Rating: Summary: Great book, Excessively so! Review: The first time I read the book, it left me confused. All the jumping around between characters, and the discussions between the minds can leave the uninisiated (I was 14 at the time) bewildered. After rereading the book recently, all those little sub-plots started to fall into place, and suddenly it all came together into one of the most brilliant works ever created! This book leave works like "Mortal remains", and "The Reality dysfunction" (both essentially similar to Excession)way behind! It's not quite as fast paced, but the overall reader involvement and quality is lightyears ahead of any other! It definitely rates amongst the top half of my personal top 10! Note! Not for the impatient, or those who hate to be puzzled, and unwilling to read a couple more pages in order to find the answer. It would also help to read other Culture novels before diving into Excession. You don't need them in order to understand the book, but it does help to initiate you into the Culture.
Rating: Summary: a Take on Banks' Science Fiction Review: I have read every Culture novel written by the writer from East Fife, Iain M- his middle initial is only applied to the science fiction novels he writes- Banks and find myself in quite a grave situation. Every possible aspect within this reality is sated for throughout this disparate array of books, so much so that an element of withdrawal is to be expected. His by-turns delicate and brutal prose offers the question: in this vacuum-sealed world he's created, with endless possibilities, how can he just...take it away again at the end of the book. The answer is that he doesn't. The Culture, and the galaxy in which it resides, is on a symmetrical level to our own, which, within these physics, it should be. The general allegory of these stories is that no matter your physicality, whether you're an anthropomorphic-like creature, a "Mind" (a sentient mechanical brain, but more than sentient- I'll come to those later) or a strange group of philosophical fish who reside in a secluded pool of water in a disused volcano, your society will eventually abandon any rituals relating to your environment and succumb to logic. The very existence of the Culture is enough for some societies to abandon their will and become part of a symbiotic energy, this is called being Sublimed (the closest to religion you'll come to in Banks' scatological books- it is science). The depth of thought put into these books is simply amazing, and that's just on the surface. Every single implementation made in the story has motifs and undertones that reverberate throughout the rest of the book. It must be an amazing test for a writer of the space-opera genre, to make sure that they don't allude to any aspect of Earthly culture- a massive amount of the English language is devoted to cultural things and their legacy, so much so that it's some feat to discern how one would go about writing without breaking the interplanetary myth by accidentally alluding to an animal or using a familiar name. Banks manages to subsist on subtle references to his influences (Nietzsche, Asimov, HG Wells), despite the fact that: "All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental." There is a sense of brooding regret to be found on past events in characters' lives throughout this novel. Even from the minds. These Minds' minds are akin to our own but much broader in scope. They still have little quirks with which to keep them occupied (one of which forms the emotional basis of this book), except theirs have a much greater legacy. I could ruminate on the questions of machine sentiency that this book poses, but I didn't while reading it and I won't now, that's what I read Phillip K Dick or Asimov for. The Culture is a growing entity consisting of a billion billion citizens. Inevitably there'll be something of a resentful riposte amongst many of the other societies, and, it seems there's a vague sense of sluggish anarchy amongst its own residents. Genar-Hofoen, the main protagonist, is driven to become an ambassador to one of the most volatile, cantankerous sect of creatures imaginable (the Affront) who, in their driven loyalty, are almost the conceivable opposite to the Culture, so Genar becomes quite fond of them. Once, in a past life, he and the woman Dejail Gelian were in the throes of a monogamous love, which was something of an anomaly within the fun-seeking Culture. Inevitably, as is his wont, Genar betrays the pregnant Gelian. Wrapped up within all this is the Sleeper Service, a ship run by an eccentric mind to house the essences of those people who wish to be stored until they predicate their wish to be awoken, some wish to be stored forever. The broader segment of the plot, which necessitates the need for some of the most important and respected minds to have real-time conversations (these can sometimes read a little like prolix, but the thoughts of the more loose minds can be quite entertaining), is the appearance of a trillion-year-old dying sun from a different Universe. Two and a half millenia ago it had appeared greeting nothing more than a slight pulse of inquiry, but mostly bemusement. It appears again and acts as a catalyst for all the events of the book, on many different levels- despite the fact that the importance of one level may result in the dissolution of the whole Universe, Excession doesn't highlight this any more than Dejail and Genar's lingering, dishevelled affectations. This book- and all the others- has been so influential on my life that I wouldn't mind being stored myself till the next one comes around. Taken as one tremendous, subtle, awe-inspiring book these novels amount to the best proclamation science fiction has yet offered. And by the way, if you're expecting the Culture to visit Earth and bestow us with all their amazing technological secrets, don't hold your breath because we've already been "accounted" for. What did they summate? That we were artistic sure, but a little too sadistic...
Rating: Summary: Fascinating, but slow Review: This is an inventive novel describing a far future of autonomous AIs that inhabit their own spaceships, create vast virtual reality simulations, and also engage in intriguing conversations and political machinations with other AIs. Unfortunately, the plot moves at a snail's pace. What makes the book worth reading, however, is the fascinating comparison between the humans who are still around and the ubiquitous artificial superintelligences. (There are also some not so cuddly aliens thrown in for contrast and for comic relief.) Some readers may find themselves wishing that the machines and humans could meld, keeping the best of both and getting rid of the rest. That, of course, is one of the great challenges facing us in this new century and this novel can stimulate our thinking and discourse.
Rating: Summary: Excessive Review: There must be a Limiting Factor to the bickerings of snappy and petulant Machines whit whimsical names;and I'll say that Multiple Universe theory was (read the much funnier and readable Fredric Browns' What Mad Universe, or Asimov's The God Themselves, or Rudy Rucker's Master of Space and Time) Not Invented Here. yours truly The Yawning Angel
Rating: Summary: THE STRANGEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ Review: This book is on par with "The Illuminati Trillogy" for strangeness. Borrow it, read it, sit with an ice pack for a week eagerly anticipating the next punch in the head. Cause every so often another messed up bit of plot twist or snarled logic is going to jump out and hit you from the recesses of memory. Its like carrying a bomb around in your head! Other than the mental torture and too many plots in one book it was good. I recommend it for those masochistic moments.
Rating: Summary: Supposedly brilliant form, no content Review: What drives me to read science fiction is to make contact with well-built, convincing fictional universes where interesting plots take place. The literary talent of the author simply does not matter as long as he or she has the ultimate talent of telling an interesting story. Indeed, arcane luminaries of the Science Fiction genre, such as Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clarke, almost invariably have a plain, objective narrative style.Well, this is my first book by Iain M. Banks, but so far I can say that he goes in the opposite way: the style of his book is baroquely sculpted and each character is exhaustively (yet subtly) worked upon. Even though, the plot and setting told/described with such a literary richness is simply crappy. Iain M. Banks' Culture universe resembles some idiotic science fiction cartoon or movie (such as "The Jetsons" or "The Fifth Element") turned into a book. In some ways, it also resembles "The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy", but the problem is that it is not exactly intended to be comical. As for the plot, there is basically no strong central narrative line, nothing that makes the reader (or at least me) cares about what will happen in the next page or how the book will end. As a matter of fact, it is a remarkably boring, tiring reading, and I took perhaps two or three more times to finish this book than the average for a compendium of the same size. Putting it shortly, Iain M. Banks seems to be an author for someone who loves form but does not demand content.
Rating: Summary: Good, but you'll work for it Review: Most Iain Banks books are challenging reads, it's a credit to the man that he refuses to write down because he's penning SF novels and not the higher profile "literary" stuff that most of the mainstream probably recognizes him for (is he well read in this country, nobody I know has heard of him . . . what's with that?) so what you basically get with the Culture novels is SF from someone who really knows how to write and doesn't just have a degree and feels the need to share this nifty cool idea he had the other day. This book is full of cool ideas but more importantly it's a dense and slightly elusive work . . . while it's not opaque stuff isn't spelled out explicitly for the reader, there are a lot of dots to connect here. The setup is a large object has appeared from literally nowhere and interacts with the energy grip in a way that is supposed to be impossible. But this isn't the first time this object appeared and the only person who is around from that last appearance is Stored in a ship and has to be convinced to come out. That's how the plot starts. Where it ends is somewhere totally different and if sometimes you think you're reading a totally different book, that's just par for the course with Banks. The focus this time around is more on the Minds in the ships, which is good and bad. The Minds are basically human and their rapid fire conversations that take up a large chunk of the book are highly entertaining . . . however it can be daunting for readers unable to keep track of the dozens of names, especially with little strong personality to back up the Mind and make an impression. You may wish for a recap box at some point to make sure you're still up to speed. Still astute readers are rewarded with a plot that twists almost dizzingly . . . I've read a few Banks books by now and he still amazes how he manages to turn everything upside down so quickly. The action is good, the dialogue between ships crackles, the plot is mind bending and the last page deserves to be read over and over again. I can't say this is his best work, but like all his other stuff the quality is high and if new readers have the stamina, they'll find themselves pleasantly delighted.
Rating: Summary: take a deep breath, you're in for a wild ride Review: This is one awesome book! Bravo Mr. Banks! I have enjoyed all of the "culture" books, with this being by far the best. Lots of action. Loads of creativity. Humorous dialogue and plot twists galore keep you guessing right until the last page as to what exactly is going on. In this day of seemingly endless space saga series and movie/TV tie-ins, Banks books stand out as spectacular examples of stand alone novels that nontheless deal with a pre-crafted future society. Read it, and then read it again to pick up the minutae of detail that makes this a most worthy read!
Rating: Summary: Irony, Affrontery and Iain Banks Review: Reading your first Iain Banks novel is like nothing else in literature. It's a little like being in the washing machine on spin cycle. You emerge dizzy but refreshed. Machine gun pacing, vivid characterization, universe-spanning cultures and, of course, The Culture. Smug, self-satisfied, hedonistic and vain, The Culture is also bifurcated between more-or-less humankind and Minds, advanced AI's that are not always tolerant of their "meat-based" co-citizens. More than any other novel of The Culture, this one involves those Minds and, without spoilers, they turn out to be human, all too human. Banks handles very well the problem of writing dialog for beings who are far, far more intelligent and think millions of times faster than we do. As others have noted, it sometimes makes for dense reading, but it is very believable. In some ways, this is a novel about the psychology and motives of Minds. As always, Banks laces the story with sly humor, word play and wholly believable aliens. The Affront, the most conspicuous aliens in this tale, are a wonderful invention. As always, the structure of the novel itself with its interlacing of different story lines and physical organization is a part of the story itself, although less obviously so than in the earlier _Consider Phlebas_. The Excession of the title is the focus of the attention of most of the characters in the story, but Banks is far too gifted a writer to make it the whole story. Readers who complain about the ending may be missing Banks' most important point. Perhaps the story isn't so much about the Excession, but how the characters react to the Excession. And maybe the ending is Banks' way of underscoring that point. As always with Banks' stories of The Culture, there is moral ambiguity and it's impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys. For my taste, that's a lot more "real" than the moral absolutes of space operas in the tradition of E.E. "Doc" Smith. An excellent, rollicking adventure, full of surprises, laughs and sly irony. Densely written but highly readable. Much more mature than earlier Culture novels. Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Banks at his best,not for the timid or short attention spans Review: Iain Banks can be an intimidating writer. His command of the language and a wonderful imagination combined with a penchant for being unconventional leads to very complex plots, unusual prose styles and flat out great books. _Excession_ is one of his Culture books, possibly his best. As is typical, there are multiple plots and protagonists but the great AI ships (Minds) play a larger role in this book than any of the others. An unusual object appears in space and touches off a race to claim it between the Culture and others (not specfied so as not to be a spoiler) resulting in some wonderfully complex situations featuring wonderfully deep and fleshed out characters. This book will have you wincing on page and laughing the next, which brings a welcome realness to the hard science fiction genre. But with this excellence comes a warning: If you tend to skim books or not really pay attention, you may not like Banks in general and _Excession_ specifically. The prose is very dense, with important details tossed off in small sentences that caused to be stop and reread sections more than once. I heartily recommend all of Banks' work and urge the reader to give it the time and care it deserves.
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