Iain Banks fans?

3DataModem

oxygen wrote: »

I remember the first chapter of that book, with the robot escaping in it, is brilliant brilliant stuff.

* plans to reread tonight

mawk

read the snakes out of him a few years ago, espedair street, the business and the wasp factory being the standouts to my memory.

a song of stone DID pick up about halway.. thought it was ok overall,
but the first chapters were like chewing razor blades. also.. the ambiguity of the social breakdown was an interesting choice

nitrogen

Read all his non-science fiction except Song of Stone (Even hardcore fans dismiss it, but I'm sure I'll pick it up some day). Easily my favourite writer, in order, my favourites are (Although the last two are quite poor):

1. The Wasp Factory
2. The Crow Road
3. The Bridge
4. Complicity
5. Whit
6. Walking on Glass
7. Espedair Street
8. Dead Air
9. The Steep Approach to Garbadale
10. Canal Dreams
11. The Business

Looking forward to getting into his science fiction.

DapperGent

I am genuinely fond of his non-fiction but it quite honestly doesn't come close to his Sci-fi. I think the man himself concurs, I remember him being asked which of them he would continue to write if he was forced to choose and he picked the Sci-fi.

Quite honestly I think the idea of The Culture is the most important ones a Sci-Fi writer has ever come up with. I must say I am hugely jealous of you that his Culture and other Sci-fi books are waiting there for you. Enjoy!

Get the order right though. Consider Phelbas or The Player of Games first then the others. Personally I think The Player of Games is the best starting point rather than any other M books, though it's not the first he wrote.

ferrigan101

Love his stuff, prefer the sci-fi to the fiction but thats just 'cos I love sci-fi! Have met him a good few times and he is a very nice bloke. Player Of Games, Feersum Endjinn and Espedair Street are great. Wasp Factory was excellent and Complicity aswell (anyone seen the movie they made of it?). Yeah, I'm going to go and start re-reading stuff now!:pac:

nitrogen

Yeah, picked up Complicity on DVD a few years ago. It was mediocre. It felt like an ITV Saturday night feature, and that can never be good. It could have been so much better with a different director and a bigger budget.

Cheers DapperGent, will pick up Consider Phelbas in the next few weeks. I have mates roaring at me for far too long telling me to read a Culture novel.

I hear his next non-M release, Transition, will be more like The Bridge and Walking on Glass (Loved both of these), and it will be published under Iain M. Banks in the US.

Spunge

Im nearly finished reading Use of Weapons. This is the first one of his books ive read and quite enjoyed it, well written, interesting characters and some humour in there. Heard theres a twist so have to wait and see.

Going to pick up another one of the Culture novels after this, not sure which one though.

Crazyivan 1979

my favourite is probably "use of weapons". "Consider phlebas" and "player of games" are also very, very good. In my opinion i enjoy his sci-fi rather than his fiction, although "the wasp factory" is a very disturbing book and a great read.

silverwater

Damnit!
Went to the signing (and also the reading and Q&A session in TCD) when he was over and got a book signed for my sister...
Unfortunately it was Song of Stone, just picked it up by random...
Read The Wasp Factory and The Steep Approach to Garbadale before that.
The Wasp factory was great, TSATG was ok. Some very good parts, but lacked the punch of TWF.
Would like to check out some more of his books...

BossArky

I find his stuff very hit and miss.

Player of Games was good. The rest of that sci-fi series seems as if he is trying too hard.

Use of Weapons / Against a Dark Background ... etc...... terrible.

Have the Algebraist at home. Not sure if I'm up for reading it just yet.

peter1892

I read a lot of his stuff when I was younger. Complicity, Crow Road & The Wasp Factory are really good. Espedair Street is too, especially for a rock fan like myself.

Some of his books can be a bit hit & miss, both The Business & The Steep Approach To Garbadale are decent stories but lack punch and just seem to trail off towards the end. And I couldn't get into either Song Of Stone or Dead Air at all.

Raw Spirit is a great read, totally different being a non-fiction work & it made me want to go out & buy an obscenely powerful sports car (then I realised that I can't afford such things). Mr. Banks on the other hand sold all his fast cars in favour of a more eco-freindly hybrid...

paoloiaquinta

wasp factory was well good..and well weird too

paoloiaquinta

who is the irish iain banks - have we got any equivalent writer?

Morlar

paoloiaquinta wrote: »

who is the irish iain banks - have we got any equivalent writer?

Afraid not.