Comments on: The Player of Games, Iain Banks

By: Alley

Alley — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:31:00 +0000

That was quite nice of you to return the book in time for the FB book club and also that’s a thing? I guess that’s not too surprising but still, did not know that.

By: Athira / Aths

Athira / Aths — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 19:52:00 +0000

I was going to ask you if you read it for the Facebook book club. My husband wanted to read this one but he sampled the first book in the Culture series and decided it was not for him. I have read another of Banks’ books – Wasp Factory – and that was a super slow book too. It was kind of fascinating and creepy but after reading it, I decided that I would not have missed anything by not reading it. So, a mixed bag.

By: Jenny @ Reading the End

Jenny @ Reading the End — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 20:39:00 +0000

In reply to jen mullen.

I didn’t know he did anything other than science fiction, actually — scifi is always the context in which I’ve encountered him in the past. It’s neat that he does different things.

By: Jenny @ Reading the End

Jenny @ Reading the End — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 20:39:00 +0000

In reply to Jenny @ Reading the End. Well, DID different things, I know he died recentlyish.

By: Jenny @ Reading the End

Jenny @ Reading the End — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 20:38:00 +0000

In reply to Jeanne. Oo, I was maybe excited about The Wasp Factory when you said "creepy" but then I looked up your review and you also said "repulsive" and some other unflattering adjectives, so I may give it a miss.

By: Jenny @ Reading the End

Jenny @ Reading the End — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 20:38:00 +0000

In reply to Aonghus Fallon. Is it! I have always heard such good things about him! Maybe I'll try The Bridge and see if it works any better for me.

By: Jenny @ Reading the End

Jenny @ Reading the End — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 20:36:00 +0000

In reply to Grad.

Mmmmm gin.

If you’re going to expand your horizons, maybe this isn’t the one to cut your teeth on. (YEAH I mixed the metaphors.) Sci-fi in the Daryl Gregory line, where the science fiction is mixed with something that’s more recognizably our world, has historically been better for me. His book Afterparty is superb.

By: Grad

Grad — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 18:01:00 +0000

Probably not my cup of gin. I’ve never been drawn to Sci-Fi, either in books or movies. Perhaps I should be ashamed to admit it, but I’ve never heard of this author. But I’ve been trying to expand my horizons, so who knows?

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 17:09:00 +0000

I have a friend who is Banks’ biggest fan. She loves all his books and is always recommending them to people. She sent me one of the Culture novels, and I found it pretty much as you describe–slow to start, but good once it got started. I haven’t sought out any more. She did send me The Wasp Factory too, and I read it and reviewed it. It’s unlike the SF novels. Very creepy.

By: Aonghus Fallon

Aonghus Fallon — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 14:02:00 +0000

I read quite a bit of Banks back in the day. He was a likeable man, with a loyal fanbase. Unfortunately he was a pretty terrible writer. ‘The Wasp Factory’ is almost laughably bad. Re-reading some of his Science Fiction again recently, I found it very much of its time (true of most SF, alas). One book I did enjoy was ‘The Bridge’, which he himself considered one of his better efforts. Unfortunately it isn’t SF, but allegory – something of a Scottish specialty.