Not knowing who else to read I have recently re-read my Banks collection and
decided that before I do the same with Asimov I should try to find someone a
little more up to date.   That may sound like an odd thing to say in the context
of SF but styles of writing have developed greatly over the years.  Gone are the
simple chronological stories that walk you through the plot in a linear fashion.
Even within Banks' material there is a clear development in style.  Mostly in
the complexity of plot development.  In Transition it almost seemed like several
completely different stories at once but when the threads started to converge,
one could see the skill of the writer emerge as it all started to make more
sense than the proverbial sum of the parts.

I picked up a copy of Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds from a National Trust
coffee shop. 50p a go or three for a quid seemed like a small risk.  The other
two got recycled without me getting passed the first chapter but the Reynolds
book had me hooked.  The concepts and intergalactic setting are as imaginative
as Banks, sometimes a little overdone but the plot development is as complex as
you like without being incomprehensive.  Chasm City being an early work I went
for The Prefect next and was just as pleased.  The references to concepts and
themes in the earlier book suggests that reading the collection in order of
publishing may be of benefit.

So while you wait for the next Banks volume give Reynolds a try.

Cheers

Funnily enough I recently re-read Excession as I was struggling to remember
exactly what it was about. Well, yes, an engineered civil war crops up but
there's a lot of other bits that, in distant hindsight, seem a bit disconnected,
but which hung together perfectly well at the time.

I'm kind of with Tim in that I prefer Feersum Endjin and Matter; I enjoy
Excession when I am reading it but the attraction fades the longer that goes by
after I've finished it. Odd.


Nick


--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, "amerelium" <amerelium@...> wrote:
>
> Love Excession...
>
> --- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, tim9a <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > > Anyway, I am yet to read better Banks then Excession. :)
> >
> > Oohh!!! Fighting talk...! Excession one of my least favourites...
> >
> > For me Feersum Endjinn stands out; after that maybe Look to Windward...
> >
> > Tim
> >
>

Love Excession...

--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, tim9a <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> > Anyway, I am yet to read better Banks then Excession. :)
>
> Oohh!!! Fighting talk...! Excession one of my least favourites...
>
> For me Feersum Endjinn stands out; after that maybe Look to Windward...
>
> Tim
>

Tastes vary... :)

Was going through the last part of Eisenhorn yesterday... would suggest some Dan
Abnett to everyone in this group... GOOD! :)

________________________________
From: iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com [mailto:iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of tim9a
Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2009 6:14 PM
To: iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IainMBanks] Re: New book



> Anyway, I am yet to read better Banks then Excession. :)

Oohh!!! Fighting talk...! Excession one of my least favourites...

For me Feersum Endjinn stands out; after that maybe Look to Windward...

Tim


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> Anyway, I am yet to read better Banks then Excession. :)

Oohh!!! Fighting talk...! Excession one of my least favourites...

For me Feersum Endjinn stands out; after that maybe Look to Windward...

Tim

I intend to, except Dawn of War 2 and all those Warhammer 40k books are eating
up my time like anything. Makes a perfect complement to Banks... Dan Abnett...
LOL! :)

Anyway, I am yet to read better Banks then Excession. :)

________________________________
From: iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com [mailto:iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of tim9a
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 5:39 PM
To: iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IainMBanks] Re: New book



--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iainmbanks%40yahoogroups.com>, "Monwar
Hussain Development HR" <monwar@...> wrote:
>
> I am going through the Algebraist right now. The story is great, but
>I can't seem to continue with it at a stretch. A bit too... umm...
>'intangible' at some places for me. But then that's par for the course
>for Banks! :)

Definitely worth sticking with... one of the better ones in my opinion

Tim



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, "Monwar Hussain  Development HR" <monwar@...>
wrote:
>
> I am going through the Algebraist right now. The story is great, but
>I can't seem to continue with it at a stretch. A bit too... umm...
>'intangible' at some places for me. But then that's par for the course
>for Banks! :)

Definitely worth sticking with... one of the better ones in my opinion

Tim

--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, phoenicks_uk <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Heh, almost a year since you replied. This is a very slow-time conversation...
>
> Yep, I enjoyed the Algebraist a lot too. Matter, the last book, was >also a
top read, lots of excitement, mystery and clashes of low-hi >technology
cultures.

Just starting Matter now... In fact I'd forgotten I had it on the shelf!!

Tim

I am going through the Algebraist right now. The story is great, but I can't
seem to continue with it at a stretch. A bit too... umm... 'intangible' at some
places for me. But then that's par for the course for Banks! :)

________________________________
From: iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com [mailto:iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of phoenicks_uk
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 9:35 PM
To: iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IainMBanks] Re: New book



Heh, almost a year since you replied. This is a very slow-time conversation...

Yep, I enjoyed the Algebraist a lot too. Matter, the last book, was also a top
read, lots of excitement, mystery and clashes of low-hi technology cultures.

With the recent release of Transition, a "non-sci-fi" book (when has he ever
written straight "fiction"?) fingers crossed we'll get another space spectacular
in late 2010...

Cheers

Nick

--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iainmbanks%40yahoogroups.com>, tim9a
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> > Have you finished it yet? I'm currently in the closing 100 odd pages
>
> belated reply...
>
> havent started it yet. In fact I've just finished The Algebraist, which
> I had been a little reluctant to start as I'd seen a mediocre review
> elsewhere, but what do reveiwers know...
>
> Enjoyed it, the ending has some closure, unlike one or 2 endings I can
> think of.
>
> Tim
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Heh, almost a year since you replied. This is a very slow-time conversation...

Yep, I enjoyed the Algebraist a lot too. Matter, the last book, was also a top
read, lots of excitement, mystery and clashes of low-hi technology cultures.

With the recent release of Transition, a "non-sci-fi" book (when has he ever
written straight "fiction"?) fingers crossed we'll get another space spectacular
in late 2010...

Cheers

Nick


--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, tim9a <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> > Have you finished it yet? I'm currently in the closing 100 odd pages
>
> belated reply...
>
> havent started it yet. In fact I've just finished The Algebraist, which
> I had been a little reluctant to start as I'd seen a mediocre review
> elsewhere, but what do reveiwers know...
>
> Enjoyed it, the ending has some closure, unlike one or 2 endings I can
> think of.
>
> Tim
>

> Have you finished it yet? I'm currently in the closing 100 odd pages

belated reply...

havent started it yet. In fact I've just finished The Algebraist, which
I had been a little reluctant to start as I'd seen a mediocre review
elsewhere, but what do reveiwers know...

Enjoyed it, the ending has some closure, unlike one or 2 endings I can
think of.

Tim

> I have heard that Walking on Glass is about an old peoples home and
> have just read that The Bridge is about a man in a coma.  Is there a
> definitive list of these connections?
>
> Walking on Glass suddenly made a lot more sense (other than just
being
> a good read) when I knew what it was about.

Well I could say that this part of your post is off-topic, but that'd
be churlish... But then I might also say, "at last a post that isnt
spam"

> Also I always thought that Feersum Endjinn meant Fearsome Indian
> but on re-reading I am thinking it is Engine not Indian.

I'm pretty damn sure that Feersum Endjinn is Fearsome Engine; this fits
the context...

Tim

I have heard that Walking on Glass is about an old peoples home and
have just read that The Bridge is about a man in a coma.  Is there a
definitive list of these connections?

Walking on Glass suddenly made a lot more sense (other than just being
a good read) when I knew what it was about.

Also I always thought that Feersum Endjinn meant Fearsome Indian but on
re-reading I am thinking it is Engine not Indian.

Any ideas?

Cheers
Trevor

Tim

Have you finished it yet? I'm currently in the closing 100 odd pages
(got it as a 40th birthday pressie in April - most surprised as I
hadn't spotted it beforehand!)

It's a top story - anyone who enjoyed Inversions will probably like
Matter as it has a similar approach ("primitive" civilisations being
manipulated by more advanced alien cultures). In parts reads a bit like
a political/historical thriller - except it's also full on sci-fi.

Recommended - even though I haven't finished yet...

Nick in Newark

> Have got myself hooked on Inversions and Use of Weapons. Tell me,
which
> should be finished first?

I dont think they are particulalry related, so it doesnt matter...

> course, Excession, as that is the only Culture book I have finished
>so
> far.

Mine is Feersum Endjinn, but it isnt a Culture novel.

Tim

Very Important Matter
http://thomasfortenberry.net/?p=1923

I suppose you all know that Banks' next Culture book has arrived:
Mattter.

Cannot wait to read this.  It has been a long wait.  Glad he wrote
another one.

Cheers,

Thomas

Hello all,



New member here: Monwar, 25, from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I work as an
Organizational Development executive in a telecom firm here.



Enjoyed Banks' Excession tremendously, though it was not an easy read
(same for most other from Banks). This guy has some imagination. Haven't
yet gotten through most of the rest of his books, but plan to. How good
is Matter, BTW?



Have got myself hooked on Inversions and Use of Weapons. Tell me, which
should be finished first? 'Consider Phlebas', not as good :-(.



To start of the discussion, which is your favorite Culture book and why,
if you are not too tired from iterating it a million times? Mine is, of
course, Excession, as that is the only Culture book I have finished so
far.



Thanks, and looking forward to some interesting discussions.



-- Monwar



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> I've e-mailed the webguy suggesting he adds a link to the group...
>
> If he gets lots of similar e-mails then he's more likely to... <hint>

Sorted... We're listed under Resources on the Extras page.

Tim

Seems there's a website for IMB, well IB and IMB manitained by his
publisher:

http://www.iain-banks.net/

I've e-mailed the webguy suggesting he adds a link to the group...

If he gets lots of similar e-mails then he's more likely to... <hint>

Tim

--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, "Chris Davis" <cdyahoo@...> wrote:
>
> Good grief! Did the joy of your new discovery cause your brain to fall
> out?
>
> What'sit CALLED?

Its called "Matter"... but a quick google search could have told you
that...  :)

Tim

Good grief! Did the joy of your new discovery cause your brain to fall
out?

What'sit CALLED?

:-)

CD

--- In iainmbanks@yahoogroups.com, tim9a <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> There's a new culture book out...
>
> I know this because I was in Waterstones on Picadilly yesterday, so I
> now have a signed copy :)
>
> (copy was on the shelf signed, not that IMB was there himself)
>
> Tim
>

There's a new culture book out...

I know this because I was in Waterstones on Picadilly yesterday, so I
now have a signed copy :)

(copy was on the shelf signed, not that IMB was there himself)

Tim

Goodness! A posting about Banks on the Banks list! (As opposed to the batches of
spam that seem to
haunt these groups!)

;)

PS





________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows.
Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545433

older Banks interview, but still chock full of insight

http://tadhg.com/wp/1997/02/28/iain-m-banks-interview/

Call for comedy or murder/mystery themed short stories ( less then
6000 words but more the 2000 Words ). This call for writers is being
put out by American Fiction the sister publication to
http://www.artsource-newsletter.org



The Ezine will have a different theme very month , writers resources,
writers directory, chatroom, and music jukebox. Please visit the sit
www.americanfiction.org If your story is picked you will be included in
the writers directory and the story will be published online. The
authors of the published stories will have an opportunity to be
included in the ezines hardcopy annual.
Please send all submission to info@....
Post Script: we are currently looking for writers in the comedy genre.
Priority will be given to writers in that genre. Thank You American
Fiction Staff
Thank You and Goodluck
www.cyberpublishing.org

Richmond Review Interview with Banks

http://www.richmondreview.co.uk/features/banksint.html

Ex Libris Archive on Iain M. Banks
http://www.wjduquette.com/authors/imbanks.html

Holy smoke!  Two more spambots just joined and I had to neutralize
them.  What the heck is going on?  It's a spambot onslaught!

Cheers,

Thomas

Iain M. Banks said,

Of Use Of Weapons:   I originally wrote it chronologically, but  then
Ken MacLeod said 'Why don't you put the climax at the end of the
book?'. Brilliant idea! Why didn't I think of that?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sorry about that.

Spambots are the bane of the Culture.

Thomas