joseph. Win!
ooooh it's going in the calender
bluestreak
HomosexualityIsStalin’sAtomBombtoDestroyAmerica
mitochondria
full-on emptiness
Excession was excellent. Best so far - I have also read Algebraist and Look to Windward. Liked all of them but Excession was close to the best sf book ever!
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
excession was cool, the opening sequence was especially win.
Dunno if anyone's seen, but Banks' The State of the Art is Radio 4's Afternoon Play on March 5, at 2:15pm. It's adapted by Paul Cornell (he of the Doctor Who story Human Nature) and stars Sir Antony Sher, Nina Sosanya and Paterson Joseph. Win!
Yep. I was gonna post that nearer the time. It's actually on Friday the 6th. Banks was on A Good Read, last Sunday.
