Iain Banks

A place to chat about what you are reading. Whether it is book, magazine or eBook. Also, audio books.
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pixelboy
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Iain Banks

Post by pixelboy »

You cant have a book section without some discussion of the Scottish master of modern writing..

>> http://www.iain-banks.net/books/

"Wasp Factory" is a MUST read..."Consider Phlebas" is space opera at its best..

"The Crow Road" is a cracker as well... with an opening paragraph like this
'It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach's Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.'

Was a period about 10 years ago when i read about 10 of his books back-to-back

Im sure you guys have read some??
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by r8response »

Honestly, never heard of him
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by wobblysauce »

yep, never heard of him also
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by pixelboy »

Well go to your library and read some of his stuff :)
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

I've just started reading Excession, the last of the Culture novels that I haven't managed to find in audiobook form. There is some really good stuff in this series, but occasionally, it just gets a little too detailed.

Favourite of the lot so far has been Player of Games, but I'm looking forward to getting into Excession as this is primarily about the "minds" that run the Culture ships. It's this aspect of the Culture that really interests me.

Surprised that no-one has produced a Culture movie yet.
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by pixelboy »

I've just finished Surface Detail, his latest Culture book.. at over 800 pages it took me 8 months but it was an epic saga..

I agree, there should be a Culture movie.. Player of Games is good but I think Surface Detail would be perfect..

Here is the Audio Book Johnny...
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

Cheers for the link pix. I've actually got that, plus all the other Culture novels read by Peter Kenny. What I haven't got is an audio-book of Excession. There is one knocking about on the pirate trails but it's not read by Kenny and the narration does make it very hard work so I gave up on it.

I finally decided to order the printed copy from the local library. Have to say that Excession really is a cracker, I'm nearly finished now, about 100 pages to go out of 450 so it'll be done tomorrow :)

I've come to realise something about Banks' work through reading Excession rather than listening to an audio-book. Maybe it's because there is so much AI, Mind and ship content or maybe just the actual act of reading, but I had this niggle with some of his stuff that there was too much detail and things would slow down occasionally. With Excession it is mentioned a couple of times about the huge difference in time between Minds and humans making decisions or having thoughts - but it seems to me that it is written that way as well, speeds up in the Minds parts and slows down in the indiginant peoples parts... I dunno :eek:

Well done on finishing Surface Detail, that is a hefty piece of work, maybe slightly too much to cut down into a 2hr movie. Like I said, I love the idea of the ships and Minds that run the Culture, some of the ship names are brilliant although I wouldn't mind another in the series devoted to Special Circumstances :nod:
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by pixelboy »

There is quite a bit of SC in Surface detail :)
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

I'm planning on doing Surface Detail again soon but I finished Excession this evening :eyepop: Enjoyed every minute of it. Conspiracy within SC but, as usual, they've got it covered :D

The thing about SC, to me, is that they are always involved but slightly in the shadows if you know what I mean. Maybe Banks wants to keep them that way but I'd be interested in a more SC focussed story to give us a real insight of how they work.

Anyways, Excession (and the Interesting Times Gang) have got me hankering after being picked up by the Sleeper Service and spending the next 300 odd years drifting between galaxies glanding whatever I can get hold of :vibes:
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

I'm about a third of the way through reading Surface Detail atm... lots of stuff I hadn't remembered from listening to the audio-book, getting a better picture of the VR war between the "heavens" and "hells" and also getting a much better appreciation of Demeisen... what a piece of work he is :eek:
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

Surface Detail done.... awesome :yes:

On to The Algebraist atm... proving to be a bit of a slow burner.
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by smithcorp »

Anybody want a copy of Matter? I'm wading through Pix's copy of Surface Detail - interesting.

Also, I do love the Culture ship names in the series - a list here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sh ... re_setting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

Finished The Algebraist now, not bad at the end of the day. Interesting look at Banks' take on the future prior to The Culture. I've got Look to Windward on the way from the local library.

That list of ship names is pretty good, It's one of the things I like about the Culture stuff and Excession is THE book to read to get into the ships (well, the ship minds actually)

Take your time with Surface Detail smithcorp, there's plenty to absorb :nod:
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by smithcorp »

Jebus, you're right. I'm a bit more than halfway through and its torrid going at times. I have been meaning to give one of these to Bibi to read, but this one ain't it. The Hells stuff is pretty interesting fro all its gruesomeness. I like the way Banks explores societal norms in a culture where you can 'back yourself up' and continue to exist after death (and I like the idea that the pre-Culture future version of this was going to church!) and where therefore the threat of a bad afterlife is considered important as a way to regulate peoples' behaviour.

The other amusing thing in the book is the uneasy relationship and role of the ship minds, and the sense that some of them might be bad to know (like the poor dude who won the right to 'be' a ship's mind for a period and was callously abused and tortured by the ship for its amusement).

Lots to chew on in a Banks book.
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

I would suggest, if you're planning on getting the Mrs into the Culture, to start at the beginning with Consider Phlebas. That and Use of Weapons are not quite as complicated (although the the chapter structure in Use of Weapons is a little odd). Those, along with Player of Games, give you a real heads up on how the Culture (and Special Circumstances in particular) work. Besides that, Use of Weapons does give you the knowledge to understand the final sentence in Surface Detail ;)

You're right about the current day parallels that run through Banks' books, makes it a little easier to understand I think and he's not afraid of covering some "dark" issues. There are some real nasty characters in most of his work and Surface Detail is no exception. Veppers is bad and Demeisen is just as bad if not worse. In The Algebraist there's a guy called Luseferous, not hard to imagine where that came from.

Anyways, enjoy the rest and you have to do Excession if you're into the ships.
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Re: Iain Banks

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Finished Look to Windward today. Really enjoyed it, only about 350 pages so not too long :)

Bit of a sad story really but, as usual, the Culture (and SC) have got it covered. Plot revolves around the Chelgrians plotting revenge on the Culture for (inadvertently) starting a civil war in which billions die but cannot go to heaven because of the way the war started. To get them to heaven they must balance things up by taking 5 billion Culture lives and the plan is to take out a Culture Hub and it's inhabitants.... easier said than done.

The Hub's mind and the Chelgrian assassin both have a dark past which ultimately leads to an unsuspected ending.
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Re: Iain Banks

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Just finished Banks's latest work. Not part of the Culture series nor is it Sci Fi, but Stonemouth is a tale of a guy who had to leave his home town after a "discretion" and who is allowed back after a few years to attend a funeral.

Basically the main charcter re-lives his previous life through flash-backs and memories inspired over the few days prior to and after the funeral. It's not hard to see where things are going as far as his earlier "discretion" is concerned, but it does keep you guessing or having those little doubts.

Loosely, the story is about two Scottish "families" who run various aspects of the local criminal scene, corrupt police and politicians and this guys "discretion" five or six years earlier which lead to him being run out of town. I found it quite interesting as I seemed to be able to relate to a lot of stuff mentioned in the book. Not Scottish gangsters, but just the pictures of mates growing up together, cars, music, alcohol etc...

If your into Banks and fancy a change from sci-fi, this might do the job. :yes:
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

A little heads up for fans of Banks' Culture series...

The next installment, titled The Hydrogen Sonata, is due around October this year :yes:
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Exar Kun »

I have Consider Phlebas sitting in my pile of books to read at home. I'm a big space opera fan but am just working my way there. I went through and bought a heap of highly prized sci fi books so am having a great time but it's always a big decision as to which one to get to next!
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

Have you got any of Alastair Reynolds books amongst bulk buy ? I'm just starting "Pushing Ice" and have "Revelation Space" to do after a mate passed them on to me. Pushing Ice is promising to be pretty good. So far a bunch of Comet capturerers are sent to chase down one of Saturns moons after it breaks orbit and sets off out of the solar system... intriguing.

I'm also re-reading my childhood sci-fi books. Finished the Foundation (Asimov) series a few weeks back and about to redo the robot series.

Anyways... give us a shout if you come across anything that you enjoy from the pile.
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Exar Kun »

Have been right through the Alastair Reynolds catalogue already. Absolutely love his stuff. All of the revelation space universe is amazing and 'House of Suns' is my favourite stand alone novel of his. He handles relativistic space combat so well. Only Greg Bear has come close for me in that regard. Just his overall grasp on astrophysics is astounding (which makes sense given his background).

edit: This is some of what I've got to get through:

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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

Ahah... I have the Dan Simmons stuff to do (Have both the Hyperion and Endymion books). I'm quite enjoying Pushing Ice so I guess Reynolds will keep me occupied until The Hydrogen Sonata is released. :yes:
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Re: Iain Banks

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Yeah, I've already done the Hyperion books so figured I should grab the rest of the cantos. I'm just finishing up Ender's Game now - I heard somewhere it was being turned into a movie which could be good. Not sure what I'll go for next - maybe Leviathan Wakes by James Corey (not in that shot). I've heard good things about it.
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Johnny X »

Finished Pushing Ice a couple of days ago. A good read, enjoyed the writing style :yes: Found myself wanting to know how Svieta and the crew that leave the Structure get on.

In a bit of a quandary for my next read. Possibly continuing with Reynolds but a mate of mine is hounding me to do REAMDE by Neal Stephenson, a bit cyberpunk by all accounts.

Decisions....decisions.....
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Re: Iain Banks

Post by Exar Kun »

I actually found Pushing Ice to be probably the weakest Reynolds novel I've read. I started on Leviathan Wakes which is pretty good so far.
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