2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow., May 25 2006
This was my first Iain M. Banks book, and as such it retains a special place in my heart because THIS was the book that caused me to fall in love with his writing (I have since gone on to buy everything he's written, both science fiction and, um, regular fiction?). I've loaned my copy, or rather my second copy as I've read the first one to pieces, to various people and they have without exception loved it and gone on to read (and one would hope buy) more of his books without prompting.
You can readily find a plot synopsis for this book elsewhere so I won't bother you with my own clumsy attempts, but I do want to say two things. First, if you have any appreciation at all for intelligent, mature, and humorous science fiction writing you will enjoy this book. Second, I am continually amazed at how side-splittingly funny the words "It's a hat" can be when taken in context.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Have a seat..., July 3 2001
This review is from: Use of Weapons (Mass Market Paperback)
First off, a public service anouncement:
This novel (and all other Iain (M) Banks books) is still in print in the UK. If you've read his in-print stuff and can't get ahold of this, mosey over to amazon.co.uk.
Now, my two cents: This, along with Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly and Orwell's 1984, is the grestest SF book ever written (my opinion, of course, but I trust it, so you should too). You could call it anti-space-opera; as an earlier reviewer said, it is the flip side to airy Star Wars style spaceship shoot-em-ups--Use of Weapons is to The Lensman Series what Apocolypse Now is to The Green Barrets.
You can't miss with Banks (except perhaps with Excession, where he's dissapeared somewhere up the Culture's Mind's arses and can't find his way out--though in the end, even that is a worthwhile read). He is a truly talented author who creates mainstream and SF masterpieces in alternating years, and you'll be doing yourself a favour by buying a book of his.
And Look to Windward, out in the UK for a year now, gets its US release in August--sign up your pre-order now!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid, Well-Written Classic Sci-Fi, Jun 29 2011
I absolutely can't stand 'hard sci-fi'. Spaceships and aliens just aren't my cup of tea, which speaks to the strengths of Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. I think this is the strongest of the lot, packed with engaging characters, excellent action and fantastic worlds.
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