5 ms·
Here's a strong recommendation to anyone who hasn't read yet The Bridge by Banks, to go and read that wonderful novel. Not to mention his classic and highly ima
by nsns 13y ago
Here's a strong recommendation to anyone who hasn't read yet The Bridge by Banks, to go and read that wonderful novel.
Not to mention his classic and highly imaginative Sci-fi novels: The Player of Games, Feersum Endjinn, Use of Weapons, Excession...
- MikeCapone 13y agoOn the non-science fiction side, The Wasp Factory is also great, as is Crow Road and Complicity (if you want something closer to a crime thriller).
- Fuzzwah 13y agoI am a huge Banks fan, but I really didn't enjoy The Wasp Factory.
- nsns 13y agoI think the Wasp Factory, although obviously well written, was mostly functional, it got Banks the recognition he deserved, and initiated his literary career. He did write other novels before it, which only got published afterwards, and at least during his first creative decade, was highly creative and very ambitious (Against A Dark Background, The Crow Road, etc. all very ambitious works).
- misnome 13y agoI also found "The Business" a very good book, that should be good for people starting to read him.
- crapshoot101 13y agoThat was the one novel I could not stand of his - I almost thought it was written as a parody.
- adw 13y agoThe Crow Road is my favourite book. It might speak more to Scots – I don't know – but it's wonderful.
- RachelF 13y agoIMHO his non-scifi, is good. The Wasp Factory is pure genius.
- incision 13y agoAbsolutely. I'd recommend reading the Culture series (3 of the above mentioned books are part of it) in order if possible [0], they all have something to offer. By the way, I'd recommend against reading any reviews for his books prior, they're easily spoiled. 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series
- crapshoot101 13y agoYes. I'd also recommend Inversions only after you've read some of the others - and start with Consider Phelbas (which for non-readers, is told from the perspective of a non-Culture citizen).
- rosser 13y agoStrictly speaking, so is most of Use of Weapons and The Hydrogen Sonata, as well as significant portions of Look to Windward, Matter, and Surface Detail. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm realizing that one of his more common means of telling us about the Culture was through the eyes of non-Culture citizens.
- crapshoot101 13y agoYou're right - but Phelbus stands out to me because you get almost no internal culture perspective - you are almost entirely embedded with a person who does not simply dislike the culture, but is actively working towards its destruction. Its a bold choice given the Culture was (in Banks' own words) the closest thing to a Utopian ideal.
- yohui 13y ago> Consider Phelbas "Consider Phlebas" has its merits, especially the outsider's POV of the Culture. But I'm part of the faction that feels The Player of Games is a better introduction, as it's more polished and shows off the Culture itself more.
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- skarmklart 13y agoGot a recommendation of a novel of his that is available in audiobook format? :)
- engtech 13y agoI think almost all of his books are available as audiobooks. http://www.audible.com/search/ref=sr_ab_1_1_3?searchAuthor=Iain+M.+Banks&qid=1370815418&sr=1-3 http://www.audible.com/search/ref=sr_ab_1_1_3?searchAuthor=I... I'd start off with Use of Weapons or the Player of Games
- skarmklart 13y agoThanks man, I'll check them out.