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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “One of my favorite Banks sci-fi books. As good as anything in his Culture series, though this one is not set in the Culture.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I've read this and Banks' "The Business." I find his writing to be shallow and full of inane turns-of-the-phrase in a clever for clever sake fashion. For example, to paraphrase, "I took a cue from the Roman Empire and declined." as a reply to an indecent proposal! Yuck.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“One of my favorite Banks sci-fi books. As good as anything in his Culture series, though this one is not set in the Culture.”
Lingchih wrote this review Saturday, October 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Grand. A whopping-scale story, but cleanly told with minimum of confusion. The main character is a deftly-portrayed academic, whose attitude towards the 'real world' around him is entirely authentic. Banks brings the reader on an adventure along with the main character, through many episodes of mystery and surprise, until a surprisingly neat conclusion is reached. Beautifully done.”
John W wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Like all of his”
marty m wrote this review Tuesday, August 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Another fabulous book by Mr Banks, but don't start with this one.”
Celestial Willow wrote this review Saturday, April 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I've read this and Banks' "The Business." I find his writing to be shallow and full of inane turns-of-the-phrase in a clever for clever sake fashion. For example, to paraphrase, "I took a cue from the Roman Empire and declined." as a reply to an indecent proposal! Yuck.”
Stendhal666 wrote this review Monday, December 22 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is the first book I read by Iain M. Banks, maybe a couple of years ago. Took me a while to discover this amazing author, didn't it? Boy am I ever glad I did and I'm glad that I started with a non-Culture book as well. I'm still in love with this book and I will definitely read it again sometime. The story is engaging and while I've never been a huge fan of the many-species universe, Banks makes it believable and interesting in the Algebraist, where you'll have to main groups of species, Quick and Slow and then subdivisions of each (and an interesting twist on human-kind and other species' settlement throughout the galaxy). It's a well thought-out book with character you really begin to like (or dislike as the case may be) and the setting is realistic enough to be believable, yet fantastic enough to make you keep reading. A really good read if you're into space opera and highly recommended. If it's hard core sci fi you like... Well, go look under C for Clarke instead. ;-)”
Comrade Charlie wrote this review Friday, November 14 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The best Iain Banks book I have read so far. This is great hard science fiction firmly upholding the tradition of the space opera. I loved the gas giant dwellers and their relationship with the humans in their systems.”
Robert B wrote this review Tuesday, July 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
