Based upon that, your recommendations stay in the bin with him too
Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
The Neal Asher stuff is proper Hollywood block buster Sci-fi, completely different to M Banks. I've read most of his stuff and it all gets a bit samey, but coming to it fresh you'd enjoy it.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Which books did you try?weeksy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:12 am I bought 3 books by Iain M Banks as people rave about him. I've tried 1-2 of his previously and felt i recall they were mostly gibberish, but thought i'd give them a go as they're highly regarded. Again though, it's just gibberish and complete random bollox, it's not like it draws you into an imaginary world as it throws in far far too many things that you don't know who's human shaped, robot, anything else.. or where they are in terms of planets, universe, it's just way too random.
I'm going back to death and violence.
non quod, sed quomodo
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
If you started with something like Excession I could see why you might give up, should start at the beginning with Consider Phlebas.
My fav is Use of Weapons.
My fav is Use of Weapons.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Did that one a couple of years ago.
This one is something Windward. or otherwise known as Complete Bollox.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Look to Windward.
Yeah, definitely NOT the best book to start with. Try Use of Weapons, lots of death and mayhem. Or Player of Games, which is focused on one person.
The best order to read is actually the published order because Banks expanded the universe with each book.
non quod, sed quomodo
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Or notRockburner wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:41 amLook to Windward.
Yeah, definitely NOT the best book to start with. Try Use of Weapons, lots of death and mayhem. Or Player of Games, which is focused on one person.
The best order to read is actually the published order because Banks expanded the universe with each book.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
On a complete tangent, if you like death and violence with some very funny moments, have you tried The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie?
It's kind of fantasy rather than sci-fi, it's kind to f a faster paced, funnier Game of Thrones.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pvV ... &q&f=false
It's kind of fantasy rather than sci-fi, it's kind to f a faster paced, funnier Game of Thrones.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pvV ... &q&f=false
Last edited by KungFooBob on Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
The Wasp Factory and The Crow Road are decent non Sci Fi reads.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
The Wasp Factory is fucked up.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Game of thrones, i'd rather set myself on fire than watch it.. I tried, twice... failed.KungFooBob wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:48 am On a complete tangent, if you like death and violence with some very funny moments, have you tried The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie?
It's kind of fantasy rather than sci-fi, it's kind to f a faster paced, funnier Game of Thrones.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pvV ... &q&f=false
Books for me are things like Richard Laymon, Steven King, Shaun Hutson, then maybe Clive Cussler and any sort of crime/killing/random stuff... it just needs to kinda make sense...
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Bit of Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander?weeksy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:56 amGame of thrones, i'd rather set myself on fire than watch it.. I tried, twice... failed.KungFooBob wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:48 am On a complete tangent, if you like death and violence with some very funny moments, have you tried The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie?
It's kind of fantasy rather than sci-fi, it's kind to f a faster paced, funnier Game of Thrones.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pvV ... &q&f=false
Books for me are things like Richard Laymon, Steven King, Shaun Hutson, then maybe Clive Cussler and any sort of crime/killing/random stuff... it just needs to kinda make sense...
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Clive Cussler books are complete and utter dross.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
He was my go to author before his accident, when he got back to writing his books went off on a tangent which didn't do it for me any longer, so I mostly read / listen to war, crime or sci-fi now.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
weeksy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:12 am I bought 3 books by Iain M Banks as people rave about him. I've tried 1-2 of his previously and felt i recall they were mostly gibberish, but thought i'd give them a go as they're highly regarded. Again though, it's just gibberish and complete random bollox, it's not like it draws you into an imaginary world as it throws in far far too many things that you don't know who's human shaped, robot, anything else.. or where they are in terms of planets, universe, it's just way too random.
I'm going back to death and violence.
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/one ... z%20poizon.'One man's meat is another man's poison' is one of the oldest proverbs in English. As early as 1604 it was referred to in print as "That ould moth-eaten Prouerbe".
I suppose it's lasted do long because it's so true..
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
yes, but at least they make a certain amount of sense with the dross. Even if they're a bit Indiana Jones at times with realism.
Banks just seems to swallow a Thesaurus then pick loads of words, then make up 20 new words/names and bundle it all together into a paragraph
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
Google books lets you read the first 50 odd pages as a preview for free. Word read a few pages before buying, maybe.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
There's a big building near my house that lets you have books for free. Madness.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
slightly used books are £3 a go.... i'd probably spend that in petrol driving to the free big book place.Mr. Dazzle wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:51 pm There's a big building near my house that lets you have books for free. Madness.
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Re: Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little
I bet you have to take them back when you've read them tho'Mr. Dazzle wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:51 pm There's a big building near my house that lets you have books for free. Madness.
Rather than putting them on a shelf behind you for Teams calls so you look well read.