Are these any good? And is this the one to start with?

I once picked up the hydrogen sonata to see what it was about.

It was literally like a mix of perl and C++.

so I checked it out on wikipedia.

something about ppl transending by saying "i sublime, I sublime"

at that point I kind of dropped all interest in that author

>>11697466
>something about ppl transending by saying "i sublime, I sublime"
>implying you don't

Apparently "The Player of games" is really good.

I couldn't get through "Consider Phlebas" because of how scattershot it was.
It seemed like a collection of little vignettes each one detailing how much LIFE SUCKS in a different way.

I did like the idea of a shape-shifting protagonist though.

>>11697457
The beginning is usually a good place to start. If you enjoy dogmatic space opera, then yes, they are good. Look to windward is the best one, closely followed by Excession.

>>11697466
>incorrect grammar, spelling and punctuation
Yes, perhaps Iain Banks books aren't for you.

consider phlebas more like consider plebas amirite

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205KB, 1200x1700px

Consider Phlebas is incredible, maybe my favorite of his as well as Matter.

>>11697492
>>11697457
DO NOT start with Consider Phlebas. Player of Games is a much better starting point. I'd only read Consider Phlebas if you've read several of his works and really enjoy them, and even then it's not that good.

Overall I'd say his non-culture SF novels are better than his culture novels. Against a Dark Background is basically like if Consider Phlebas was any good.

The only culture novels I read were Look to Winward, and Excession. Winward just meandered, and I couldn't even finish Excession. The culture has some cool ideas, but nothing really hooked me. I liked the naming conventions, the relations between humans and machines, the post scarcity economy. I really couldn't identify with most of his human characters since they are all just self centered twats that don't seem to don't seem to grow or learn. That said one of these days I need to track down Player of games, and Use of weapons which I'm told are much better.

>>11697492
Player of Games was my first, and I loved it. Consider Phlebas was really hard going by comparison.

Inversions was the first Culture novel I read and I don't recommend starting there. I didn't really get what it was going for before reading the Wikipedia page.

>>11697457
Yes, they're good. The Culture universe is amazing, and Banks's writing is fantastic. No, don't start with Consider Phlebas.

While some like it, Consider Phlebas was one of Banks's earliest novels, and his inexperience is evident. The second book, Player of Games, is usually considered a better introduction.

All the novels are standalone, and there are only a few spoilers, so you can read them in almost any order. (For the greatest impact, Surface Detail should be read after Use of Weapons.)

Having read all but the last (RIP), Matter...Careful of things bitting back after 20 million years. Use of Weapons...bitter, war is a horrible thing. Excession...more to whats around you, than whats around you, the wonders of "if". Player of Games...allegories of other real world cultures, are often not far from the truth. Consider Phlebas...No anon, you CAN'T win them all. State of the Art...Man is SOOOO not ready for post scarcity.

>>11699040
Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons don't centre around Culture Humans, and the main character in Player of Games is by culture standards "a bit old fashioned".