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Matter

Author: Iain M. Banks
Publisher: Orbit
Category: Book

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

67 reviews
Sales Rank: 917

Media: Hardcover
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.5 x 2

ISBN: 1841494178
EAN: 9781841494173
ASIN: 1841494178

Publication Date: January 31, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new, in stock. Shipped from the UK by First Class Royal Mail service in eco-friendly packaging.

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-10 of 67

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Veering towards fantasy June 3, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

I still rate this four stars, because it's Banks and he's that good. But, please, less fantasy, more sci-fi. If this was rated alongside his other Culture books, it would probably only merit a two star.

4 out of 5 stars

Context ! May 28, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

Another excellent science fiction novel; and set in the Culture universe.

Many reviewers seem to want Banks to reproduce the precise parameters of their favourite 'Culture' novel in each subsequent one. Boring, surely, were he to do so? 'Matter' is by no means my personal favourite of Banks' science fiction, but it certainly is thought-provoking and entertaining in its own right. In many respects, it seems to be a far more thoughtful, considered novel than many of the 'better' or 'purer' Culture novels.

As I read it, it's crucially all about context. Many layers of events, covering not only disparate groups of intelligent beings, but different levels of societal development, are examined and inter-woven to form the overall plot; and, as with good fiction of most genres, the plot is not necessarily the core interest in the book. In this case the manner in which 'people' behave, their development and their attitudes, all form the more important part of the whole. Virtually every character here actively develops over the course of the story, changing really quite significantly as the context in which they exist changes; even tyl Loesp has begun to change a good deal before the final few pages. The only major characters who don't change (though they are 'developed') are the few Culture ones, since they all have a whole wealth of contexts in which they can exist; and they broadly understand each of them.

As for the rest, the interactions they each have with different civilisations, their own circumstances and responsibilities, and the choices presented by the plot itself, all change and develop them, and Banks' exploration of this is, in my opinion, very interesting and relevant to how people in general perceive things differently as they become more experienced and educated.

As to various criticisms of the relatively brief end-sequence of the novel: it's credible! In the context of the events being described, that's what would, in all probability, happen. i.e. after a long build-up, the drama at the end would be rapid, and highly destructive. Again, this puts into context the various levels of pointlessness and futility (arguably!) of the lower-level political actions of some characters. It shows clearly how insignificant certain choices and actions are in a wider context (for example, all of tyl Loesp's long-term machinations are pretty irrelevant in the context of his final choices).

Personally, I undoubtedly enjoyed 'Use of Weapons' and 'Excession' more, but they're highly different from each other and different from 'Matter', which stands up very well, on its own, as another great piece of science fiction, 'pure Culture' or not.

4 out of 5 stars

Come on - it's not that bad May 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I've read a couple of Ian (M) Banks books - I wouldn't describe myself as a fan and I can take his books or leave them but I read Matter and overall I liked it.

I like Science Fiction to ask questions that are relevant and I think Matter succeeds in this. The concept of the shellworld containing different civilisations at different stages of development, diverse agendas and rules on intervention is a very contemporary issue. Should countries be isolationist or should they interact and what is the bounderies for those interactions.

I don't have a problem with Banks use of an under-developed civilisations. Sci-fi isn't just shiny ships, death rays and beeping robots. It's the ideas that, 'Matter.'

I don't think this is a five out of five book though. I agree with some of the other reviewers in that I think the ending is weak. Banks raises the question of how different societies should interact but ultimately avoids giving an answer. An author shouldn't eliminate his characters just because of the awkward questions the story raises. Banks just lets himself down.

5 out of 5 stars

A shakespearian tragedy. May 22, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

I'm quite surprised by the way several of the reviews have gone.

Generally I greatly enjoy his non-science fiction and fantasy and am not so taken with his culture novels; which is odd, because with other authors I prefer to read science fiction and find most mainstream fiction dreary, aimless and often pretentious.

This is the first culture novel that I have really enjoyed. It is complex and satisfying with an ending that haunted me for days afterwards due to the nature of the endgames for the main protagonists. It felt realistic, personal and disturbingly likely due to the inevitability of the fates of the different characters as driven mainly by circumstance and duty.

To be honest, at times it felt very shakespearian in nature and it would make a great tragedy by a shakespearian troupe if someone wanted to adapt it for the stage.

3 out of 5 stars

A good read, but hugely disappointing by the standards of earlier Culture novels - at least to this reader May 18, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I've always regarded Iain M Banks' "Culture" novels as among the best and most reliably consistent of current science fiction. But with Matter I was sadly disappointed.

The `Culture' is one of a number of highly evolved, high technological races of the distant future. Their refinements provide a complete escapism. A detailed universe that is more intellectually demanding than `Startrek' but with related ethical concerns. While mostly following what Trekkies would call a First Principle approach to other, less evolved races - one of non-interference (respect for autonomy), the Culture nevertheless has a division called Special Circumstance which will, in exceptional cases, make some kind of limited interference for the general good. The world of the Culture is intricate, developed, and more than sufficient for a long series of novels - which it has so far successfully provided.

Yet with Matter, it feels as if the author has almost tired of his own creation. Long chapters are devoted to the goings on of a fairly primitive race. Basic battles, coups and so on. What little characterisation there is mostly dwells on the primitive urges of these people in broad brush strokes - a bloodthirsty conqueror, a wimpish heir to the throne, and so on. It is not science fiction, it is fantasy, and not very high calibre fantasy at that.

The structure of the book is self-important and initially daunting. The first few chapters introduce a vast number of characters. A seeming glossary at the back of the book could have supplied interesting details but is little more than an incomplete list.

Culture novels have begged for a stylish interpretation in film, such as that given to many a Phillip K Dick novel, but Matter descends into familiar Star-Wars -type territory towards the end. What could have developed into an interesting human drama as the primitives interact with the Culture is thrown away for big explosions and rather pointlessly grand battles of good versus evil. What had always attracted an intellectual audience has descended to the level of Hollywood predictability and stories with a complex list of strange words but room-temperature IQ.

On the other hand, it is still quite a good read. Just hardly a patch on earlier Culture novels. One can only hope that Mr Banks will either return to his previous form or leave his existing work to enjoy the glory and reputation it so justly deserves.