Anyone Else Enjoy Iain Bank's Culture Series?

[Corrupted]

They are my favorite books and I've read them all multiple times. They're so twisty, that any discussion should be in careful spoilers. In that way, I'd say they have a bit in common with my favorite VNs. I wouldn't be surprised if the same people that enjoy the same VNs I enjoy would also enjoy Mr. Banks's series.

For reference, his Culture Books are:
 

1. Consider Phlebas (1987). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-44138-9
2. The Player of Games (1988). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-47110-5
3. Use of Weapons (1990). London: Orbit. ISBN 0-356-19160-5
4. Excession (1996). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-394-8
5. Inversions (1998). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-626-2
6. Look to Windward (2000). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-969-5
7. Matter (2008). London: Orbit. ISBN 978-1-84149-417-3
8. Surface Detail (2010). London: Orbit. ISBN 978-1-84149-893-5
9. The Hydrogen Sonata (2012). London: Orbit. ISBN 978-0-356-5015

But I've also read and would like to discuss his non-culture Sci Fi:
 

• Against a Dark Background (1993). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-031-0
• Feersum Endjinn (1994). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-235-6
• The Algebraist (2004). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-84149-155-1
• Transition (2009). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-0-316-73107-2. (Published in the United States as Iain M. Banks.)

 

It's impossible to pick a favorite because they're all such utterly perfect masterpieces. 

But if were pressed to, I'd pick Look To Windward from the Culture series, and Feersum Endjinn from the non-culture books. In both cases I'm biased, because they focus on a theme that is extremely important to me: [very minor overall theme spoiler for those two novels]
 

Spoiler

Specifically "Accepting Death", something I've struggled with my entire life.

Although it's safe to say that that theme is ever-present in all his books, especially the later ones where it became very relevant to Mr. Banks's own life.

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Created this thread because I saw you reading Consider Phlebas in your signature, @Funyarinpa, and suddenly got reminded of the existence of my favorite sci fi series. Didn't want to get too off-topic discussing non-VN things in that thread so I made this one instead

[Funyarinpa]

3 hours ago, Corrupted said:

Created this thread because I saw you reading Consider Phlebas in your signature, @Funyarinpa, and suddenly got reminded of the existence of my favorite sci fi series. Didn't want to get too off-topic discussing non-VN things in that thread so I made this one instead

I've finished Consider Phlebas almost a month ago. 

It was decent, the Minds are promising and I enjoyed the Damage chapter but didn't like most characters much. 

Is The Player of Games next after that one? I've heard very, very good things. 

[Corrupted]

3 minutes ago, Funyarinpa said:

I've finished Consider Phlebas almost a month ago. 

It was decent, the Minds are promising and I enjoyed the Damage chapter but didn't like most characters much. 

Is The Player of Games next after that one? I've heard very, very good things. 

Players of Games is number 2 in the series. Don't let any reservations about Consider Phlebas hold you back. Player of Games is usually recommended instead of Consider Phlebas as your introduction into the Culture universe because it's all around a superior book and much more indicative of what the later books in the series is like. You should DEFINITELY read Player of Games. It is REALLY good. Like, best-of-the-best-sci-fi good.

After that you can just read them in order of publication. The series tends to reference older books and you'd miss out on those little references if you read them out of order; that said, each novel is written so that it can be read entirely on its own, so it really doesn't matter what order you read them in. There will literally only be one or two paragraphs in the entire book that reference the old stuff and you won't even notice.

I like Consider Phlebas; it's so action and scenery heavy that it reminds me of Blade Runner or Star Wars. It would make a great movie. He writes one more in this style, "Against a Dark Background". Every other novel in the series is less straight action and more well-balanced into action, drama, philosophy, and sci-fi mindfuckery, often with very wild and experimental story structure. You can really see Banks get better and better as the series goes on, but he's already amazing starting with Player of Games.  

Consider Phlebas is sort of a prequel that sets the background for "The Culture" while every other novel takes place "in" the Culture, more or less. Anywho, I hope you end up reading Player of Games and telling me about it! The Damage chapter was the best chapter because it was a fantastic tense setting and drama set around a fascinating game concept, instead of constantly running and shooting action Star Wars style; if that's what you liked most, you'll like the rest of the series. ESPECIALLY Player of Games - because he basically went "Ok, let's take the Damage scene from Consider Phlebas that everyone liked the most and make a whole book out of it".