A Culture Novel

“A space opera of stunning power and awesome imagination” so reads the blurb. It’s not wrong.

I don’t think it’s really fair to use my own cumbersome words to describe this book. Yet I sort of feel I have to because I want to tell you all how good it is. So I’ll keep it brief.

It is a deep yet simple adventure, which effortlessly unfolds before you, weaving together a detailed and ingeniously devised universe full of bright and inspiring ideas. His language is at times also gorgeously rich and is just – wow – it’s like watching high definition television or something. But in an entirely different world. Magic.

Iain Banks is perhaps most famous for his fiction, starting with his first book called ‘The Wasp Factory’ which I have, I am ashamed to say, not yet read. But believe me. I will be. Banks adds the ‘M’ to his name when publishing his science fiction novels. I have his second ‘Culture Novel’ beside me right now. Can’t wait.