A Book Log
For what it's worth, I think Use of Weapons is head and shoulders above Consider Phlebas. I've read four Culture books so far (Look to Windward and Player of Games are the other two), and I'd say Consider Phlebas probably ranks as the weakest. Though, as you say, it's still decent.
I read Use of Weapons first, and it's really good stuff--in fact, I think it's improved as it's sunk in and sort of marinated in the back of my head. If you're looking for a Bujoldian type of personal relationship stuff, you're probably never going to find it in Banks. And Use of Weapons is pretty dark. But very good. (and it has a great little embedded anecdote with which I managed to totally gross out my Wills & Trusts professor following the class discussion on Simultaneous Death and Survivor's Statutes, which was an added bonus).
Trent (trent.goulding@mho.com) (http://home.mho.net/trent.goulding/books/blcurrent.html) -- Fri Feb 14 14:27:28 2003
So I just went to B&N to blow a gift certificate, and ended up buying Excession and Inversions. Anyone want to weigh in with whether or not it's important to read the Culture novels in any particular order?
(And man, I can't believe how expensive mass-market paperbacks are. Yeesh.)
Mike (web@klio.org) (http://www.klio.org/weblog/) -- Fri Feb 14 14:51:56 2003
Of the ones I've read, I think the only ones that really need to be read in the right order are _Phlebas_ and _Look to Windward_ (the second of which didn't impress me as much as it impressed everyone else.)
_Excession_ is clearly in the backdrop of _Phlebas_ but reading it out of sequence didn't hinder me. _Player of Games_ likeiwse didn't need any prior information, as it was the first one I read.
Novak -- Fri Feb 14 15:20:49 2003
Relatedly: Is there a pronunciation for "Phlebas" that doesn't sound either affected or stupid? I think the secondary reason I'd never recommend this book is that I wouldn't want to pronounce the title.
Mike (web@klio.org) (http://www.klio.org/weblog/) -- Fri Feb 14 16:43:24 2003
Well, I always pronounce "Phlebas" to myself as "FLAY-bus", but I've never yet had to say it out loud to anyone else, and have no idea if that's correct.
And I'm mostly with Novak as far as Look to Windward. I thought it was good, but not "Spectacular! Spectacular!".
P.S. did you fix my attempt to use tags manually, or did they just not get rendered at first?
Trent (trent.goulding@mho.com) (http://home.mho.net/trent.goulding/books/blcurrent.html) -- Fri Feb 14 18:29:49 2003
I fixed 'em, and changed the code so em tags should work properly in the future.
Mike (web@klio.org) (http://www.klio.org/weblog/) -- Sat Feb 15 07:30:35 2003
Inversions is sort of stealth-Culture and, as such, lacks the shiny SF tone of the overt Culture books.
So if you want SF fun, Excession should be next.
(I mentally say "Phelbas" as "FLEA-bass." But I am terrible at pronunciation.)
Kate (knepveu@steelypips.org) (http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/) -- Mon Feb 17 10:18:27 2003
And now I'm picturing a restaurant where you can order Chilean Phlebas. Thanks, Kate.
(And now the cite tag works. Sheesh, you people-- can't you just use italics like normal people?)
Mike (web@klio.org) (http://www.klio.org/weblog/) -- Mon Feb 17 18:05:36 2003
Eliot pronounces it "FLEA-bass" too (the recording, in several formats, is at http://town.hall.org/Archives/radio/IMS/HarperAudio/011894_harp_ITH.html)
suebailey (sue@suebailey.net) (http://www.suebailey.net) -- Sat Mar 8 13:59:44 2003