SteveCrisis Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 I'm currently reading The Algebraist by Iain M Banks.Enjoyable as it is baffling I wonder what other Banks fans reckon his best works are under both his writing names.As Iain Banks, The Wasp Factory goes without saying but out of all of them Whit stands out as my particular favourite.As Iain M Banks, Against A Dark Background stood out a mile until I read Excession; undoubtedly the best Culture novel since Use Of Weapons.So what's yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Espedair Street was my favourite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJimF Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 haven't read any of his sci-fi stuff, but i'm two favourite books in non sci-fi mode is The Bridge and The Business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 I like Feersum Endjin, The Crow Road and Consider Phlebas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HateEvent Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Canal Dreams is the only one I've read. Was strange but pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaTsunami Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 I've not read anything he's written under Iain M Banks, but as Iain Banks my favourites are Espedair Street and The Wasp Factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timson Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 the wasp factory - read it about 4 times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incredibledisc Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Espedair StreetWhitThe Crow RoadComplicityI've read a few of his Sci-fi books as well but I generally prefer his regular fiction efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christy Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 The Bridge by quite a distance. It's in ma top three Scottish novels of all time. I rather liked The Wasp Factory, A Song Of Stone and Complicity toolove from christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester1470 Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Espedair Street - Slightly bias as the character Danny is loosely based on Fish - 6ft5 Scotsman started out his carreer wearing make-up to disguise his insecurities, played in a big prog rock band etc - I asked Iain about this at a signing years ago and he commented that him and Fish were friends and Fish would play Danny if the film was made - i'd guess he's too old now.The Crow Road - a brilliant book, good tv series tooWhit The BusinessI never understood the fascination with the Wasp Factory except its shock tactics tbh, easily the weakest Banks book imo.Banks is a great author though, never liked the M stuff though.CheersStuart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_matter Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Espedair street or the wasp factory are abseloutely brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Denim.. Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 "The Bridge" was my favourite followed by "Complicity" then "Walking on Glass"I've only read one Culture novel and that was "The Player of Games." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveCrisis Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 "The Bridge" was my favourite followed by "Complicity" then "Walking on Glass"I've only read one Culture novel and that was "The Player of Games."The Player Of Games is a good Culture novel, but I must admit I haven't read it for years.Favourite scene for me is when the main character's opponent makes his gamble with emasculation as the forfeit. When the gambit is lost he's taken away from the games arena and gelded. OUCH!I suffered sympathy pains at the time of reading and just having typed this has brought them on again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugitive Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 My favourite Iain Banks is Espedair Street followed by the Bridge and Crow Road.Favourite Iain M was probably Player of Games Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Von Mondragon Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 'Use of Weapons' by a long chalk, probably because the use of the dual timeframe actually succeeded, resulting in a tense yet satisfying conclusion. A great writer if often unable to end his narratives cohesively (cf 'The Business' what sort of fucking ending is that, If I'd bought it I would have been enraged). Quite liked the 'Algebraist', but would prefer another Culture work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Pel Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 The wasp factory, obv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntedbyafreak Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 I think that I've managed to read all of the sci-fi stuff now with the exception of Look To Windward, and it's usually consistently better than the normal fiction he writes. I haven't read all of the Iain Banks stuff, but there are some shockingly poor books in there. Dead Air is amongst the worst books I have ever read, and The Business was really disappointing. I'm not looking forward to the new one. Having said that, Banks has written some of my favourite books.As far as sci fi goes... The Algebraist, Excession, and Against A Dark Background.Regular Fiction... The Wasp Factory, Walking On Glass, The Crow Road, and The Bridge.All fantastic books. I really love the structure of his novels as well. Three or four storylines that seem to have nothing to do with each other, that eventually come together in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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