Helpful Score: 3
This is one of Banks Culture novels, set in his far-future universe of sentient ships and interstellar civilizations.
Its just about as opposite to his book Inversions where there is barely a clue that it is a Culture novel. In this novel, the complex, far-reaching background almost overwhelms the plot but not quite.
An anomaly (dubbed an Excession) has appeared in space? What is it? Is it sentient? Is it potentially a gateway to other universes?
No one knows but everyone is freaking out over it from the Special Circumstances division of the Culture, to godlike ships of legend, and other civilizations - such as the mild-mannered Elench and the cruel and barbaric Affront are being drawn into an ever-spiraling mess
Meanwhile, an ex-space captain lives peacefully in a state of eternal pregnancy in an isolated tower aboard an Eccentric ship.
An ambassador is recruited with promises beyond his dreams to attempt to kidnap a soul
And a spoiled bimbo is lured into a mission of seduction, told she will be part of the elite Special Circumstances corps
All will be drawn into the orbit of the Excession
Its just about as opposite to his book Inversions where there is barely a clue that it is a Culture novel. In this novel, the complex, far-reaching background almost overwhelms the plot but not quite.
An anomaly (dubbed an Excession) has appeared in space? What is it? Is it sentient? Is it potentially a gateway to other universes?
No one knows but everyone is freaking out over it from the Special Circumstances division of the Culture, to godlike ships of legend, and other civilizations - such as the mild-mannered Elench and the cruel and barbaric Affront are being drawn into an ever-spiraling mess
Meanwhile, an ex-space captain lives peacefully in a state of eternal pregnancy in an isolated tower aboard an Eccentric ship.
An ambassador is recruited with promises beyond his dreams to attempt to kidnap a soul
And a spoiled bimbo is lured into a mission of seduction, told she will be part of the elite Special Circumstances corps
All will be drawn into the orbit of the Excession
I liked this book, but I think I would have liked it more if I had read the earlier books in the series first. I found myself wondering what was going on and who the characters were, and it wasn't until I was halfway through when I realized that it was part of a series. I look forward to reading the earlier books starting with Consider Phlebas.
