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I would say Consider Phlebas, start at the beginning - and you get to meet Idirans! Shame they didn't really appear in any other books as the Idiran war is so o
by another2another 3y ago
I would say Consider Phlebas, start at the beginning - and you get to meet Idirans! Shame they didn't really appear in any other books as the Idiran war is so often mentioned as an important event in the Culture's history.
- lamontcg 3y agoI started with Consider Phlebas and never finished it, never read any more.
- giraffe_lady 3y agoThis is the biggest practical problem imo with the series. The idiran war and its consequences is the single most important event in the series overall, and is directly related to a lot of the other books. But consider phlebas is the only book directly about it, and is also the worst culture book by far. "Worst" is a value judgement obviously, but I know this view isn't rare. At the very least its pacing is uneven and the tone is very different from the other culture books. (the eaters??) Even if you like it, in some ways it is out of place with the rest. I only recommend people start with it if they've already decided to read the whole series and won't be dissuaded by a rough start. For an introduction book almost anything is better.
- another2another 3y agoYeh, I guess that's a fair take. But re-reading it and _Against a Dark Background_ (not even tangentially a Culture book I know) tweaked my nostalgia a bit and I found I quite enjoyed them in ways I didn't first time around.
- rsynnott 3y agoConsider Phlebas is a perfectly fine sci-fi novel, but IMO it is the least compelling of the series, and not a good intro to the Culture.