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# Something
from an Iain M Banks novel..


*reading the Algerbraist at the moment*
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:23, archived)
# why are his real life books so good, with excellent characters you can really believe in
while his scifi is so utterly snooze-worthy, with shit characters who are utterly cardboard and are always pining over some lost love or other as a flimsy motivation for their stupid actions.
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:27, archived)
# Just not from
A Song of Stone
or Use of Weapons
and definitely not from The Wasp Factory


The Algebraist is a top book - bet you'll never get the twist in the ending ('cos every Iain Banks novel has one...)
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:28, archived)
# i actually like all those books
but thought 'the bridge' was one of the worst i have ever read.
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:31, archived)
# They're all good books
just unpleasant, and therefore not good JJ material...

edit - I thought The Bridge was okay, but stretched the metaphors a little thin. 'Twas v. clever though...

I always liked Excession, just 'cos of the exceedingly sarcastic ships and the deliberately ironic names they choose for themselves...
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:32, archived)
# got to agree with that..
the bridge was rather crap..

Still, good fun author most of the time.. Always loved his more alien descriptions, the gas giant critters, the airsphere stuff and other alien beasties..
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:36, archived)
# Arggggghhhhhhhhh!
Song of Stone was the most depressing book I have ever read.

Use of Weapons is absolutely superb though.
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:42, archived)
# You've not read Walking on Glass then?
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:45, archived)
# ooh, my favourite i think.
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:49, archived)
# Depressing as hell though.
I'm wracking my brain trying to think of one of his books that has even a slightly happy ending. Dead Air is the only one I can think of...
(, Thu 27 Apr 2006, 15:51, archived)