The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks

The_Minister

I'm reading this now, and loving it. Anyone else read this?

pwd

I liked it a lot too.
Check out his culture novels if you haven't already done so.

The Culture novels comprise (in publishing and mostly chronological order):

Consider Phlebas
The first Culture novel. Its protagonist is working for the religious Idiran Empire against the Culture. A rich, although basically linear story about recovering one of the artificial sentiences of the Culture, it takes place against the backdrop of the galaxy-spanning Idiran War.
The Player of Games
A brilliant though bored games player from the Culture is entrapped and blackmailed to work as a Special Circumstances agent in the brutal stellar Empire of Azad. Their system of society and government is entirely based on an elaborate strategy game.
Use of Weapons
A non-linear story about a Culture mercenary called Zakalwe. Chapters describing his adventures for Special Circumstances are intercut with stories from his past, where the reader slowly discovers why this man is so troubled.
The State of the Art
A collection of short stories (some Culture, some not) and a Culture novella. The (eponymous) novella deals with a Culture mission to Earth in the 1970s.
Excession
Culture Minds discover an Outside Context Problem: something so strange it could shake the foundations of their civilisation.
Inversions
Seemingly a Special Circumstances mission seen from the other side - on a planet whose development is roughly equivalent to 13th Century Europe.
Look to Windward
Sequel of sorts to Consider Phlebas. The Culture has interfered in the development of the Chel with disastrous consequences. Now, in the light of a star that was destroyed 800 years previously during the Idiran War, plans for revenge are being hatched.
Matter
The forthcoming Culture novel, due to be released in 2008.
(list from wikipedia)

shrapnel222

although i read this a while ago, i have to say i was torn the whole way through. I really enjoyed the universe he created and the adventures were great but i found whole parts of it very tedious, that and the fact i had worked it out way too soon so the end was a bit a let down.

CiDeRmAn

Loved it, he is a singularly brilliant author, and none of his sci fi has ever disappointed, none of his non culture has disappointed either, Feersum Enjinn, Against a Dark Background, The Algebraist, wonderful.
Algebraist had all the texture of a Culture book without being constrained within the Culture mythos, allowed for some new creations and produced a damn fine book, worthy of a whole series of it's own.

mcgovern

Can't say I was overly impressed, with this one or the two others of his I have read.

Johnny Storm

The Algebraist is not his best work IMHO. He seems to be going through the motions in a few places.
Thanks very much for the cool list, PWD!
I'd have to say that Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons are some of the best SF books I have ever read. Player of Games, Excession very good also.

Memnoch

I'm a huge fan of Banks. What a great writer, especially when most of modern SF seems to be dying a horrible death. Just read anything by Kevin J Anderson after finishing a banks novel and you will see how hollow it is and how crap a writer Anderson is. Epecially his saga of the 7 nonsenses. Stephen Bacter is not bad but again his literary skill is no where near that of Banks.

It's also well worth checking out some of his contemporary fiction. I recently read and was amazed and disturbed by the Wasp factory.

Excession is probably one of my favorite books of all time, it is so incredibly deep that it far transcends the Sci-fi genre, in my opinion.

shrapnel222

Memnoch wrote: »

especially when most of modern SF seems to be dying a horrible death.

i'm curious as to why you would think that. I tend to agree that good sci fi is not always easy to find (as we are probably much more critical of it) but that it is dying a horrible death?

dudara

I've just finished this book. Like most of his books, I loved parts and wasn't too keen about other parts. Sometimes his characters seem a bit devoid of motivation, Seer Taak in this book just didn't seem quite real enough. On the other hand I liked the Dweller world created and the AI storyline.

The_Minister

Finished it last night. The only other book of his that I have read was "The Business", which is set in RL.
His people seem very plain and uninteresting, but I loved the Dwellers, and the idea of the "Morbs".
It was also interesting to read about a Sci-fi world where the speed of light could not be broken.
That being said, I found the ending......uninspired.

ixoy

The_Minister wrote: »

It was also interesting to read about a Sci-fi world where the speed of light could not be broken.

That's common to Alastair Reynold's work - he won't break the speed-of-light law. He further adds to it by ensuring relativity is obeyed. It's actually something that few sci-fi books break these days - it's more in the movies and TV that they ignore it for practical reasons.

madrab

I really enjoyed the book but i also found the ending a bit lackluster. I wouldnt mind seeing another book set in this universe