[Keyoke]

Can anyone tell me what books are part of the Culture series. Their are a few books by Banks that I am unsure wether they belong in the culture series or not (Eg - Against a Dark Background & Feersum Endjion)

Thanks.. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Btw, any fans of this series?

Keyoke

[Vitriol]

Consider Phlebas - Culture
Player of Games - Culture
Use Of Weapons - Culture
Against A Dark Background - Non-Culture
State Of The Art - Culture
Feersum Enjin - Culture
Excession - Culture
Inversions - Culture (sort of)
Look To Windwards - Culture

Yep. You could certainly say I'm a fan. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Keyoke]

Ahh, thanks.. I wasnt sure if Feersum was or wasnt. I've heard it's a interesting novel the way it is written.


I did look up some of Bank's novels, and one, called "The Bridge" sounds really interesting. You read it at all?

What did you think of the Culture novels? I'm on the prowl for some new interesting scifi. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

Keyoke

[estranghero]

Hey llama! Where you?

I like Banks but I think llama could answer you better. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Kamakhya]

The only Banks novel I have read is the Bridge. It was intense and very interesting. I don't think it follows any series. I'm not even sure it is one which he considers sci-fi. Yet, it was an excellant novel and I will be seeking out his sci-fi novels in the future.

Kamakhya Devi

[Llama]

Sorry, was out grazing.

Yes, I am a big Banks fan, I think his Culture novels have really managed to revive the moribund space opera genre.

Vitriol's list seems right. I haven't read the last two Culture books. My faves are probably PLAYER OF GAMES, CONSIDER PHLEBAS and USE OF WEAPONS.

THE BRIDGE is excellent, one of his best books, but it's not a Culture novel.

Banks has also written a number of very good books not strictly sci-fi/fantasy, like WASP FACTORY, SONG OF STONE, THE BUSINESS. THE WASP FACTORY in particular has become something of a cult classic.

[Vitriol]

The way to tell if one his books is Sci-fi or not is to look at the name on the cover; Iain M. Banks is sci-fi, while just Iain Banks is modern fiction.

His present-day novels tend to be very dark in tone; The Wasp Factory and Complicity are very disturbing. Basically, his writing, both sci-fi and not, is lighter in tone the later it is written. Later books like Whit and The Business are much easier going.

Feersum Enjin is definitely worth persevering with; half of the books is written phonetically (think someone who speaks l33t) and is heavy going to start with. The first time I tried the book, I gave up after the first few pages, when I flicked on and saw hundreds of pages of this stuff. However, it becomes less obtuse as you go on, and you also become more practised reading it. It's definitely worth reading in a short space of time, though; put it down and your likely to lose track of both the convoluted plot and the spelling.