tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post6107687535760872055..comments2024-03-24T14:47:00.370-07:00Comments on Approaching Pavonis Mons by balloon: Excession ManAl Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-39575845376898856712013-09-01T20:24:25.765-07:002013-09-01T20:24:25.765-07:00It is very nice to know that you made it as a writ...It is very nice to know that you made it as a writer. It is true that the strangest and most unexpected of things sway our spirits and direct our attention to that which we have always put in the background of our lives and within the confines of subliminal memory. Much of my time is spent understanding how the fantasy can be made to alter its diverging path and brought towards the stream of reality to begin merging with it to produce the world we all wish to be in. It is a complex equation to solve. The two are hard to combine and a tremendous effort of single-minded devotion must be made to bend the refractory realms to meld. As I said before, many equations need to be solved, swiftly before the eternal witness abandons one to that irreversible silence. But one can't take the bull by the horns every time: one must distract, confound and attack the adversary with glancing blows : one must distract the beast--for tire it never will--and wait for the opportunity to strike when it least expects it--all before one oneself tires from the effort. But there is always a little hope, fleeting though it almost certainly is, as that rather arousing idea presented in World War Z conveys: sometimes the most brutal, frightening, inanimating and discouraging force you struggle against may reveal itself to be little more than a weak gossamer facade you could step over or walk through, unstoppable, glorious, and victorious ,sometimes though not always, for while some battles end with radiant, limpidly beautiful victories and their accounts are told and remembered as long as those who remember them are stirred by that primal, aboriginal force, always a bit mysterious, to continue disseminating them, usually with the aid of an agent like alcohol to bring both the audience and the narrator together in ecstasy, there are those defeats where a promise is ended. What good is sweet victory if no sobering bitterness can ruin its taste? Fate shook our hand and we gripped its in gratitude, but in a single act it had stabbed us, too. It gave Banks the mortal blow, but it already had lost the game it played with Banks. Banks had won, too. His example guided you in some way--only you feel and understand it and know the measure of his importance. <br />Fate cannot be extinguished. It can be tricked and defeated, but relentless, immortal enemies can never be bowed. The best battles are those which are fought against all odds--victory or defeat meaning little. Banks is gone, but you are here. It is good to know that you traversed the minefield of fate to do what you dreamed of doing--write.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-27835090222857342232013-06-06T13:43:18.097-07:002013-06-06T13:43:18.097-07:00My friend Rich pushed CONSIDER PHELBAS into my fri...My friend Rich pushed CONSIDER PHELBAS into my friend, Gary's, hands at a party at Rich's place. "You HAVE to read this!" he told Gary. A while later I borrowed CONSIDER PHELBAS from Rich to see what the big deal was. The book knocked me out. Some time later I saw Rich push a copy of REVELATION SPACE into Gary's hands, saying "You HAVE to read this." Well, you probably know the rest. Thanks to you both! You got me back to reading SF again.<br /><br />Bruce T.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-1175036912657526242013-05-06T04:01:38.461-07:002013-05-06T04:01:38.461-07:00Back to Banks
Iain got me into reading SF again, ...Back to Banks<br /><br />Iain got me into reading SF again, and through that to your door Al and finally to writing myself. I think he has been an invaluable catalyst,especially in the British field.<br /><br />Personal favourites: Player of Games and Excession from the Culture and non-culture Feersum Endjinn and The Algebraist.<br /><br />I read recently that the order of writing (rather than publishing) was Consider Phlebas, Player of Games and then the Wasp Factory. This makes a lot of sense.<br /><br />ChrisC. John Arthurhttp://www.cjohnarthur.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-60143384369687985642013-05-05T08:08:30.584-07:002013-05-05T08:08:30.584-07:00I wasn't thinking magnetic fields at all - apa...I wasn't thinking magnetic fields at all - apart from anything else not all materials are susceptible to the influence of magnetism - as you quite rightly point out. <br /><br />I am currently drafting a novel/novella (not sure how long it's going to turn out to be) that will describe the basic principles behind it. So let's hope someone is kind enough to buy the final result!<br /><br />And before you ask, I already know where one of the contributory technologies is under development, though it has a long way to go before it gets the required breakthrough standard for a forcefield.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-90795706320081487442013-05-05T02:37:55.855-07:002013-05-05T02:37:55.855-07:00I dig what you are saying about a chance encounter...I dig what you are saying about a chance encounter with 'something' that causes you wake up and change the course your on. The future is like a unresolved quantum state and we just need to realize that we (the observer) can influence the result. <br /><br />I enjoy all of the culture books, but I found that I needed a break in between each one. This is not the case with your books. <br /><br />I have read all of your books and enjoyed each one. I even pick up 'best of' books if I see you are in them. I recently re-acquired all of the Revelation Space universe books and I'm now re-reading them in chronological order including the short stories. Thank you so much for these contributions to our collective consciousness! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-73277703047465319692013-05-05T00:33:10.284-07:002013-05-05T00:33:10.284-07:00You should re-read it . . . sounds like you were j...You should re-read it . . . sounds like you were just a bored teenager at the time Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-979949513484673062013-04-30T12:43:20.476-07:002013-04-30T12:43:20.476-07:00Richard Morgan has lost his way I think - his fant...Richard Morgan has lost his way I think - his fantasy novels are just not very good, and he seems to have disappeared as an SF writer - although 'The Black Man' was good - which is an interesting comparison to AR who seems to be top of the pile currentlyGraeme838https://www.blogger.com/profile/10511347552003699789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-29076807666730516982013-04-30T06:31:51.367-07:002013-04-30T06:31:51.367-07:00Wil McCarthy, especially his Queendom of Sol serie...Wil McCarthy, especially his Queendom of Sol series, plus Bloom and Flies From the Amber! Richard Morgan...everything!, Sean Williams/Shane Dix, Vernor Vinge, Justina Robson, especially Natural History and it's sequel, David Brin's Otherness collection, Walter Jon Williams Dread Empire's Fall!Dave from Downunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14177325241501320978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-11881628353044827062013-04-30T04:26:31.650-07:002013-04-30T04:26:31.650-07:00Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, man that was Al ...Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, man that was Al at the top of his game. The feeling of "cold" that you mentioned is so true. It was a bucket of cold water to the face; I hadn't read any stories like that up to that point.. and I haven't found any decent hard sci-f since :(<br />No one else quite made space seem like the emtpy, dangerous, and SCARY nothing it is.<br />Anyone have recommendations for similar works?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-31863165963767817762013-04-29T15:34:46.294-07:002013-04-29T15:34:46.294-07:00Alastair, like you I tried Consider Phlebas years ...Alastair, like you I tried Consider Phlebas years ago but I didn't really like it. However, to be completely honest, Revelation Space left me somewhat cold, too. Sub-light space travel and the mind boggling time laps involved disturbed my simplistic sci-fi vancean (as in Jack Vance) tastes. <br /><br />Nevertheless, I later bought Redemption Ark and never stopped reading your books ever since. Eagerly anticipating reading them and not once I have been disappointed. I think your production is just astonishingly good. <br /><br />Therefore, soon or later I am now encouraged to crawl through the rest of the Iain M Banks production, even though from other comments here it does look like it will be a bumpy ride.<br /><br />Stefano Thttp://www.anobii.com/013c3cc657e1bda185/booksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-42311855356277899042013-04-27T14:58:00.166-07:002013-04-27T14:58:00.166-07:00I got back into sf after a break of more than 30 y...I got back into sf after a break of more than 30 years and the book I started with was Excession which is still my favourite Iain M Banks work (with Surface Detail and The Algebraist right behind it). I'm now reading the Prefect, simply excellent, thank you Alastair, you and Iain share the same skill with darkness, weirdness and the unexpected and you both completely convince the reader of the reality of the worlds you describe.MarkLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02918571208122258543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-7897255623079285412013-04-26T05:55:31.828-07:002013-04-26T05:55:31.828-07:00Hey hey, Al! I have bought Excession four months a...Hey hey, Al! I have bought Excession four months ago, but I didn't bring it with me to my campus, so I havent' started reading it yet (cuz I was busy reading your BRE and CC, LOL!)Neruvatarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03858814665202168092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-90135852912703550882013-04-24T14:09:37.145-07:002013-04-24T14:09:37.145-07:00I have a hit and miss relationship with Interzone ...I have a hit and miss relationship with Interzone (partly because it's so hard to find in shops as I don't subscribe), and 1987 is well before I found out about it anyway, so that's my excuse for not knowing about the very early Culture stuff in it!Graeme838https://www.blogger.com/profile/10511347552003699789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-75932453373649381652013-04-21T02:31:43.327-07:002013-04-21T02:31:43.327-07:00Hi Graeme - "A Gift from the Culture" wa...Hi Graeme - "A Gift from the Culture" was the first, I think - it appeared in Interzone in 1987, before the publication of Consider Phlebas in the same year, and predated the original publication of "The State of the Art" by a couple of years.Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-52456234694605314792013-04-19T13:31:25.359-07:002013-04-19T13:31:25.359-07:00It seems strange to be discussing IMB's work o...It seems strange to be discussing IMB's work on Alastair's blog...but anyway, the first iteration of a Culture story was in IMB's short story collection "The State of The Art" set in 1970's Paris on this Earth (and in which Diziet Sma appears)Graeme838https://www.blogger.com/profile/10511347552003699789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-64273447228948840312013-04-19T06:05:04.762-07:002013-04-19T06:05:04.762-07:00DaveH. I heard some of his books were written earl...DaveH. I heard some of his books were written earlier. I was going by the publication dates as they appear at book sites like Fantastic Fiction and Amazon etc. I also heard that Ken Macleod rescued UoW from the bin and urged Banks to give it another go! Gald he did!Dave from Downunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14177325241501320978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-28995484661091654182013-04-18T20:20:45.158-07:002013-04-18T20:20:45.158-07:00One thing to remember about Culture books is that ...One thing to remember about Culture books is that they are all (with the possible exception of <i>The Hydrogen Sonata</i>) justifications of why the Culture is a superior culture. The moral angle is as important as the technical.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-7092807073498045572013-04-18T17:27:22.407-07:002013-04-18T17:27:22.407-07:00I have a love/like (no hate!) relationship with M ...I have a love/like (no hate!) relationship with M Banks’ sci-fi.<br /><br />On the one hand books like Use of Weapons, Look to Windward, Matter, and The Algebraist are excellent. On the other, generally his Culture novels just make up too much science for me; as a fan of hard sci-fi (like your early work, Al), I’m in it for the science, not the prose (I know the two are not mutually exclusive, but some people tend to waffle on a bit and ignore the interesting science stuff).<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-91861290567915479812013-04-18T08:15:08.203-07:002013-04-18T08:15:08.203-07:00Having spent a lot of time inside of your writing,...Having spent a lot of time inside of your writing, it's so interesting to get to see some of it's exegesis, Al. Thanks for this story!<br /><br />I haven't had the chance to read any Banks, other than thumbing through a few paperbacks at the bookstore. But, I'll try to take a look at some this summer (hooray for teaching!).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747368023073385025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-66143026979135928772013-04-18T06:18:24.929-07:002013-04-18T06:18:24.929-07:00Dave, the published order is not actually the crea...Dave, the published order is not actually the creation order at the start of The Culture set. The first draft of Use of Weapons was actually written in the mid 70s, then Against a Dark Background, and then The Player of Games (winter 1978/9). Consider Phlebas was written in 1982, after The Wasp Factory was written, but before that "first" novel was published.DaveHhttp://efanzines.com/Banksoniain/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-31498206342485204172013-04-17T18:03:27.053-07:002013-04-17T18:03:27.053-07:00Rosieoliver
The strongest magnetic field we can g...Rosieoliver<br /><br />The strongest magnetic field we can generate can barely even deflect a metal bullet, and has zero effect on a ceramic projectile. <br /><br />So I don't think we really "have the components"; classic SciFi force shields will take something other than magnetism that we have yet to discover. <br /><br />tldr: more like lasers to the Romans.Kavalechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06927996984804158988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-7271789841077159662013-04-17T10:46:13.535-07:002013-04-17T10:46:13.535-07:00Well Dave I only 3 of his books, all free from boo...Well Dave I only 3 of his books, all free from bookmooch.com, Phlebas, UoW and PoG.LarryShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17723096857163954170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-47208639413407968132013-04-14T16:50:16.833-07:002013-04-14T16:50:16.833-07:00Larry, I found it best (for me) to read his sci-fi...Larry, I found it best (for me) to read his sci-fi books in order of publication. It's how he wrote them, so that's how I read them! <br />His 'other' books I read in the order I could find them, but they're not connected so didn't matter!Dave from Downunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14177325241501320978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-34420532954749029132013-04-14T02:49:16.291-07:002013-04-14T02:49:16.291-07:00So far Phlebas is the only Banks (M or no M) that ...So far Phlebas is the only Banks (M or no M) that I've read and I loved it! I'd heard about this author for years but it was only a few years ago that I got a copy, and finally, got to read it. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first but, despite a slump in the middle, more to do with me to be honest, I enjoyed it, and decided I wantee to read more of this author. <br />I have 2 more on my shelf now, Use of Weapons and Player of Games. I just have to decide which to read!<br /><br />Sad to think there won't be many more....LarryShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17723096857163954170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-54143739170740471682013-04-13T12:28:15.168-07:002013-04-13T12:28:15.168-07:00I tried Phlebas as a first Banks novel after lovin...I tried Phlebas as a first Banks novel after loving House of Suns. Was so disappointed.. but after this blog i will give Excession a try AFTER i finish with the Rev series :)<br />Thanks for the words on inspiration, your books have changed my entire view on the true joy of pleasure reading.adhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10153458709005681703noreply@blogger.com