Iain M Banks

I'm a big fan. Nobody can agree which Culture book is best to start with. One of the earlier ones certainly, but which one? I'd say either Use of Weapons of Consider Phlebas. Player of Games would be fine too I suppose. You could check out the descriptions and go for the one you like the sound of best.

The alternative is to go non-Culture and give The Algebraist a go. I really liked it but it's possibly not that easy-going for a first go at M Banks.
 
Use of Weapons, all the way. I think it's a great litmus test for whether you'll like his work, as well as probably his best novel (albeit not my favourite). Pig Cat's other suggestions also make sense, but this is the cliched, predictable suggestion - for good reason.
 
I've just checked out the first few pages of UoW. I'd forgotten how dark this novel is. I still think it's a great book and probably the best to start with but I actually prefer some of the more recent Culture novels. Hope you enjoy it WW, and go on to read them all!
 
I agree with Pig Cat. Use of Weapons is hard, although I found that Against a Dark Background was harder as I disliked the main character. I'd have gone with Look to Windwards or Feersum Endjin (sic) to start, or possible Inversions. Start gently, then move up!
 
Well... I'll let you know. I'm hoping it will be the start of a long and beautiful relationship. Dark is not necessarily a problem, but lack of empathy with any of the characters is... we shall see.
 
Excession - I've read it twice and am still not sure what happened! Bloody good read though.

I find that Iain Banks seems to exclusively write characters that I find irritating, or who I just don't understand. How this sits with the fact that he's by far my favourite author is a mystery, but I love almost everything he's done. If you want a bit of factual, his book on whisky is also excellent.
 
Doctor_Paul said:
Excession - I've read it twice and am still not sure what happened!
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Me too!


Doctor_Paul said:
I find that Iain Banks seems to exclusively write characters that I find irritating, or who I just don't understand. How this sits with the fact that he's by far my favourite author is a mystery, but I love almost everything he's done.
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I don't think many of his characters are particularly memorable. It's his ideas and 'hardware' such as knife missiles, drones and minds that are really cool. That said I took a quick look at the synopsis of Look to Windward and it all came flooding back. I really like Kabe, and also the researcher who lived on the dirigibles who met a very unusual end. Actually a lot of Banks' characters meet unusual ends.
 
See, I like Zakalwe. I like Sharrow (and most of the others on her side). They're the sort of bright, irritating, troubled smart-asses that I find easy to identify with ;). I like Diziet Sma, and I like the Changer whose name I've forgotten. But I'll admit to not liking many of the meat-based intelligences in Excession (probably my favourite), though I do like the central guy.

One thing I enjoy about Banks us that he understand what unappealing creatures humans can be!
 
Dr Rick said:
See, I like Zakalwe. I like Sharrow (and most of the others on her side). They're the sort of bright, irritating, troubled smart-asses that I find easy to identify with ;). I like Diziet Sma, and I like the Changer whose name I've forgotten. But I'll admit to not liking many of the meat-based intelligences in Excession (probably my favourite), though I do like the central guy.

One thing I enjoy about Banks us that he understand what unappealing creatures humans can be!
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You see, that just shows what diverse creatures we are. I found Sharrow to be an extremely selfish person, willing to sacrifice anything around her for personal survival. While that may be a sensible tactic, it's not very admirable. Gurgeh was unpleasantly arrogant, the shape changer mildly psychotic to say the least........

Then again, maybe I need to remember that it's all just make believe and stop taking it so seriously :icon_smile:
 
They're all great - and my advice to anyone starting out would be to start at the beginning, and read the lot in order (as published).

You can't go wrong. I think I've read most of them twice, and Consider Phlebas at least three times.

And then there's Dan Simmons ...
 
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