The Trials Of Utopia - Iain M. Banks's The Player Of Games - The Culture #2

Raf Blutaxt
Raf Blutaxt
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Published 2024-01-13
It took forever but I'm finally here to talk about The Player Of Games, the second Culture novel by Iain M. Banks and one that many readers prefer over the Consider Phlebas. I'll try to explain why that may be wrong and also what else is interesting in this excellent book you should all read at least once, probably more than that.
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All Comments (9)
  • @sw3dge
    Definitely correct that this is book 2. I absolutely loved it. It managed to convey the feeling of playing and engaging in a difficult game/sport without having to describe it in absolute specifics.
  • @anekarice
    One of my favourite Culture books, thanks for the interesting discussion Raf. I always considered the Culture as rife as a collaborative storytelling universe. While nothing would be as good as Banks, I would love to hear more stories from this setting. Would the fanbase ever accept works from another author, though? Probably not. Thanks for helping to expand the reach of these great books.
  • @AccipiterF1
    Great to see you talking about a book you actually enjoy. And thanks for prompting me to finally read this book. Also, you really need to read Terra Ignota. There is so much that you like in Player of Games that Terra Ignota is also in conversation with.
  • @ChrisJohnson-pr9jq
    Yay 😁 finally a series I've read. Love the culture series. And looking forward to you pontificating upon bank's works 🤘
  • @mike_reads_stuff
    I really enjoyed this one and would not have read it without your recommendation. I also saw that the Azad empire mirrors our world albeit a way more Draconian. It seemed that the game that is played in Azad is a commentary on participation in the capitalist system. I am referring to the farce that if you play the game well, you can get ahead and move up and make your dreams come true.
  • @sw3dge
    Is there a video for book 3, Use of Weapons? I just finished reading it.