RIP Iain Banks

[kay]

Thought it was just a random rumour after seeing only 1 message pop up about it on Facebook, but just realised Iain Banks has died

No more Culture novels

[jaydot]

Thought it was just a random rumour after seeing only 1 message pop up about it on Facebook, but just realised Iain Banks has died

No more Culture novels

Didn't he die a while ago?

[5415]

Yeah last week. Wicked author, gonna miss the culture series

[hugh]

banksy?

[skell1ngton777]

i cried when i found out

[kay]

Coincidentally, I finally decided to read Surface Detail last week. Just finished it on Sunday.

[5415]

Coincidentally, I finally decided to read Surface Detail last week. Just finished it on Sunday.

How would you rate it? Also has anyone read his non sci-fi books- Thinking of giving the wasp factory a look next.

[skell1ngton777]

been meaning to get that one for a while

not a culture novel, but 'The Algebraist' is amazing, one of my favorites

[kay]

Yeah The Algebraist was a good departure from the Culture universe. Had been hoping he'd develop that universe a bit more.

Surface Detail was probably one of the better recent Culture novels. It's set against the background of a civilisation that's about to Sublime, so it's the first book that kinda explores Sublimation in somewhat more detail, although I don't think there's anything hugely new that hasn't already been hinted at or that Culture afficionados wouldn't have drawn conclusions about. I think the writing's a bit loose compared to his earlier work but some of the Minds are excellent.

[skell1ngton777]

Ah that sounds awesome

have you read feersum endjinn? its interesting but also kind of annoying to read.. i have read it twice and i still don't really know wtf happens

Been reading some Neal Asher books lately. His universe is similar to the culture novels and he has some interesting ideas. He is not quite as good as Iain banks imo but still really good.

Tried reading some bloated novels by Peter F Hamilton last year but i find his writing to be amateurish compared to the other stuff i read. His plots seem to go on random tangents that don't really amount to much in the end and just make the books unnecessarily bloated.

[kay]

No, I decided to stay away from Feersum Endjinn, the synopsis didn't seem particularly appealing. Glad I haven't read it hehe.

I gave Peter F Hamilton a few chances. I totally agree with your assessment - the books promise a lot initially (and most of the way through to be fair) but then they all tend to peter out into fairly listless/pointless endings where nothing much really happens. The Night's Dawn trilogy was bad enough but the Pandora's Star series was even worse.

Been meaning to give Neal Asher a go but nothing's really grabbed me enough to go an buy a book.

The series that I think matches most closely with The Culture is David Brin's Uplift Saga. After the first book, there's also a similar humorous tone that's missing from most sci fi. It also deals with galactic civilisations (although none are as unified as the Culture), and different levels of evolution amongst civilisations.

Next closest would probably be Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space universe. It's a lot more serious though.

[Pulp]

Thinking of giving the wasp factory a look next.

Not read any of his Sci-Fi - but Wasp Factory is definitely worth reading.

[3rdeye]

really sad loss. definitely my favourite author ever.

[magma]

Never got round to reading much Banks despite always having him recommended, but reading about him proposing to his wife with "Would you do me the honour of becoming my widow?" when he found out he had cancer struck me as oddly beautiful.

RIP

[skell1ngton777]

Yeah i've read some Alastair Reynolds books (like the first 3) and i like a lot of his ideas, but i find him to be a bit dry and maybe a little boring sometimes. The last one i read was Absolution Gap and that one kind of put me off him a bit as i found it to be disappointing and the plot kind of aimless.

I know what you mean about Neal Asher, i was a little apprehensive of reading his stuff because i thought it looked kind of cheesy, but i bought one from a charity shop and started reading it because i didn't have anything else to read at the time, but i was quite pleasantly surprised by it and have since read a few more of them.

I read a couple of David Brin books like 10 years ago, can't quite remember what it was called but i think it was called Sun diver or something like that. The main character was kind of schizophrenic and would use it to his advantage in certain situations. I remember quite enjoying it and have been meaning to get some of his other books. Can you recommend any?

[hutyluty]

I read Wasp Factory when I was about 13, left a mark lol. Really good, imaginative author with a really wide range.

Think he's had cancer for quite a while so not unexpected. Still RIP.

[kay]

Yeah i've read some Alastair Reynolds books (like the first 3) and i like a lot of his ideas, but i find him to be a bit dry and maybe a little boring sometimes. The last one i read was Absolution Gap and that one kind of put me off him a bit as i found it to be disappointing and the plot kind of aimless.

I know what you mean about Neal Asher, i was a little apprehensive of reading his stuff because i thought it looked kind of cheesy, but i bought one from a charity shop and started reading it because i didn't have anything else to read at the time, but i was quite pleasantly surprised by it and have since read a few more of them.

I read a couple of David Brin books like 10 years ago, can't quite remember what it was called but i think it was called Sun diver or something like that. The main character was kind of schizophrenic and would use it to his advantage in certain situations. I remember quite enjoying it and have been meaning to get some of his other books. Can you recommend any?

Yeah, Sundiver's the first book in the Uplift Saga. It's a lot drier than the rest, but it does a pretty good job of setting the scene. It's also set a number of years earlier than the other books. The series as a whole ranks as probably my favourite sci fi series to date as it's very readable and fun. The other books in order are: Startide Rising, The Uplift War, Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore and Heaven's Reach. A single volume reprint of all the books came out a few months ago.

His other books are OK but I can't say they've been as enjoyable. They always have pretty interesting ideas. Kil'n People is about a society that sends out copies of yourself to work but they only last for a day or so. The main character ends up bein unsure whether he's a clone or the real person.

[Mr Hyde]

Sad loss. I've read more of his books than any other author, always good.

Decent interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/ju ... -interview

As we walk to the door, Banks pulls one final, left-field surprise. "Do you know that I know what caused the cancer?" I think I pull a face like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. "Cosmic ray," he says. "I won't brook any contradiction; it was a high-energy particle. A star exploded hundreds or thousands of years ago and ever since there's been a cosmic ray – a bad-magic bullet with my name on it, to quote Ken – heading towards the moment where it hit one of my cells and mutated it. That's an SF author's way to bow out; none of this banal transcription error stuff." Then the moment comes that I was dreading … but he says "See you soon" instead.

[skell1ngton777]

Yeah i've read some Alastair Reynolds books (like the first 3) and i like a lot of his ideas, but i find him to be a bit dry and maybe a little boring sometimes. The last one i read was Absolution Gap and that one kind of put me off him a bit as i found it to be disappointing and the plot kind of aimless.

I know what you mean about Neal Asher, i was a little apprehensive of reading his stuff because i thought it looked kind of cheesy, but i bought one from a charity shop and started reading it because i didn't have anything else to read at the time, but i was quite pleasantly surprised by it and have since read a few more of them.

I read a couple of David Brin books like 10 years ago, can't quite remember what it was called but i think it was called Sun diver or something like that. The main character was kind of schizophrenic and would use it to his advantage in certain situations. I remember quite enjoying it and have been meaning to get some of his other books. Can you recommend any?

Yeah, Sundiver's the first book in the Uplift Saga. It's a lot drier than the rest, but it does a pretty good job of setting the scene. It's also set a number of years earlier than the other books. The series as a whole ranks as probably my favourite sci fi series to date as it's very readable and fun. The other books in order are: Startide Rising, The Uplift War, Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore and Heaven's Reach. A single volume reprint of all the books came out a few months ago.

His other books are OK but I can't say they've been as enjoyable. They always have pretty interesting ideas. Kil'n People is about a society that sends out copies of yourself to work but they only last for a day or so. The main character ends up bein unsure whether he's a clone or the real person.

ah nice one i'll have to look into getting that single volume reprint you mentioned