Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
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Book Reviews of Consider Phlebas
Book Review: Wade through the dross to get to the Culture
Summary: 3 Stars
Let's be blunt. The first 60% of this novel is utter dross and predictable dross at that. It's painfully obvious what's going to happen but still we have to wade through 280 pages of it to get to the true space opera that this novel is all about. If I was at the cinema I'd be well and truly asleep by then. Luckily this book can be read in instalments over a longer period than a movie so I managed to get past that and to the remaining 40%. That last part is fast moving, enthralling, well written and a good introduction to the Culture universe.
Shame about the rest. This is my second Culture novel and fourth Ian Banks novel. I'm sad to say it'll be my last as there are too many good books out there and too little time to waste trudging through the mire to get to the good stuff.
My recommendation on the Culture series - read The Player of Games and leave it at that. Better to spend your time reading true scifi like Neuromancer, Starship Troopers, Farenheit 451 Review: A bit of depressing space opera filled with very cool ideas.
Summary: 3 Stars While this book was full of lots of interesting ideas and some fun action sequences, I found the main character unlikeable and that brought the level of enjoyment down quite a bit for me. Horza--and those around him--go through one hellish scenario after another. Since I wasn't rooting for Horza (or even his side in the Idiran-Culture War), I found it a difficult slog to get to the end of this one. Bottom line: some interesting concepts, but overall depressing. Underneath the bottom line: It is a book about the pointlessness of war, so the reader is probably not supposed to like either side in the war or feel good about the events in the book. Maybe if I had known this going in, I would have been able to appreciate the book more for what it is.
Book Review: mixed feelings but interested
Summary: 3 Stars
The book starts interestingly, and has a very detailed world built around the story. It has several sections that have nothing to do with the story, so I believe that the author added in a few short stories to pad out the pages.
The Culture Wars is interesting, but I'm not sure if I want to continue reading about them. I may pick up the second book and see if that is a tighter story.
It was annoying to have a story that is heading in one direction detour and have pages and pages of detail about something else.
Book Review: Great action, but needs editing
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm pretty sure there's a good book buried in here somewhere. There are good characters, a compelling if straightforward storyline, and some exciting action scenes. It would make a good movie. But Banks describes his action scenes in ridiculous detail, and from multiple viewpoints. He'll take 15 pages to tell something that happens in one minute. A good editor could turn this into a much better book that's about 2/3 as long. (This was my 2nd Banks novel; I enjoyed The Algebraist much more.)Book Review: Not one of the best around
Summary: 3 Stars
Cardboard cut out charachters and cleaver ways to dehumanize sentients is all very well and good but its not enough.