Time to Rank His Books

[Rodders]

Although it doesn't seem as popular as his other Culture novels, I really enjoyed Look to Windward. It was quite sad but beautiful.

 

[gully_foyle]

Be warned, Excession can be hard going, or at least I found it so. I would love to read it again and keep a list of the ship names handy so I knew who was doing what.

I'd actually advise The Player of Games as your next read AE. Or, knowing your penchant for action SF, maybe Use of Weapons.

 

[ktabic]

I actually found Excession to be easier going than Considor Phlebas. The story twists around more and all the threads seem to lead to the same place, but it was an easier read. Of course, that might have been because I'm a geek and this had entertaining email-like sections.

 

[AE35Unit]

I actually found Excession to be easier going than Consider Phlebas. •••it was an easier read. Of course, that might have been because I'm a geek and this had entertaining email-like sections.

Email like sections?

 

[clovis-man]

Be warned, Excession can be hard going, or at least I found it so. I would love to read it again and keep a list of the ship names handy so I knew who was doing what.

I'd actually advise The Player of Games as your next read AE. Or, knowing your penchant for action SF, maybe Use of Weapons.

Quite by accident, Excession was my first Banks novel. It got me hooked and I've read everything else now. As far as hard reading is concerned, I've learned that, if my head is spinning after the first few pages: Just keep reading. It all will start to fall together. Reading some of Banks' work is almost an act of faith.

However, I must agree that The Player of Games is a good intro to the Culture and, after all, being forearmed with a little knowledge about the workings of Banks' quirky universe can help you through the rough spots. But don't get me wrong; it's all tremendously worthwhile.

 

[Allegra]

Quite by accident, Excession was my first Banks novel. It got me hooked and I've read everything else now. As far as hard reading is concerned, I've learned that, if my head is spinning after the first few pages: Just keep reading. It all will start to fall together. Reading some of Banks' work is almost an act of faith.

Yes, I have a lot of faith in Banks (capital B, definitely). I finally cracked open Excession - rather religiously. 100 pages on, I'm totally under Banks' spell. The book deserves careful reading for its density and richness. Brilliant writing. Love the drones and the ships!

 

[gully_foyle]

Lately, every time I finish a book I pick up Excession and think it's time for a re-read. And then find something else to read. It's time to stop procrastinating me thinks.

 

[bobbo19]

I read Look to Windward and thought it was decent, yet still did not rate it as highly as otheres in the series. Just moved on to Alastair R|eynolds (Rodders i know your a fan) and read Revelation Space and currently on the sequel Absolution Gap. Reynolds is a great writer and recommend his books to anyone.

 

[Tillane]

Just moved on to Alastair Reynolds (Rodders i know your a fan) and read Revelation Space and currently on the sequel Absolution Gap.

Hope you read Redemption Ark in between...

 

[Allegra]

I must rank Excession high on the top along side of the first 3 Culture books. What a book, what a magnificent ending! It took me three weeks to finish not only because I have very little time to squeeze each day - very painful to be torn apart from the book, there are just so much going on on every page and I didn't want to miss a word in case I'd lose the track on who's in which conspiracy - the conspiracy conspiracy or the counter-conspiracy conspiracy... You just have to love Banks' machines, the humans (except the forever sulking Dajeil) and other species are also very interesting. The writing is superb, thoughtful. There are usual moral, political points and his wry humour. An outstanding book.

As other Culture books, it has a side effect on me - afterwards any book I picked up just doesn't feel right, like, after a nice rich piece of chocolate everything else doesn't taste that right, you have to wait until the aftertaste of the chocolate to disappear.

 

[gully_foyle]

Allegra, have you read Look to Windward yet? There is a sub theme about musical composition and performance that would probably strike a chord with your interests (yes! terrible pun intended!). Not many people rate it particularly highly, but I loved it.

 

[Allegra]

That's my next Culture to read, gully! I read some reviews that mentioned the music part and yes, it did strike a chord to make me promptly clicked on 'buy'. I'd have bought it anyway. Now I can safely say for myself all the Culture books are a must to be read and some re-read.

I wonder what's brewing currently in Banks' m...Mind? Hope it's going to be a new Culture!

 

[Allegra]

Must've been spoilt by previous Banks' books I've read (last one to be Look to Windward and loved it), I found Inversions quite disappointing. It's very not Culture though it is; and it's very not Banks' usual brilliant style. I mean, where are the depth of the charaters, the layers of plots and that wry humour? It's artfully constructed, The Dortor and The Bodyguard are interesting enough. But that's about it. The storyline moves slowly and uncompelling. If not because it's a Banks and Banks' endings are not to be missed I'd have dropped it half way. No wonder it's not ranked high here.

 

[AE35Unit]

I found Inversions quite disappointing. It's very not Culture though it is; and it's very not Banks' usual brilliant style. I mean, where are the depth of the charaters, the layers of plots and that wry humour? It's artfully constructed, The Dortor and The Bodyguard are interesting enough. But that's about it. The storyline moves slowly and uncompelling. If not because it's a Banks and Banks' endings are not to be missed I'd have dropped it half way. No wonder it's not ranked high here.

I've read many similar reviews of this book on Library Thing too-it seems no-one likes it!

 

[Rodders]

I don't think that Inversions is disappointing, just different and not what i would have expected at all. When i think of a culture book, i think of the Ships minds and a sweeping galactic stage and not a medieval tale.

 

[bobbo19]

1.The Player of Games
2.The Algerbraist
3.Consider Phelbas
4.Look to Windward(controversially placed above Excession!)
5.Excession
6.Matter
7.Use of Weapons(only reason being i did not stand out as much as the other)

This list as many of you have said will most likely change, and it was very difficult placing the top 3 especially. The Player of Games has to be the best for me though.Blew me away!

 

[Rodders]

Good to see someone else appreciate the Player of Games. A truly superb book and one that deserves to be considered classic IMO.

 

[Rackon]

It's always interesting to me, who just started delving into Bank's Culture/SF novels last year, to see how long time readers rank the books.

So far, I would recommend any of them to the thoughtful reader of SF. And unlike some others, I don't have a clear preference for Culture vs non-culture novels. In fact, the first Banks I ever read 10 years ago was The Bridge, which is not that far from the most recently read, Transition.

I'm currently re-reading Feersum Endjinn, which I like a lot. Amog the "M" novels still to be read: Look To Windward, Excession, Inversions and Against A Dark Background. I enjoyed the Iain Banks novels The Crow Road, Whit, Espedair Street and, of course, The Bridge, the best non M book IMO. Don't know quite what I think about The Wasp Factory, a sublimely nasty, if brilliantly written, little tale if ever there was one.

I concur with others that Player Of Games is probably the easiest for the Banks novice to start with, and an excellent introduction to the Culture universe in general.

These are simply my favorites of the moment...like you all, the order of this list changes from day to day, depending on what I've read last, and what I've had for breakfast.

1. Use Of Weapons
2. The Algebraist
3. Feersum Endjinn
4. Transition (It's an M novel in this country)
5. Player Of Games
6. Consider Phlebas
7. Matter

 

[Vertigo]

Sorry to ressurect an old(ish) thread but I'm still a newbie .

One thing that keeps popping out of various mentions of Banks throughout Chrons and made me go looking for a thread like this one, is that fans of Banks seem to have more varied opinions of his books that almost any other author I have come across. With most authors there is generally fairly consistent agreement on the best and worst of their works. But with Banks it seems to vary considerably. Most seem to put Player of Games and Consider Phlebas up quite high but after that there is huge variety. Some examples:

Some people seem to find The Algerbraist one of the best, others one of the worst. The same for Look to Windward and again for Feersum Endjinn.

Not quite sure what that says about Banks but I sort of instinctively feel it is good.

I really wouldn't like to try and rank them myself without going back and having a marathon re-read of them all together. I find my ranking of anything is always very heavily biased (for good or bad) by how recently I have read it.

 

[bobbo19]

@Vertigo attempted a re-read marathon and since have placed Look For Windward above Cosider Phlebas. IMO LTW is underrated. Player Of Games has to remain up there as the top for me, was just as good a read the second time round