Top
20Internet
Top 100 Short
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Novellas, NovelettesHomeHugosNebulas P.K.
Dick Locus
Grand
MastersNewberyWorld
Fantasy
Top
20Internet
Top 100 Short
Stories
Novellas, NovelettesHomeHugosNebulas P.K.
Dick Locus
Grand
MastersNewberyWorld
Fantasy
The first of Banks'
wonderful "Culture" novels. High, space-opera adventure in a fascinating
and realisitc universe of the future. Sets the environment for many great books
like Player of Games and Use of
Weapons .
This is a universe in which computer-machines have achieved sentience and equality if not superiority over human beings. The Culture delegates intelligence and its main uses to machines and they evolve to such an extent that how smart they are goes beyond human beings' ability to understand. This allows people to focus on "things that really mattered in life, such as sport, games, romance, studying dead languages, barbarian societies, and impossible problems".
This vantages gives a unique perspective on contemporary politics, religion, and philosophy. They have all the materialistic advantages most of us strive for and yet "we should be enjoying it. But are we? ...Just what are we doing? Killing the immortal, changing to preserve, warring for peace...and so embracing utterly what we claimed to have renounced completely"..."finding no better way to pass our years than in competitive disdain."
This rich background is fascinating but not distracting and the story is rich in itself. In the beginning, it follows the Edgar Rice Burroughs approach of one hair-raising disaster escape to another; but, as the plot continues, subtlety and intrigue deepen, the characters become more complex.
Highly popular in the UK, Iain Banks hasn't quite been discovered yet in the US. If you number yourself in the latter category, feel happy - you have some wonderful reading experiences in store!
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HomeHugosNebulas P.K.
DickLocus
Grand
MastersNewberyTop
20 Internet
Top 100Short
StoriesNovellas,
NovelettesWorld
Fantasy