6 ms·

What do you recommend as a first book to read? (edit: never mind, sibling thread has it covered: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5485695 https://news.ycom

by limmeau 14y ago

What do you recommend as a first book to read? (edit: never mind, sibling thread has it covered: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5485695 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5485695 )

engtech 14y ago
Read this page first as an amazing introduction to the Culture: http://nuwen.net/culture.html http://nuwen.net/culture.html
- swombat 14y ago
  I wouldn't. It's amazing only after you've read some of the books and familiarised yourself with it. Any teenage SF fan can come up with some kind of crazy and awesome-sounding universe, but turning it into a series of dozens of amazing novels is another thing altogether!
richardjordan 14y ago
Consensus seems to be Player of Games but I have to say my first one was Use of Weapons, which I picked up from a book store in London on a whim, one weekday lunchtime in the late 90s. It's a fantastic starting point.
swombat 14y ago
If you LOVE science fiction already, I'd go straight for the jugular and start with Excession. It's hardcore, it's full of awesome technology, it will blow your mind and forever seduce you into the world of the Culture. If you're just a normal science fiction fan, start with Use of Weapons. It's complex and sci-fi-ish enough, but not as hardcore as Excession. The plot is amazing. To me it is one of the most memorable books of science fiction that I've read. It really made me question some basic beliefs about ... well, you'll see. If you're a normal person, who wants a slightly softer intro into the Culture universe, or someone who's not particularly into science fiction, Player of Games is a great starting point because it is less about the tech and more about the ideas and the people, but nevertheless a great book. Ultimately, the only one I wouldn't start with is Consider Phlebas, which is good, but imho nowhere near as good as the rest. To me, Consider Phlebas was about the same level as, say, the Reality Dysfunction by PFH - great space opera, fast paced, gripping, but not exceptional in any way. Every subsequent book (with very few exceptions) is not just great, but also unique and different from all the other science fiction books out there.
- jbattle 14y ago
  Thanks for this - I read Consider Phlebas and was very underwhelmed by it. Just now I struggled to remember much of the plot even though I read it less than a year ago. I'll check out some of your other recommendations.
  - Florin_Andrei 14y ago
    > I read Consider Phlebas and was very underwhelmed by it. Huh. Same here. I've only read CP and I honestly could not tell why everyone is so excited about Banks. Okay then, I'll add a few more titles to my wish list. Thanks!
    - anigbrowl 14y ago
      Consider Phlebas is more of a literary novel that happens to take place in the future. I like all of Banks' work and thinkSwombat's suggested reading order above is spot on, but I also think Consider Phlebas is by far his best work.
      - engtech 14y ago
        My fav is Look to Windward, but you needed to be entrenched in the world to get a lot out of that book. I still haven't been able to make myself finish Matter yet.
        swombat 14y ago
        I loved Matter. It drags on for the first half (like many of his books), but once it gets started, boy does it go! The title is awfully well chosen, too. The full title would probably be: "Matter? It doesn't"
      - arethuza 14y ago
        Silly nitpick: doesn't Consider Phlebas take place in our past?
Intermernet 14y ago
I won't tell you which one I recommend reading first, but I would recommend reading 4 or 5 before hitting "Against a dark background". That book is really hard on the emotions. I have a feeling it may have been a bit of an experiment for Iain as it reads a bit differently from the rest (I think I've read every book he has out currently, including "Raw Spirit"... Brilliant book) Oh, and the top comment in the sibling thread you linked to is a very good recommendation.

by limmeau 14y ago

What do you recommend as a first book to read? (edit: never mind, sibling thread has it covered: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5485695 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5485695 )

engtech 14y ago

Read this page first as an amazing introduction to the Culture: http://nuwen.net/culture.html http://nuwen.net/culture.html

swombat 14y ago
I wouldn't. It's amazing only after you've read some of the books and familiarised yourself with it. Any teenage SF fan can come up with some kind of crazy and awesome-sounding universe, but turning it into a series of dozens of amazing novels is another thing altogether!

richardjordan 14y ago

Consensus seems to be Player of Games but I have to say my first one was Use of Weapons, which I picked up from a book store in London on a whim, one weekday lunchtime in the late 90s. It's a fantastic starting point.

swombat 14y ago

If you LOVE science fiction already, I'd go straight for the jugular and start with Excession. It's hardcore, it's full of awesome technology, it will blow your mind and forever seduce you into the world of the Culture. If you're just a normal science fiction fan, start with Use of Weapons. It's complex and sci-fi-ish enough, but not as hardcore as Excession. The plot is amazing. To me it is one of the most memorable books of science fiction that I've read. It really made me question some basic beliefs about ... well, you'll see. If you're a normal person, who wants a slightly softer intro into the Culture universe, or someone who's not particularly into science fiction, Player of Games is a great starting point because it is less about the tech and more about the ideas and the people, but nevertheless a great book. Ultimately, the only one I wouldn't start with is Consider Phlebas, which is good, but imho nowhere near as good as the rest. To me, Consider Phlebas was about the same level as, say, the Reality Dysfunction by PFH - great space opera, fast paced, gripping, but not exceptional in any way. Every subsequent book (with very few exceptions) is not just great, but also unique and different from all the other science fiction books out there.

jbattle 14y ago
Thanks for this - I read Consider Phlebas and was very underwhelmed by it. Just now I struggled to remember much of the plot even though I read it less than a year ago. I'll check out some of your other recommendations.
- Florin_Andrei 14y ago
  > I read Consider Phlebas and was very underwhelmed by it. Huh. Same here. I've only read CP and I honestly could not tell why everyone is so excited about Banks. Okay then, I'll add a few more titles to my wish list. Thanks!
  - anigbrowl 14y ago
    Consider Phlebas is more of a literary novel that happens to take place in the future. I like all of Banks' work and thinkSwombat's suggested reading order above is spot on, but I also think Consider Phlebas is by far his best work.
    - engtech 14y ago
      My fav is Look to Windward, but you needed to be entrenched in the world to get a lot out of that book. I still haven't been able to make myself finish Matter yet.
      - swombat 14y ago
        I loved Matter. It drags on for the first half (like many of his books), but once it gets started, boy does it go! The title is awfully well chosen, too. The full title would probably be: "Matter? It doesn't"
    - arethuza 14y ago
      Silly nitpick: doesn't Consider Phlebas take place in our past?

Intermernet 14y ago

I won't tell you which one I recommend reading first, but I would recommend reading 4 or 5 before hitting "Against a dark background". That book is really hard on the emotions. I have a feeling it may have been a bit of an experiment for Iain as it reads a bit differently from the rest (I think I've read every book he has out currently, including "Raw Spirit"... Brilliant book) Oh, and the top comment in the sibling thread you linked to is a very good recommendation.