Posted: Jan 20, 2011 5:39 am
They are mostly independant stories but you should probably read them in order, though it wouldn't be disatrous if you didn't. It's not so much that he might refer to events that occur in other books (though he does do that a tiny bit), it's more that the Culture concept itself has obviously developed as Banks writes each book, so it may be best to read them in order for that reason.
My favourites are Consider Fleabag, and Look to Windward, I LOVED Use of Weapons (which was the first one I read), I really liked Against a Dark Background, which is a great adventure novel.
Player of Games is fantastic too. Hell, they're all fantastic, I read and re-read them all the time!
Excession is great because it concentrates on the Minds, who are awesome. I remember someone saying that you should rip out the last page before you read the book. I agree. Don't know what Banks was thinking there.
I just finished the latest one, Surface Detail. Very much an old-style Culture book.
My favourites are Consider Fleabag, and Look to Windward, I LOVED Use of Weapons (which was the first one I read), I really liked Against a Dark Background, which is a great adventure novel.
Player of Games is fantastic too. Hell, they're all fantastic, I read and re-read them all the time!
Excession is great because it concentrates on the Minds, who are awesome. I remember someone saying that you should rip out the last page before you read the book. I agree. Don't know what Banks was thinking there.
I just finished the latest one, Surface Detail. Very much an old-style Culture book.