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You know that feeling when something completely broadsides you and makes your day? Well, it's just happened with me.
Iain M Banks - The Algebraist.
His latest book, and it's a SF space opera. Wonderful. That's going on my Xmas list immediately.
Any SF readers out there would be well advised to buy a copy, as he's one of the most imaginative writers out there.
I'm happy as larry here now. :D
'The Algebraist' begins -- after some framing shots -- with Archimandrite Luseferous, Executive High General of -- well, what turns out to be a bunch of well-armed starships traveling nearly the speed of light to conquer Ulubis, an unarmed and relatively obscure portion of the civilized galaxy. Luserferous is "that most deplorable of beings, a psychopathic sadist with a fertile imagination," but it's the imagination of Banks that shines in the scenes that create this character. In the system of Ulubis, Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer, a human who has been trained to speak to the Dwellers, a nearly immortal race of beings that live in the gas giants throughout the galaxy. An easily broken system of wormholes connects some of the Mercatoria, the civilized planets, and the wormhole to Ulubis was recently destroyed by Beyonders. A fleet from the Mercatoria is heading to fix the wormhole. Soon, Fassin Taak finds that his ability to speak to the Dwellers has unleashed a series of events that threatens to overturn galactic civilization.
Iain M Banks - The Algebraist.
His latest book, and it's a SF space opera. Wonderful. That's going on my Xmas list immediately.
Any SF readers out there would be well advised to buy a copy, as he's one of the most imaginative writers out there.
I'm happy as larry here now. :D
'The Algebraist' begins -- after some framing shots -- with Archimandrite Luseferous, Executive High General of -- well, what turns out to be a bunch of well-armed starships traveling nearly the speed of light to conquer Ulubis, an unarmed and relatively obscure portion of the civilized galaxy. Luserferous is "that most deplorable of beings, a psychopathic sadist with a fertile imagination," but it's the imagination of Banks that shines in the scenes that create this character. In the system of Ulubis, Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer, a human who has been trained to speak to the Dwellers, a nearly immortal race of beings that live in the gas giants throughout the galaxy. An easily broken system of wormholes connects some of the Mercatoria, the civilized planets, and the wormhole to Ulubis was recently destroyed by Beyonders. A fleet from the Mercatoria is heading to fix the wormhole. Soon, Fassin Taak finds that his ability to speak to the Dwellers has unleashed a series of events that threatens to overturn galactic civilization.
The only Banks book I've read was Whit, and it was pretty damn good.
Never read him, most sci-fi whiffs of Red Dwarf fans and that scares me away with my prejudiced views.
Light wrote:
> nothing happens over about 300 pages. If I wanted that, I'd
> watch Waiting for Godot.
Or Seinfeld...although Seiny is excellent, and Godot just had some cheeky Oirish chappies talking some light-weight banter about something or other. Probably drunk.
> nothing happens over about 300 pages. If I wanted that, I'd
> watch Waiting for Godot.
Or Seinfeld...although Seiny is excellent, and Godot just had some cheeky Oirish chappies talking some light-weight banter about something or other. Probably drunk.
Pandaemonium wrote:
> Forgot about The Bridge. Did you know there's a school of thought
> that suggests its a book set in the "Culture" universe?
I went to a talk by Banks, and he said that it wasn't. Although a lot of the sections where the lead character is lying about his dreams do come across as very Culture-ish in tone (if you see what I mean).
> I
> might give Espedair Street a try, but only if I can pick it up cheap.
I'll have a dig round and see if I've still got it at home. I did have it, but it may have been one of the things that the former Mrs Light carted off to the US with her.
> Forgot about The Bridge. Did you know there's a school of thought
> that suggests its a book set in the "Culture" universe?
I went to a talk by Banks, and he said that it wasn't. Although a lot of the sections where the lead character is lying about his dreams do come across as very Culture-ish in tone (if you see what I mean).
> I
> might give Espedair Street a try, but only if I can pick it up cheap.
I'll have a dig round and see if I've still got it at home. I did have it, but it may have been one of the things that the former Mrs Light carted off to the US with her.
Light wrote:
> Pandaemonium wrote:
>
> The rest of his non SF stuff I
> can do without.
>
> Espedair Street is really good, and The Bridge has it's moments.
> Canal Dreams is pedestrian, but holds the readers interest. Whit
> rhymes perfectly with what it is, and The Business is just plain
> dull; nothing happens over about 300 pages. If I wanted that, I'd
> watch Waiting for Godot.
Forgot about The Bridge. Did you know there's a school of thought that suggests its a book set in the "Culture" universe? I might give Espedair Street a try, but only if I can pick it up cheap.
> Pandaemonium wrote:
>
> The rest of his non SF stuff I
> can do without.
>
> Espedair Street is really good, and The Bridge has it's moments.
> Canal Dreams is pedestrian, but holds the readers interest. Whit
> rhymes perfectly with what it is, and The Business is just plain
> dull; nothing happens over about 300 pages. If I wanted that, I'd
> watch Waiting for Godot.
Forgot about The Bridge. Did you know there's a school of thought that suggests its a book set in the "Culture" universe? I might give Espedair Street a try, but only if I can pick it up cheap.
Pandaemonium wrote:
> The rest of his non SF stuff I
> can do without.
Espedair Street is really good, and The Bridge has it's moments. Canal Dreams is pedestrian, but holds the readers interest. Whit rhymes perfectly with what it is, and The Business is just plain dull; nothing happens over about 300 pages. If I wanted that, I'd watch Waiting for Godot.
> The rest of his non SF stuff I
> can do without.
Espedair Street is really good, and The Bridge has it's moments. Canal Dreams is pedestrian, but holds the readers interest. Whit rhymes perfectly with what it is, and The Business is just plain dull; nothing happens over about 300 pages. If I wanted that, I'd watch Waiting for Godot.
Light wrote:
> I wish to christ his non-SF books would keep to the same standard as
> his Space Operas. Whit and The Business were absolute toss; major
> disappointments from the man who wrote two of the best pieces
> of...well, deranged fiction in modern times (meaning of course The
> Wasp Factory and The Crow Road).
Wasp Factory and The Crow Road are wonderful. Wasp Factory I've read many, many times, and it still shocks. The rest of his non SF stuff I can do without. I couldn't even finish "The Business" and it's rarely that I have to do that.....
> Have you read Inversions yet? Probs his best SF to date.
Yup. Really enjoyed it, although I prefer the bleakness and utter futility of "Use of weapons" or the breakneck speed of "Consider Phlebos"(sp?)
> I wish to christ his non-SF books would keep to the same standard as
> his Space Operas. Whit and The Business were absolute toss; major
> disappointments from the man who wrote two of the best pieces
> of...well, deranged fiction in modern times (meaning of course The
> Wasp Factory and The Crow Road).
Wasp Factory and The Crow Road are wonderful. Wasp Factory I've read many, many times, and it still shocks. The rest of his non SF stuff I can do without. I couldn't even finish "The Business" and it's rarely that I have to do that.....
> Have you read Inversions yet? Probs his best SF to date.
Yup. Really enjoyed it, although I prefer the bleakness and utter futility of "Use of weapons" or the breakneck speed of "Consider Phlebos"(sp?)
I wish to christ his non-SF books would keep to the same standard as his Space Operas. Whit and The Business were absolute toss; major disappointments from the man who wrote two of the best pieces of...well, deranged fiction in modern times (meaning of course The Wasp Factory and The Crow Road).
Have you read Inversions yet? Probs his best SF to date.
Have you read Inversions yet? Probs his best SF to date.
You know that feeling when something completely broadsides you and makes your day? Well, it's just happened with me.
Iain M Banks - The Algebraist.
His latest book, and it's a SF space opera. Wonderful. That's going on my Xmas list immediately.
Any SF readers out there would be well advised to buy a copy, as he's one of the most imaginative writers out there.
I'm happy as larry here now. :D
'The Algebraist' begins -- after some framing shots -- with Archimandrite Luseferous, Executive High General of -- well, what turns out to be a bunch of well-armed starships traveling nearly the speed of light to conquer Ulubis, an unarmed and relatively obscure portion of the civilized galaxy. Luserferous is "that most deplorable of beings, a psychopathic sadist with a fertile imagination," but it's the imagination of Banks that shines in the scenes that create this character. In the system of Ulubis, Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer, a human who has been trained to speak to the Dwellers, a nearly immortal race of beings that live in the gas giants throughout the galaxy. An easily broken system of wormholes connects some of the Mercatoria, the civilized planets, and the wormhole to Ulubis was recently destroyed by Beyonders. A fleet from the Mercatoria is heading to fix the wormhole. Soon, Fassin Taak finds that his ability to speak to the Dwellers has unleashed a series of events that threatens to overturn galactic civilization.
Iain M Banks - The Algebraist.
His latest book, and it's a SF space opera. Wonderful. That's going on my Xmas list immediately.
Any SF readers out there would be well advised to buy a copy, as he's one of the most imaginative writers out there.
I'm happy as larry here now. :D
'The Algebraist' begins -- after some framing shots -- with Archimandrite Luseferous, Executive High General of -- well, what turns out to be a bunch of well-armed starships traveling nearly the speed of light to conquer Ulubis, an unarmed and relatively obscure portion of the civilized galaxy. Luserferous is "that most deplorable of beings, a psychopathic sadist with a fertile imagination," but it's the imagination of Banks that shines in the scenes that create this character. In the system of Ulubis, Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer, a human who has been trained to speak to the Dwellers, a nearly immortal race of beings that live in the gas giants throughout the galaxy. An easily broken system of wormholes connects some of the Mercatoria, the civilized planets, and the wormhole to Ulubis was recently destroyed by Beyonders. A fleet from the Mercatoria is heading to fix the wormhole. Soon, Fassin Taak finds that his ability to speak to the Dwellers has unleashed a series of events that threatens to overturn galactic civilization.