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Iain Banks
 

offline CS2x from London (United Kingdom) on 2005-04-30 19:14 [#01581617]
Points: 5079 Status: Lurker



He wrote masterpieces like "The Wasp Factory", "Complicity"
and "The Player of Games"

Anyone else here a fan?


 

offline tnavelerri on 2005-04-30 19:16 [#01581618]
Points: 558 Status: Lurker



Yeah, I've read Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons, both
were great, the culture is awesome.


 

offline CS2x from London (United Kingdom) on 2005-04-30 19:20 [#01581620]
Points: 5079 Status: Lurker



I wish the human race was more like the Culture!

I've also read Consider Phlebas. I found it his least
enjoyable work due to the episodic structure, but it was
still better than a lot of shit I read.


 

offline tnavelerri on 2005-04-30 19:50 [#01581644]
Points: 558 Status: Lurker



I started off on Consider Phlebas and really enjoyed it, I
guess at that age (16) it was really quite awesome. Use of
Weapons was also really quite good, but I read it on and
off, so had a bit of trouble following its weird structure.


 

offline kid from mum (United Kingdom) on 2005-05-01 01:35 [#01581850]
Points: 551 Status: Regular



i own all his books, i just absolutely love this guys
writing, i prefer the sci fi novels as it allows his
imagination to go anywhere but i love the fiction novels
too. i re-read them fairly often, i'm not sure but i think
use of weapons is possibly my favourite, although i just
finished re-reading feersum enjinn again and it's a
fantastic book. i get something new i hadn't realised before
everytime i re-read one of his books, he's just an awesome
author, i'm a real 'fanboy'. the latest one he did, 'the
algebraist' was good too though not one of his best i
thought.


 

offline bryce_berny from chronno (Canada) on 2005-05-01 03:14 [#01581886]
Points: 1568 Status: Lurker | Followup to kid: #01581850



I have been meaning to read feersum endjinn for a week or
two


 

offline pylonbitch from Samoa on 2005-05-01 05:30 [#01581920]
Points: 111 Status: Regular



feersum endjinn is drivel.

his worst book imo.

i didn't even finish it.

try the player of games, or excession for good banks sci
fi.

for more down to earth stuff... whit.. complicity.. the wasp
factory three of my favourutes.

i personally find a lot of his sci fi stuff quite weak...
greg bear does it better.


 

offline Anus_Presley on 2005-05-01 05:48 [#01581929]
Points: 23472 Status: Lurker



don't like him


 

offline CS2x from London (United Kingdom) on 2005-05-01 08:02 [#01582039]
Points: 5079 Status: Lurker



I think Walking On Glass is another excellent novel.

I loved the energetic writing of Complicity, but it was a
very bleak experience.


 

offline dog_belch from Netherlands, The on 2005-05-01 08:47 [#01582097]
Points: 15098 Status: Addict | Show recordbag



OMG I agree with you except

Consider Phlebas is a work of unparalleled genius.

Player of Games is teh awesome though. The only one I didn't
like I can't recall the name of .... it's like a mix of
medieval and Culture, but not a Culture book.

Did anyone see a similarity between the secomnd half of "28
Days Later" and "A Song of Stone" (obviously minus the
zombies)?


 

offline CS2x from London (United Kingdom) on 2005-05-01 09:59 [#01582175]
Points: 5079 Status: Lurker



I might give Consider Phlebas another go. I must admit it
was the first book of his that I read, and I found it a bit
daunting.

Is his newish one, "The Business", any good?


 

offline dog_belch from Netherlands, The on 2005-05-01 10:09 [#01582183]
Points: 15098 Status: Addict | Followup to CS2x: #01582175 | Show recordbag



I thought it was quite good, though I think the reviews were
lukewarm. It's kind of typical Bank's in that he manages to
wedge into the story line some of his grand ideas, and
there's a great bit where she ruins a Ferrari... it's
nothing you haven't read by him before but if you enjoy a
stay in Banks-World then it's worth the read.


 

offline CS2x from London (United Kingdom) on 2005-05-01 16:04 [#01582674]
Points: 5079 Status: Lurker



According to an interview he actually wrote Consider Phlebas
before The Wasp Factory. I found that very surprising
considering the evolution I thought I saw between the two.



 

offline pantalaimon from Winterfell (United Kingdom) on 2007-12-24 14:28 [#02157699]
Points: 7090 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



reading Player of Games at the moment, good so far...


 

offline ecnadniarb on 2007-12-24 17:12 [#02157731]
Points: 24805 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



I thought The Wasp Factory was pretty weak and wouldn't
label it a masterpeice by any means.


 

offline CS2x from London (United Kingdom) on 2007-12-24 18:29 [#02157752]
Points: 5079 Status: Lurker | Followup to ecnadniarb: #02157731



I wouldn't either any more. That post was a couple of years
old. But it does have a certain something.



 

offline ecnadniarb on 2007-12-24 19:39 [#02157820]
Points: 24805 Status: Lurker | Followup to CS2x: #02157752 | Show recordbag



oh yes. i wasn't paying attention


 

offline drill rods from 6AM-8PM NO PARKING (Canada) on 2013-06-12 04:01 [#02458368]
Points: 1171 Status: Regular



RIP Iain (M) Banks

I've never read any of his non-sci-fi books, but the sci-fi
ones are pretty damn IDM


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2013-06-12 17:39 [#02458388]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



Ah, hadn't realised he had died. RIP Iain. :(

Great novelist. The Business is exactly what Big
Business is really like on the inside and probably my
favourite of his books. I also really liked the one (I
forget the name) with the two old people in a nursing home
playing board games.

He was good on Derren Brown, too.


 

offline drill rods from 6AM-8PM NO PARKING (Canada) on 2013-06-12 22:11 [#02458405]
Points: 1171 Status: Regular | Followup to Ceri JC: #02458388



I've read all his sci-fi (it's all stunning) but not a
single one of his "normal" books - I was looking to start
off with The Business actually. Any other good'uns?


 

offline Jarworski from The Grove (United Kingdom) on 2013-06-12 22:23 [#02458406]
Points: 10836 Status: Lurker | Followup to drill rods: #02458405



I can recommend The Crow Road, it's very funny in places.

I'm going to make an effort to read more of his stuff, I've
had like ten books of his lying around here for ages.


 


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