![]() ![]() Again, this has no bearing on the plot, but it's a good reminder of one way in which Banks manipulates our sense of scale. ![]() The Culture's origins lie in a group of humanoid species, and contacts Earth around 2100, nearly eight hundred years after the events in Consider Phlebas. The appendix clarifies the timeline the Idiran-Culture War during which this book takes place is actually concurrent with 14th century Earth. When I started reading, I assumed that the Culture is the product of humans from Earth and that this book takes place in the far future. My elation and excitement began to dissipate after the climax, however, melting away into a small amount of confusion and the bittersweet realization that nothing that happens in this book really matters.įirst, a minor spoiler that's more about Banks' universe than the plot of Consider Phlebas. ![]() Beneath it all, there were the questions Banks raises about what it means to be human, about how we plan to interact with machines when they are just as intelligent as-more intelligent than-we are. The plot was simple, and pretty linear, but it got the characters where they needed to go and blow things up. Banks manages to mix technobabble with description and dialogue to come out with fascinating societies and intense action sequences. I had a good time reading Consider Phlebas. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |