Hi

I thought it was time this author got a mention, if he hasn't before. I've read all of his non-SF novels, apart from the new one, and must say I've enjoyed all of them. My favourite is probably a toss up between The Wasp Factory (which you must read if you haven't) and Whit. The one I wasn't so keen on was Walking on Glass, because it was just a little too 'out there', even for me. Dead Air had me on the edge of my seat. Banks is a genius at creating that kind of tension.

I've just finished Consider Phlebas, Banks's first Culture novel. I'd avoided them for years as they struck me (wrongly) as quite stuffy, technological science fiction. Instead, the novel was a rip-roaring romp, absolutely breathtaking and nail-biting, and probabbly one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read. I'll definitely be reading more!

Any fans?

JB

Haven't read any of his SF novels. Have read some of his non-SF: The Wasp Factory, Espedair Street, The Crow Road, Canal Dreams, Complicity. Enjoyed them, with the exception of Canal Dreams, which I thought was a bit of a mess. He's an extremely imaginative and readable writer & has a great trick of writing in what seems a very casual style while in fact leading the reader through quite complicated plots. I also like the distinctive Scottish voice he writes in.

I do have a couple of reservations about his stuff, though. One is that he can't seem to get through a novel, no matter what the theme is, without killing several people, usually in gruesome hi-tech ways. Nothing wrong with that per se, but I think quite often his feverish imagination actually undermines the novels. It works fine in e.g. Complicity and The Wasp Factory, because they need that gruesome element to make them work. But in books like The Crow Road and Espedair Street, the killings appear as a needless add-on which detract from the humanity and social realism of the stories - it's as if he's just succumbed to temptation.

The other feeling I get sometimes is that he's a bit lazy. Not in terms of production, because he's written a lot, but intellectually. His talent for writing is so evident, that I sometimes get the feeling he could write deeper & more powerful novels if he just slowed down a bit and thought more seriously and systematically about the themes he's dealing with. There isn't the sense of a consistent & powerful vision that you get in e.g. J G Ballard's stuff. Maybe fluency is his worst enemy. That said, I haven't read his most recent stuff like Dead Air etc.

Hi

I think I'd agree with that in terms of the novels you mentioned. In Espedair Street some of the drama didn't seem entirely necessary but then I do like his quirkiness. Canal Dreams was kind of an 'action movie', a little throwaway, but I did enjoy it. Banks is fairly prolific and definitely has his own style. I've yet to read anything by him that disappoints entirely.

The Business and Dead Air are both great books, which do show a little more maturity, I think, especially the former. The SF seems pretty wild, with tones of Douglas Adams even.

JB

I think I've read all his non-sci fi stuff. I've got a huge soft spot for this author. Picked up his latest in Waterstones today and was thinking I might drop some hints about Christmas pressies. Was Dead Air the one about a DJ or television guy? I can't remember but I think I loved that one

Yeah, Dead Air was brill, about the DJ. I loved the scene where he leaves that drunken phone message for that gangster's wife, and has to break into the house to try and delete it. There's a whole chapter devoted to one tiny word - fuck. Excellent writing. I was biting my nails in that one...

Funnily enough, Whit reminds me of growing up. I won't illustrate, but all of his books have that certain ring to them, I think.

The sci-fi stuff is exceptional too. I couldn't put Consider Phlebas down.

JB

I'm going to have to have another go at Consider Phlebas - got sidetracked first time round. Love his other stuff though and saw a great interview on BBC4 with him. No one has mentioned his personal favourite - the book he's most proud of: The Bridge. Very strange, but brilliant - especially the bits with the parrot. Also, having read a few chapters of Consider Phlebas, I can see that he sneaks elements from his Sci-fi into his contemporary fiction, like the flying Dagger.

Yeah, The Bridge was an excellent read. Banks is pretty diverse really, thinking about it. His contemporary novels dip from the fringes of fantasy (The Bridge, Walking on Glass), to crime (Complicity), to literary drama (The Crow Road, Espedair Street) and of course, horror (The Wasp Factory) - even romance (The Business).

I suppose it's a testament to the quality of his work that he can actually get away with it.

JB

Just started Dead Air. Enjoying it so far, but one very minor thing is bugging me. His characters keep shrugging at the end of practically every conversational exchange in the opening chapter.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of nonchalance, but this is getting ridiculous...

I love The Crow Road. And had forgotten until now that The Wasp Factory and Walking on Glass were by him. I read them years ago. Out there indeed, especially Walking on Glass. The one I keep meaning to get hold of is The Bridge which sounds wonderful.

Saw a documentary on him once and he came over as a thoroughly unpretentious, likeable bloke.

Woah, how's that for timing. I've finally managed to get round to picking up Consider Phlebas. There's just something about it that made me thing, 'No, don't chuck this one.' even though I hated it first time round - and only got through about 100 pages. I guess some novels you just have to dive in and read quickly, because that's what I'm doing at the mo. Started yesterday and at page 120 (er... yeah, well, it's a really small font, and lots of words per page...) Anyway, slow reading aside, totally engrossed. Odd how perceptions change when you have a better idea of what to expect.

Colin M

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of course, I should have mentioned that it took about a week or so to crawl through those 100 pages first time round. I think that was the problem. Either that or trying to read when sozzled.

Have now finished Dead Air. It turned out to be an enjoyable yarn (his stuff is always very readable), but didn't live up to the initial promise.

Yes, there is a very high level of readability. There aren't many authors I can read straight through book after book, but now I've nearly finished Look to Windward, my 6th Culture novel in a row. There's only the new one left to read, Matter.

I like the way Banks explores his utopian society and makes it so believable. I mean, the characters just jump right out of the page and though I have my favourites in this cycle - Player of Games, Excession - not one of them has disappointed. It's funny, because I avoided reading them for years until Banks's agent foisted them upon me. I'm glad he did. It's been fun.

The Bridge was cool, very strange. I liked Dead Air but it wasn't the best of the non-genre books. The Business is well worth a look too. Not read the new one yet, but I certainly will.

JB

Finished Consider Phlebas last night - but have to admit to speed reading the last 100 pages. I really enjoyed it until they got to Schar's world. Then it all went a bit downhill for me. Some great scenes though, and superb ideas, but I found the characters rather flat. There were only two that stood out: Kraiklin, the ships captain, and the drone that appears in the last couple of chapters. I don't think it's a good sign when the minor characters outshine the major players, but also, I don't think I cared enough for Horza that when I did read the end, I didn't really care about the outcome - although I don't think it was the lack of character that killed the book for me, because Horza had a good deal of internal conflict - I think I just got sick of endless descriptive passages of where they were going and laser fire.

I did have a quick scan through the other novels in the series in a bookshop, and I got the impression that his style softens in those, that there is more dialogue and less of the descriptive lectures. JB, you might be able to confirm.

Colin

I'm on the new one - The Steep Approach to Garbadale - at the moment. Reserving judgement so far...

Colin, if I was to describe them, I would say that they are all fairly different. Consider Phlebas is definitely the 'big budget' one, and it really does seem to work solely as a space opera. Lots of ideas but then a lot of the book doesn't truly serve the plot, does it? It's literally comprised of 'adventures' and I agree that because of that, the Schar's World finale seems almost 'stuck on'. I enjoyed it, but it isn't my favourite.

I found The Player of Games much more involved and cohesive as a novel, and it appears to begin the trend of political/moral right/wrong questions that grace the others I've read. The humour is still there but it's not nearly as 'brash' as CB. Use of Weapons again is a totally different novel, but I'd say that CB works more as an intro and the rest are a lot more 'in depth' and less action driven. Love those drones though - they are fabulous in every book!

JB

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Think they are all pretty descriptive though, to be fair.