Matter

Just finished the new Ian M Banks novel, Matter. It's the first Culture novel since 2000, so I'd been very eager to read it. I wasn't disappointed - it's a good read, quite dark, and (as is common for his novels) he's not afraid to kill off a good number of main characters. The writing is god as always - in typical Banks style, long descriptive sentences give a feel for the world and people's emotions that few other writers achieve. My one criticism is that the book is very accessible - compared to some earlier books, there may not be as much to enjoy on a second reading a year or so from now.

It's been interesting to read the reviews on Amazon UK. People complained the first few chapters are too much like fantasy - as if everything in an SF setting must be high-tech; that the book is too flabby; and that he's done the "female agent and droid" thing before. Well, yeah, but he's also done the individual male heroes (in this book and others), and people in various groups they may or many not dominate or trust - so I feel that's somewhat unfair. I guess I'll have to wait three to six months and see what I feel then. His previous Culture novel, Look To Windward, has certainly improved each time I re-read it.

Waiting for the next one will be difficult, that's all I can say.