19. Iain M. Banks's "Culture" books? (In what order should I read...)
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This article is from the rec.arts.sf.written FAQ, by Evelyn C. Leeper evelynleeper@geocities.com with numerous contributions by others.
19. Iain M. Banks's "Culture" books? (In what order should I read...)
From Andrea Leistra (aleistra@f1n7.u.arizona.edu) and others:
[See also question 12A.]
There are generally two recommended reading orders for Banks.
None of the Culture books are directly connected, so in terms of
spoilers it makes little difference, and generally most of the
debate tends to be over which book should be read first.
The publication order is one that is often recommended:
CONSIDER PHLEBAS
PLAYER OF GAMES
USE OF WEAPONS
"The State of the Art" (see question 12A)
EXCESSION
INVERSIONS
("A Gift from the Culture" can be read after any book other
than CONSIDER PHELBAS)
This is frequently recommended, at least to the extent of "Read
CONSIDER PHLEBAS first," because there are low-level spoilers for
CONSIDER PHLEBAS in the other books, to the extent that you know more
about the Culture than you otherwise would.
This is the order in which I read the books. I wasn't terribly
impressed by CONSIDER PHLEBAS, and generally recommend the other order
myself.
The other recommended order just reverses the first two, and reverts to
publication order thereafter; this is because PLAYER OF GAMES is, in
the opinions of those who recommend this order, a better book, and it
certainly gives the best general picture of the normal, internal life
in the Culture. It is also in print in the US, if that's a factor.
If you start with one of those two you probably will be fine. UoW is
not generally recommended (although some people here will probably
argue with that) because it needs some background. EXCESSION relies
to even a greater extent on knowing about Culture Minds, though there
are some people here who started with that without problems.
As for what the Culture is: well, keep in mind that although there are
no plot spoilers here it will alter the impact of CONSIDER PHLEBAS
advocated by the "read-CONSIDER PHLEBAS-first" faction.
[However, I have rot-13'ed it.]
Gur Phygher vf n hgbcvn, bs gur yrsg-yvoregnevna inevrgl (ab
tbireazrag, ohg ab zbarl rvgure) juvpu vf jul zbfg bs gur
fgbevrf gnxr cynpr nebhaq gur rqtrf; erfbheprf ner nohaqnag
rabhtu gung crbcyr qb fghss orpnhfr gurl jnag gb be gb trg
erfcrpg (be gb trg vaivgrq gb gur tbbq cnegvrf) engure guna sbe
zbarl. (Sbe vafgnapr, Thetru va _Cynlre bs Tnzrf_ fcraqf uvf
yvsr, jryy, cynlvat tnzrf.) Gur arne-bzavcbgrag Zvaqf eha
fghss, juvpu vf jul guvf nyy jbexf. Fbzr crbcyr urer fnl
uhznaf va gur Phygher ner rffragvnyyl crgf; V qba'g nterr jvgu
guvf, naq gur Phygher uhznaf pregnvayl qba'g nterr, be gurl
qba'g pner. (Gur Zvaqf qba'g pner nobhg jung uhznaf qb,
pregnvayl.) Zbfg uhznaf va gur Phygher yvir ba irel ynetr
fuvcf jvgu ragregnvavat anzrf (juvpu ner pbagebyyrq ol Zvaqf,
naq juvpu tb jurer gurl jnag) be ba Beovgnyf (yvxr zvavngher
Evatjbeyqf, ohg beovgvat gur cevznel engure guna pragrerq ba
vg).
There is more than you would ever want to know at
http://www.phlebas.com/text/cultnote.html, which is Banks's "A Few Notes
on the Culture".
Continue to:
My Books
