Malazan Empire: Iain M Banks - Malazan Empire

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Iain M Banks

#1 User is offline   4092 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 02:16 AM

My favourite sci-fi author. Anyone else read him?
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Posted 20 June 2006 - 03:11 AM

I read a novel of his called "complicity"
non sci-fi, and it was written in second person... a hard thing to do..a damn good book

Bit twisted though...whipped cream ugh..
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#3 User is offline   Slick Mongoose 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 08:52 AM

He's someone i've been interesed in, but never actually read. Where should I start, and what are his best books?
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#4 User is offline   Brys 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 09:36 AM

I've only read The Wasp Factory by him, which is one of the best novels I've ever read. Absolutely stunning for a debut novel - I'm planning to read some of his science fiction soon as well, and I've got Use of Weapons to read.
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Posted 20 June 2006 - 10:02 AM

If its science fiction you like you should start with 'The Player of Games', 'Use of Weapons' is also good and 'Against a dark Background' is a nice actiony read. If you like your Sci Fi a bit heavier a la Ben Bova or Arthur C Clark then 'Excession' is a cracking read. His straight fiction is also worth a look, probably the best being 'The Crow Road', a murder mystery romance coming of age novel.
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#6 Guest_will.moore@bridgepm.co.uk_*

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 10:59 AM

Hi Folks

If you are starting on Banks try starting with "Consider Phlebas" as it introduces the culture universe that most of his SF is contained in. Great books and always a twist in the tale {pun intended}. For somthing a bit differant try "Fersom Enjinn" I think that right, great for dislexics to read.

He also writes non SF as Ian Banks {no M in the middle} these are well worth a read too.

Someone told me that the best thing with Banks is everyone gets killed so no drawn out trilogies, how true.


Regards Will
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#7 User is offline   Valgard 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 11:04 AM

I love his sci fi stuff it is brilliant Player of games and Use of weapons are incredible. I can also highly recommend the algebrist his lastest I loved it. I my opinion he is the best sci fi writer out there. He has great ideas, but also writes exceedingly well and is incredibly funny, see the ships talking amongst themselves in excession.
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#8 User is offline   Dagger 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 03:33 PM

Valgard said:

...is incredibly funny, see the ships talking amongst themselves in excession.


The exchanges between the ships are priceless. Without giving away spoilers, there's a chapter where one ship casually leaves orbit while others are monitoring it and well, things aren't as they first appear and the exchange is a classic.

Consider Phelbas is the place to start with Banks. But it's all good. He's gradually moved away from the spectacular space operas to more intimate but no less great works. I am thinking in particular of Look to Windward. But for those who have not yet read Banks, I envy your journey. His works are not to be missed by anyone who loves speculative fiction.
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#9 User is offline   polishgenius 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 03:57 PM

I've read Consider Phlebas, and I'm reading Excession now. I agree, the conversations between ships are priceless.
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#10 User is offline   Illuyankas 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 04:37 PM

Excession is one of my favourite sci-fi books, and Grey Area was awesome.
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#11 User is offline   Dolorous Menhir 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 05:38 PM

Use of Weapons may be my favourite book ever.

The Stars my Destination is up there too, but Use of Weapons edges it out.
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#12 User is offline   Morgoth 

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 09:42 PM

I read Consider Phlebas and fell completly in love with the ending. Must be the best end scene I've ever come across..

Player of games was good but no exceptional I thought.

Use of Weapons though, was just incredible. The book as a whole was so perfectly structured, the plot so interesting, and the characters so intriguing I could hardly put it away.. The ending here also was truly brilliant. Made me just sit down and look into the air for quite a long time. ..
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#13 User is offline   4092 

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Posted 21 June 2006 - 05:24 AM

The thing i love about banks is his... Style. He makes it work in any situation... his characters are almost schizophrenic in their thoughts, they're very real - pages upon pages of characters' musings on any subject that comes into their minds - which other writer does that?

Compared to Erikson (who is also a great writer), they can't be any more different (although Erikson has his bits of humour, Banks has his bits of gore and violence).
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#14 User is offline   Slick Mongoose 

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Posted 21 June 2006 - 09:38 AM

Am I right in thinking that all the books stand alone, so it doesn't really matter what order they're read in?

I'll try to start with Consider Phlebas, anyway. Thanks, guys.
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#15 User is offline   Morgoth 

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Posted 21 June 2006 - 03:44 PM

I think one should read consider phlebas to get the feel of the setting first. After that you can pretty much read in any order.
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#16 User is offline   Slick Mongoose 

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Posted 21 June 2006 - 04:05 PM

Thanks. :)
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#17 User is offline   Smiles 

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Posted 21 June 2006 - 05:17 PM

Lots of great recomendations, I've read all the Ian M.Banks stuff so far and what can I say but he's the best writers/sci-fi authors I can think of. As mentioned the sheer scope of some of books and characters is awesome and I love the ship interaction. I think I started with Consider Phlebas, but Use of Weapons is outstanding. Just writing this makes me want to read them again... :)
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#18 User is offline   stone monkey 

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Posted 22 June 2006 - 03:59 PM

I would read them in the order they were published. Mainly because that's the order in which events take place in the setting; by the end of Look To Windward The Culture is -technologically at least - a very different palce than it was during Consider Phlebas.
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Posted 23 June 2006 - 10:10 AM

Hi Folks

Have a look at http://213.253.134.7....asp?FORUM_ID=3

for Banks addicts.

rgs Will.
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#20 User is offline   caladanbrood 

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Posted 03 July 2006 - 12:23 AM

If you like the ship exchanges in Banks' sci-fi (and yes, I agree, those in excession are awesome) you might enjoy Neal Ashers books too. Not quite as laugh-out-loud as Banks, but still hilarious:)
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