Consider Phlebas - Iain M. Banks > Reviews

Advantages: Brilliant first Culture novel
Disadvantages: None.

Iain M Banks is an science fiction author who also pens non science fiction under the name Iain Banks. Banks has created the Culture. This human society set in the far future has mastered technology to the extent that moon sized ships and planet sized 'orbitals' are created with ease. Artificial intelligence has reached the stage where the computers are far smarter than people and are considered Culture citizens. Consider Phlebas is Bank's first ... Read review

Advantages: Amaizing futuristic culture introduced to the world
Disadvantages: none

Consider Phlebas is quite rightly a space opera! This stunning book is an inspiring introduction to the culture books. The Culture well the culture is an enormous well culture comprising of many different humanoids and of course their famous machines who not only are considered sentient the also run the society . The Humanoids of the culture lead fulfilling and essentially hedonistic lives Their activities trend towards maximising pleasure in life ... Read review

Advantages: Exciting, fast, worth reading
Disadvantages: some times a little over the top and shocking in places

This was my first Banks novel, now i'm hooked and over the last month have read 2 more. Banks has created his own flawless futuristic universe with the help of scientists and his imagination, A good read for any sci-fi lover, action, guns, space ships, sex, huge three legged aliens with inferiority complex's etc. The book is set during an intergallactic war between a race of religous warriors the Idirans and a human-machine society the Culture, ... Read review

Advantages: Great plot, original, funny
Disadvantages: sometimes difficult to read

...sci-fi like? I tried consider phlebas and was hooked, the originality of the plot was excellent and even in the sci-fi genre, Banks maintains the ability to make you think. So what is it all about? Well, there is a war, between humans, (the culture) and a rather fierce three legged race called the Iridians, the humans resemble a kind of communism gone technological, they are now almost run by complex machines (minds), whilst the Iridians warriors, ... Read review

Advantages: Original. Inventive
Disadvantages: Story Hangs losely with weak prose.

Has oldershs even read the book? It's absolutely terrrible! From where we set out to meeting the elders we know the entire body will turn to the casual "stephen-king" style of fantasy. No it holds nothing on its' own and pales against the masters of the genre. However Banks has strength in his orignality - if only he could tie it together into a cohesive story. This really stand out in our apathy of the charecters fate! I was left wondering ... Read review