“Well, well, well! A very satisfactory book, I felt.
This is the second Culture novel that I've read, and I would agree with the notion that starting with Banks' 'The Player of Games' does make for an easier introduction to the world than this, its first instalment. For those who have had the introduction, however, the world is portrayed as rich, detailed, and on a scale that's knowingly far beyond the realms of this already quite large book. Horza, its protagonist, is but one speck in a war involving billions, and yet those billions are placed in their rightful scale across the whole galaxy too. Banks' ability to focus so neatly on these not inconsequential stories, however, really keeps one turning the pages with 'Consider Phlebas'.
Expect an entertaining, gripping ride through a very likeable universe, but also some thoughtful insights into this Federation-style culture and its shortcomings. So rarely do we seean alien outlook on these staples of sci-fi, and yet this is how we are introduced to the Culture, and eventually see its justification.”