Kevin's Watch

Nav wrote:Probably my favourite bit of the Algebraist is:

Spoiler

When Luseferous tries to force the Dwellers to cooperate by spacing one prisoner every minute until they comply, and the Dweller emissary just says "I hope you don't run out of people."

That was great. I also loved:

Spoiler

Everytime Y'Sul swore. "Oh Fuck! That's not even a fucking planet!"

Just thinking about The Algebraist. Good lord, what a great book. One of the best parts was when the fleet starts decelerating into the system and the drives can be seen coming into view; the whole night sky lit up by thousands of blue engines. Wow.

Going to see Iain banks give a talk tomorrow night

Transition arrived today, ready for signing!

Stonemaybe wrote:Going to see Iain banks give a talk tomorrow night

Transition arrived today, ready for signing!

You lucky scot!

My mate who introduced me to Banks, called me a c**t earlier when I told him. And he's normally such a polite person

Stonemaybe wrote:My mate who introduced me to Banks, called me a c**t earlier when I told him. And he's normally such a polite person

I would say the same.

Funny that, though. Yesterday I was called a narcissistic c**t in an email by a coworker.

Yesterday I was called a narcissistic c**t in an email by a coworker.

It wasn't a nor yekkith issue, was it?

I like being positive about things like this (and it often works!) so I'll have a good wander round town tomorrow with my eyes wide open, and maybe bump into him and invite him for a whiskey (though I'm not fussed on whiskey, I might make an exception in this case)

It's bloody typical of Cheltenham Literature Festival that after a lifetime reading, there's only one author I'm interested in seeing this year. My point: tomorrow (1 day of 10) we have talks by Joan Bakewell (broadcaster), Conn Iggulden (author!), Tony Juniper Andrew Mitchell & Tim Rollinson (environmentalists), Steve Jones (genetics professor), Patsy Rodenburg (acting coach), Nicholas Stern (environmentalist), Susie Obach (psychoanalyst), Simon Hoggart (journalist), Rachel Millward (crutch for women filmmakers), Sally phillips (TV comedy writer), Tony Benn (politician), Kate Adie (journalist), Monty Don (TV gardener), Antonia Fraser (historian), Mary Beard (classicist), David Walliams (comedian), John Beddington (scientist), AC Grayling (philosopher), Christ Stewart (author), Steve redgrave (Olympian), Lisa See and Xinran (authors), Matthew Syed (sports journalist), Armando Iannucci (tv comedy writer), Dick Strawbridge (tv presenter), Chris Evans (DJ), Jack Dee (comedian), Vic Reeves (comedian), Mark Watson (comedian), AL Kennedy (author), iain Banks (author),

Sigh, celebrity culture gets on my nerves!

Conn Iggulden is damn good. Thoroughly enjoyed his Ceasar books. (Think I still have one to find actually.) Excellent historical fiction.

--A

Avatar wrote:Conn Iggulden is damn good. Thoroughly enjoyed his Ceasar books. (Think I still have one to find actually.) Excellent historical fiction.

--A

I'll bear that in mind. I like a bit of hf sometimes. he's on now, though (I had a lie in this morning) so too late.

Didn't get to meet him earlier, but said hello before the talk.

Talk itself started with him reading the prologue of Transition - book sounds good, but I can read it myself thankyouverymuch!

He came across as a very likeable man afterwards. Talked a bit about growing up, how he got into sci-fi, and always wanted to be a writer. He doesn't like religion! He had a real go at judaism/christianity/islam. He also had a few digs at the US for the post 9/11 wars and at the Conservative Party. But not in a preach-y way, just making his views plain, and he was quite funny too.

Got my Transition signed after, shook his hand and thanked him for enjoyable reads.

And ten months later, I've finished Transition.

Dunno how impressed I am! The setting, the characters, the basis of the plot, are all very good. The story disappointed a wee bit though. It seemed too much of the book was setting the scene, and there was a tad too much unexplained breaking-the-rules that he'd spent most of the book explaining. (Tring really hard not to spoiler here!)

I hope this was just an intro, and there will be follow-ups.

I think his RL books, (without the M) are a lot more hit and miss than his Sci-fi (with the M) books.
His older RL books are awsome, Crow Road and Whit and Espedair Streeet are all fantastic to read.
And personally I'm with some of the othere here in pushing Use of Weapons to the top of the pile for the SF, along with Player of Games and yeah Excession, just love the chats between ships!
Before Alastair Reynolds turned up I think he was th UK's best writer of interesting SF... in my opinion maybe only top three these days.
Love his style though

I prefer Alastair Reynolds to Banks, now.

Mr Iain M. banks has a new Culture book out in October, called Surface Detail.

Am nearly finished 'Against a Dark Background'.

WOW! Wat a book!

Stonemaybe wrote:Am nearly finished 'Against a Dark Background'.

WOW! Wat a book!

My third favourite Banks book.

That the one with the solipsist mercenaries?

--A

oh yes! In pink camouflage - your scene, Av?

It was psychadelic camo, wasn't it?

One of my favourite Banks books. Definitely my favourite non-culture novel, along with Feersum Endjinn.

--A

About a third of my way into Surface Detail - it's pretty good so far, and without meaning to spoiler anything - think of it as Pantheon meets the Culture!

Seen him do a reading from and discuss it at the Literature Festival here last week (and got my copy signed).

Also saw him in a discussion of (specifically British) Sci Fi with Mieville and Moorcock and um wassername G Jones(?). Mr Banks provided the comic relief!

For those of you who can access bbc iplayer (only UK-ers?), there's an interview with him here (from 1.09 on)
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vc2wc/ ... Ross_Kemp/
I'm told the link mentions(though I haven't reached it yet), that there's a movie of Wasp Factory in the works!