Comments on: Lightly Seared On The Reality Grill - Iain M. Banks’ “Matter” http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/ Welcome to Mutable Matter............. This blog is about matter - what we associate with it and how we imagine it. Especially what we cannot see. This blog will also provide a platform for the interactive art project with the same name that will run in 2008. Until then, feel free to leave your ideas, anecdotes and your associations and relationships with the hidden, but lively space of our world which affects us in a multitude of ways... Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:27:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: mutablematter http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-192 mutablematter Tue, 06 May 2008 16:16:12 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-192 Ok. Thank you for rectifying this! Does anyone have any comments on my reading of 'Matter' though? ;) Ok. Thank you for rectifying this!
Does anyone have any comments on my reading of ‘Matter’ though? ;)

]]> By: Damien R. S. http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-191 Damien R. S. Tue, 06 May 2008 15:58:35 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-191 Well, the Morthanveld are considered an equal to the Culture, which makes it unlikely the Culture's stepping on their toes. And Contact can't be everywhere. And even so, those poor aliens couldn't be considered enemies of the Culture in any meaningful sense. Honestly, if the Nariscene stir up wars for their own amusement, I think Contact would be itching to work on *them*. But see: Morthanveld. Well, the Morthanveld are considered an equal to the Culture, which makes it unlikely the Culture’s stepping on their toes. And Contact can’t be everywhere. And even so, those poor aliens couldn’t be considered enemies of the Culture in any meaningful sense.

Honestly, if the Nariscene stir up wars for their own amusement, I think Contact would be itching to work on *them*. But see: Morthanveld.

]]> By: mutablematter http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-190 mutablematter Tue, 06 May 2008 11:02:45 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-190 Thanks. Have misread that part then. But who knows who is responsible further down the line? And is he really Ex-Culture? ;) Thanks. Have misread that part then. But who knows who is responsible further down the line? And is he really Ex-Culture? ;)

]]> By: Damien R. S. http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-189 Damien R. S. Tue, 06 May 2008 07:18:15 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-189 <i>tour of a brain-washing facility for enemies of the Culture </I> Correction: that had nothing to do with the Culture. That facility was in a war between two civs on one planet, overseen by the Nariscene, themselves mentored by the Morthanveld, and civilization entirely separate from though friendly and equal to the Culture. The general was ex-Culture and that's it. tour of a brain-washing facility for enemies of the Culture

Correction: that had nothing to do with the Culture. That facility was in a war between two civs on one planet, overseen by the Nariscene, themselves mentored by the Morthanveld, and civilization entirely separate from though friendly and equal to the Culture. The general was ex-Culture and that’s it.

]]> By: Ed http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-159 Ed Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:32:20 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-159 I really enjoyed this novel. I've always loved the way Banks blends preconceptions of what makes a sci-fi or fantasy story, and have always appreciated the extent to which he creates such a vast, yet detailed universe. Detail further than what is required to tell the story is something which prevents predictability, for if you are only told about what is going to be integral, is it not possible to guess the broad strokes of the plot to come? As for the ending, I think the unpredictability of many of his novels is one of the things which makes them enjoyable. In this case it seemed to me that the characters - certainly Ferbin and Holse - changed profoundly over the course of the book and (spoiler if you haven't read it yet!) Ferbin's sacrifice was the symbol of how far he'd come from a pampered princely fop. I can't rate books in numbers because each is so individual, and there are very few stories by Banks I don't enjoy, but I will say that this book is certainly staying prominent on my bookshelf! I really enjoyed this novel. I’ve always loved the way Banks blends preconceptions of what makes a sci-fi or fantasy story, and have always appreciated the extent to which he creates such a vast, yet detailed universe. Detail further than what is required to tell the story is something which prevents predictability, for if you are only told about what is going to be integral, is it not possible to guess the broad strokes of the plot to come?
As for the ending, I think the unpredictability of many of his novels is one of the things which makes them enjoyable. In this case it seemed to me that the characters - certainly Ferbin and Holse - changed profoundly over the course of the book and (spoiler if you haven’t read it yet!) Ferbin’s sacrifice was the symbol of how far he’d come from a pampered princely fop.
I can’t rate books in numbers because each is so individual, and there are very few stories by Banks I don’t enjoy, but I will say that this book is certainly staying prominent on my bookshelf!

]]> By: mutablematter http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-152 mutablematter Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:20:49 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-152 I'm very much the opposite. I don't like it when books only contain purpose-directed information. I enjoyed reading and diving into all this stuff about shell worlds and the wacky universe he has created, but was quite surprised when, at the end, that all this information was used in the story line. I wanted these illustrations just to float in my head mutating in their own ways... :) I’m very much the opposite. I don’t like it when books only contain purpose-directed information. I enjoyed reading and diving into all this stuff about shell worlds and the wacky universe he has created, but was quite surprised when, at the end, that all this information was used in the story line. I wanted these illustrations just to float in my head mutating in their own ways… :)

]]> By: Kate http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/lightly-seared-on-the-reality-grill-iain-m-banks%e2%80%99-%e2%80%9cmatter%e2%80%9d/#comment-148 Kate Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:30:50 +0000 http://mutablematter.wordpress.com/?p=98#comment-148 Hi Thanks for your review. I have just finished this book and was really disappointed so was looking for some more positive news about the novel. I adore all of Iain Banks earlier sci-fi and reread them regularly - he is one of the authors by whom I judge all other sci-fi. I just found this book overlong (I think about 3/4 quarters could be easily edited out) and erratic - lots of detail about things that didn't matter, and precious little about anything much that did. For me, it didn't have that edginess and darkness that was so characteristic of his earlier novels - filled with memorable characters who for one reason or another get themselves into situations from which there can be no happy return. So they go out all 'guns blazing' as it were. I really didn't care about anyone after the first 100 pages or so....and that ending/s.....sheesh... There is always an air of poignancy to his plots and a elegant tersness to his writing that I sorely missed in this. Sorry - no where near second - what about 'Against a Dark Background'. Even if I pretend this was not by Iain, I would be disappointed in it... and we have to wait 18 months for another go? Hi

Thanks for your review. I have just finished this book and was really disappointed so was looking for some more positive news about the novel.

I adore all of Iain Banks earlier sci-fi and reread them regularly - he is one of the authors by whom I judge all other sci-fi.

I just found this book overlong (I think about 3/4 quarters could be easily edited out) and erratic - lots of detail about things that didn’t matter, and precious little about anything much that did. For me, it didn’t have that edginess and darkness that was so characteristic of his earlier novels - filled with memorable characters who for one reason or another get themselves into situations from which there can be no happy return. So they go out all ‘guns blazing’ as it were. I really didn’t care about anyone after the first 100 pages or so….and that ending/s…..sheesh…

There is always an air of poignancy to his plots and a elegant tersness to his writing that I sorely missed in this.

Sorry - no where near second - what about ‘Against a Dark Background’. Even if I pretend this was not by Iain, I would be disappointed in it…

and we have to wait 18 months for another go?

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