It is hard for me to find science fiction that entertains me. There is too much out there these days targeting specific audience interests and attempting to maintain franchises with 11th novels set in the same universe.
I need my Sci-Fi to be imaginative – a combination of cutting edge science, interesting cultures, believably alien aliens, in a well written story that stretches my mind. And I don’t mind if it’s a galaxy spanning “space opera” – if it is well done.
I’ve gotten some of that with some of the novels by Charles Stross, and Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds was pretty good. But, it’s been a while since I’ve read a science fiction novel as good as The Algebraist. Apparently, some other folks has a positive view of the book, as it was nominated (but did not win) the Hugo Award for best novel.
The book isn’t perfect. There are a few dead spots. The ending is somewhat unsatisfying – as are many novels that are (as least potentially) the first of a trilogy. That being said – this was a good book.
Much of the action takes place on a planet that is a gas giant, among a race of very old beings that live in the atmosphere of a world much like Jupiter (only wetter). While it is not a “blow your mind culture”, it is fun, full of satire, and well painted. Both the individual aliens, their very different morales, the way they enjoy lying, their money – I’ve seen concepts like this before, but it is all woven together very well in this novel.
The dominant religion among most of the rest of the galaxy is both plausible and somewhat thought provoking.
The military tactics of the space battles, and the discussions of logistical issues, really work very well.
And while Banks is apparently a leftist/secularist in real life – his “good guys” are work with forces bent on pure evil, and tolerate an appalling level of innocent civilian casualties, in the hope increasing the changes that they will be left alone. While there are at least two flat out “bad guys”, and there is mostly heroic hero, much of the rest of the action is much grayer areas.
It also never hurts – in my view – when a book has a mysteries that span vast areas of space and time. And The Algebraist has that – with the ancient race of gas giant Dwellers, the status of artificial intelligences, various technologies, and even individual entities that are a billion years old.
I never managed to finish the Algebraist. May have been a time with busy schedule or something. I am however, a huge Banks fan. Both his SF and his earthly fiction. The Algebraist is peculiar for not being a Culture novel. His leftism, atheism and straight up rationalism appears far more clearly in the culture novels, which for me flowed so much better. But really you should also read his straight up fiction. From the weird Wasp Factory to Crow Road (also a BBC mini series) he is great. For Culture novels just start with “Consider Phlebas” (the first one) and then with “Use of Weapons”. His latest, “Matter” is also pretty good.
about a two years ago and definitely liked it. But “Use of Weapons” is still my favorite Banks novel. “Excession” was also very good.
Oh, and Alastair Reynolds has had two books out in the last two years, both of which I highly recommend–Terminal City and House of Suns. The latter is a galaxy-spanning space opera while the former (which I’m still reading through) takes place on a future Earth that is divided up into these strange technology-restricting (or enabling) zones.
I am not unalterably opposed to series that go on and on – there just aren’t that many good ones. The Miles Vorkosigan series being an example of one where I impatiently wait for every new novel.
But, right now I am going to dip into something a little different – some recent works by Connie Willis. While I enjoy hard science space operas – and she does them not at all – I also appreciate great writing, subtle humor, deft observations on the human condition, attention to interesting details, and an ability to move from light, playful subjects to almost bone chilling horror. All within a genre that can be categorized as science fiction, but only if you broadly define it.
So, Connie is on deck.
… I haven’t read yet. Very exciting. Even his worst work still beats most other SF by eons.
can all be taken individually. I don’t believe any book follows the same characters or requires having read any other book. They’re more like snapshots in the life of the Culture. They all make references to major events in the past, but these are part of the shared Culture history and are not necessary to know about from any previous books.
that “Against a Dark Background” was good. I gave up on it after maybe 150 pages or so. Although it has glowing reviews on Amazon…? I think it reminded me too much of the old military scifi that I’ve been trying to stay away from lately.
Like M.A. Foster’s works. Novels with interesting characters in interesting situations, which just happen to be SciFi. The best SciFi doesn’t depend on the genre – that’s often just a choice the writer found easiest..
According to the Amazon reviews that one is really viciously dark.
I have great trouble believing anything is as bizarre and dark as “The Wasp Factory”. An old girlfriend told me I should read it; turned out she had not. Good god.
His position in society, his high repute among his fellow men, his nimbus as a master biped.
- Rex Stout
The Aubrey-Maturin novels ruined me for trade fiction. O’Bryan was a real writer- he translated Simone de Beauvoir. After the beautiful flow of his prose, all other escape fiction bugs the hell out of me- the words clomp about like turds in a china shop.
His position in society, his high repute among his fellow men, his nimbus as a master biped.
- Rex Stout
I loved the Wasp Factory, I thought it was brilliantly disturbing fun. Lemony Snicket for sick adults.
“The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I’d give this a +2 – one for the sentiment itself and the other for “… after the beautiful flow of his prose… the words [in all other escape fiction] clomp about like turds in a china shop.”
There’s a reason O’Brien’s books have been called “the best historical fiction ever written”. Those who don’t wish to be permanently ruined for all other historical fiction would be well advised to skip Patrick O’Brien.
“The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer