Look to Windward / Iain M. Banks

Look to Windward

(category: science fiction)
a book in the Culture universe by

Iain M. Banks

published by Orbit in 2000,
read in September 2009 (and before, in 2006)

Agamedes' rating: 5 out of 10

Agamedes' opinion:

Okay, I really enjoyed the last (only other?) Banks book which I have read. This one has the same “Culture” background -- complex, imaginative, etc -- but it has almost become the foreground. “Oh, look! Here’s another wonder!” No need for consistency because we’ll never see this technological wonder again. Doesn’t add much to the story, either. Speaking of which... The story is very light. Then, when all is finally revealed, you realise that the deus ex machina ending was hinted at half way through, with a chapter which -- at the time -- seemed as irrelevant as most of the lovingly detailed scenery. Of the multitude of characters, there are two who are vaguely sympathetic. One struggles through several chapters then is killed before he can do anything useful. (And is brought back to life in a late chapter, millions of years into the future.) The other sympathetic character does, well, nothing much. Observes, perhaps, though he never finds out what is happening. This book reminds me of the first Star Trek movie: a half hour plot stretched by special effects to a full length movie.

..o0o..

This blog is supported by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your own documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.