Inversions

A lot of the previous reviews below, are quite negative about this book. I totally disagree. This is, for me, the most satisfying of all of Bank's Culture novels. It's not a straight forward SF novel and you'll be disappointed if you want a story full of Culture technology and space opera action. If you're familiar with Bank's previous Culture stuff, though, you'll recognise the various hints and clues in this story that at least one main character is an SC agent. What I really liked about this book, though, was the complexity and sophistication of the multi-layered narrative structure - the fact that the story emerges second or third hand from multiple sources (sometimes re-written or re-interpreted by others)and that none of the 'tellers' of the story can fully grasp what 'really' happened. Neither do we, the readers, emerge at the end with a fully confident understanding of what 'really' happened - some of the narrators are in some way unreliable and none of them can really know where the main two characters have come from originally. It's a clever meditation on the nature of reality, historical fact and truth. It's a book that keeps you thinking long after you've finished the final chapter - I can't say that any of the other Culture novels have had quite the same effect on me.

It's very different from Bank's other SF. Give it a go though.

Great story but is it scifi at all? (1/1 people found this helpful)

This unlike other books written in the sci-fi universe of the Culture does not say 'a culture book' on the front cover. This is probably because if you get it looking for more descriptions of super high-tech weapons and equipment you'll come away sorely disappointed. There are none. None!

The story is about two well placed individuals who it becomes clear are attempting to subtly trying to interfere with a worlds politics and history by respectively healing (the doctor) and protecting (the bodyguard) their respective patrons. Indeed, the chapters are named either 'the doctor' or 'the bodyguard' letting you know who we're focused on. There are a few moments where technology or its presence is hinted at and implied but there is not a single description of anything counting as high technology and you'll only recognise the hints if you've read the other Culture books.

This is a fine story but its more fantasy than sci-fi and the ending leaves a little to be desired. An epilogue about the two agents set in the Culture proper would have been nice but does not appear. If you really love the books of the Culture you'll probably want to get this, too but its the black sheep of the Culture books and lots of what people read those books for is entirely missing from this book.

I'll give it 4 stars because its good, on its own terms and certainly not boring, I came to care what happened to the king, the protector and those around them but its just not a regular culture book. If you've read; 'consider phlebas', 'the player of games', 'use of weapons', 'excession', 'look to windward' and 'matter' ('state of the art' too if you like short stories) and still want more, then go ahead and read it. Since the Culture is such a utopia its been said that stories within it would be dull and so the stories have been about people outside its boundaries or on the fringes of its society, an enemy of it in 'consider phlebas' and a mercenary in 'use of weapons'. This for me, was a bit too far from the comfort of an orbital and a sentient starship.

Don't read this one first (1/1 people found this helpful)

Having read this for a book group choice and being unfamiliar with 'The Culture'. I found some of the explanations from other readers, extremely helpful in explaining several confusing points.
I would not recommend this as a first Iain M Banks book. There is obviously a lot of background needed to explain some of the finer points.

The narrative is split between the first hand account by Oelph, servant to the Doctor and taking place in the kingdom of King Quience - and his parallel account (from word of mouth) of what was happening in the lands of UrLeyn, the Chief Protector.
A seemingly unconnected fairy story, recounted by UrLeyn's body guard, DeWar, for UL's young son, provides the explanation for the relationship between the Doctor and the Bodyguard. These two characters seem otherwise quite separate.

No, I didn't enjoy it. But I certainly got a lot more out of it as a result of reviews here and the discussion that arose within our reading group.
It would doubtless be better to read other Iain M banks before this one. presumably taking them in order.

One of His Best. (3/4 people found this helpful)

A lot has been said about this not being really 'Sci-Fi' and not really a Culture novel. I would respectfully disagree with these views.

Yes, it doesn't have the usual ingredients of Space Opera (massive spaceships, exotic hardware, AIs, artificial space habitats, weird alien lifeforms etc etc), but it shows another side of Sci-Fi. A more considered, thoughtful side, exploring the effects of a more technologically advanced civilisation on a less developed, and at times barbaric one. In this, we are lead to wonder just what would be the best way to effect positive change on a society, without totally imposing your will upon it, and risking disaster? This same issue is explored again from a different perspective in his later novel `Look to Windward'.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but I think you will enjoy it more if you have read some of Banks' other Culture novels especially `Use of Weapons' and `Look to Windward'. But, I don't think you even need to be a SF fan to enjoy this.

Beautifully constructed, Banks again demonstrates his mastery of plot and pacing while maintaining his ability to tell a story-within-a-story.

Along with `Consider Phlebas', `Use of Weapons' and `Against a Dark Background', this, for me anyway, ranks as his very best.

A compelling story. (2/4 people found this helpful)

Some of the reviews of theis novel seem to be from Sci Fi only readers. The story is compelling and contains typical Banks themes, the usual switching between people is there as is crime and punishment. True its not really Culture or Sci Fi but as my first M Banks i though it was very absorbing.

Iain M. Banks

Editorial Review:

Reader Reviews:

Recommended (0/0 people found this helpful)

Great story but is it scifi at all? (1/1 people found this helpful)

Don't read this one first (1/1 people found this helpful)

One of His Best. (3/4 people found this helpful)

A compelling story. (2/4 people found this helpful)

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