Iain Banks' novels

[mtbc]

While I have found non-fiction frustratingly soporific in recent years, it seems that I retain the ability to read fiction. Recently Iain Banks' Transition and Dead Air came to hand so I reread them. I find Dead Air unusual among his novels: the conversations feel very plausible and the story actually makes me laugh a couple of times, very rare for me with a novel; I don't see what Celia sees in Ken but probably he doesn't either.

I was recently asked which of his novels is my favorite; that's a difficult one. He wrote both science fiction and regular fiction though Transition sits more comfortably with the regular, despite the multiverse premise. I would probably have to go with favoring The Wasp Factory, his first novel, though a close second would be Whit which features another Scottish teenager in unusual circumstances. Among the science fiction, I do enjoy the variety in Use of Weapons but, even though set in the same universe, I would add The Player of Games as a contrast: opinions may differ but I rather liked it.

Comments

[andrewducker]

Player of Games is the one I usually recommend people start with.

I've read all of his SciFi, and a few of his mimetic fiction. Which I still liked, if not as much. Espedair Street is probably my favourite, although The Wasp Factory was really striking.

[mtbc]

I remember quite liking Espedair Street; though maybe it wasn't quite as striking, perhaps it was also another that refreshingly incest didn't find its way into! I've read that one only once, long ago, so maybe I'll give it another go if it easily comes my way.