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Title: AGAINST A DARK BACKGROUND by Iain Banks ISBN: 0-553-29225-0 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 July, 1993 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 (27 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A dazzling concept from a writer with a very unique style.
Comment: When I first picked up Against A Dark Background, I was hungry for something different -- different from Alan Dean Foster, different from Piers Anthony -- I wanted some hard sci fi entertainment with a twist. I was not disappointed. Banks writes with a distinctly British flair -- he's articulate with crisp dialogue and interesting description, and his action scenes are graphic, stylish and no-holds-barred -- James Bond styled for the jet set of intellectuals.
The novel subtly sets up a bizarre future almost as an afterthought -- the real story here is not about this wondrous world Banks has created, but rather about a handful of people in it and the choices they make. And, boy, do they make some doozies. This is not a warm and fuzzy feel-good novel -- I loved Lady Sharrow and I still couldn't believe some of the things she did. Banks doesn't shy away from making his characters real -- they're smart, brave, loyal, illogical, cruel, unfeeling, selfish -- and the reader sympathizes with them anyway, whether she wants to or not.
I give Banks snaps for this smart sci fi adventure with strong female and male leads, 'cause this puppy's got anything you want -- mystery, intrigue, betrayal, action, love, hate. Marvelously thought-provoking read. A must for sci fi fans in the mood for something different.
Rating: 5
Summary: Gimme more of the Culture... I'm like a heroine addict!
Comment: Of course, the first Banks novel I read was Consider Phlebas. This man is amazing. He writes a story that creates awesomely developed characters and has no remorse about destroying them. Banks can give depth to a thin wafer. Banks for president. If you love and live Banks, also look into reading Stephen Donaldson's Gap Cycle... 5 books of pure pleasure... But once again, Banks is a god, and the Culture lives.
Rating: 5
Summary: Stunning
Comment: Banks, once again, has written a beautiful, poetic, dark, thrilling adventure story that trancends the genre. The difference between Banks and most SF authors is that Banks can actually write: I found myself rereading a few paragraphs two or three times, the writing is just that good. He's like Ray Bradbury on steroids and acid. Banks can create a stunningly detailed and exotic breathing universe without burning up page after page doing it like lesser writers. Lots of good action, dialogue, gadgets, cultures, personal motivation and interpersonal conflicts, twists...hard to believe all this came out of just one guy's imagination. The only problem with this book is that now I can't read 90% of the SF out there without realizing how pale and shallow it is. If you like SF and good writing, this is the Rosetta Stone people. Order it from AmazonUK.
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Title: USE OF WEAPONS by Iain Banks ISBN: 0553292242 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 March, 1992 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: CONSIDER PHLEBAS by Iain Banks ISBN: 0553292811 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 September, 1991 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Feersum Endjinn by Iain Banks ISBN: 0553374591 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: State of the Art by Ian Banks ISBN: 1857230302 Publisher: Firebird Distributing Pub. Date: 01 January, 1991 |
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Title: The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks ISBN: 0061053562 Publisher: HarperCollins (paper) Pub. Date: February, 1997 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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