What are you reading?

[SAI Peregrinus]

Take a random grab-bag of concepts and try to imagine the following without capitalism: "advertising", "trophy wife", "health insurance", "jaywalking", "passport", "police", "teen-ager", "television".

"advertising" — Pretty hard without capitalism, as it's essentially just a form of propaganda for capitalists.

"trophy wife" — Quite easy. This one's a basic primate instinct, the most successful males get the more attractive females, tend to show off, etc.

"health insurance" — Quite capitalist.

"jaywalking" — Quite easy. Vehicles are dangerous, and people getting hurt or killed is an expense for society as a whole. Likely less of an issue if humans aren't the ones in control of the vehicles. Much more of an issue with a non-capitalist health care system, as then the injured are a direct burden on the rest of society.

"passport" — These have existed long before capitalism. The Roman republic had the damn things!

"police" — Yet another concept that has existed in non-capitalist societies. Some form of law enforcement (even if not called "police") is necessary for any society with laws. The separation of the police from the military is more modern, but isn't inherently capitalist at all.

"teen-ager" — Puberty has existed for a little bit longer than capitalism, and having words to describe someone undergoing that process isn't exactly new.

"television" — It's half Greek and half Latin. Bad grammar isn't limited to capitalism. There are also still several state-run TV networks, such as the BBC. The primary relation of TV to capitalism is the use of TVs for advertising.


I agree with his points otherwise, there's a lot of really crap SF out there. There has been since its inception, but as SF has become more mainstream the overall quantity has increased and thus made it harder to sort through.

[Keckers]

Very interesting read.

The best sci-fi is post capitalist theory and world building. I do my bit by laughing at corporate finance.

[Dahak]

Tangentially related, Stross has written an entire book where interstellar financial instruments created by a society without FTL travel or communication are the driving plot point.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...eptune-s-brood

[Malcanis]

Now on to "Consier Phlebas". Been putting of Banks for too long. I know everyone says not to start with that book, but it's too late now.

Everyone is wrong. It's an amazing spaceopera tragedy road trip around the Cultureverse from the perspective of someone opposed to the perfect socialist utopia, for perfectly rational reasons. There's way less Culture smugness than some of the later stuff and if you don't read CP, then IMO you can't put that later smugness into proper context.

NB: I highly recommend reading Look To Windward directly after Phlebas, even though it's out of publishing sequence. Then go to Player Of Games and Use Of Weapons, etc.

[Isyel]

Been reading Elysium Fire, new book in the revelation space universe by Alastair Reynolds. Sequel to the prefect. Pretty good stuff so far, only a few chapters in, the guy is an absolute master at making his world seem believable. Big fan of the hard "realistic" approach to scifi.

Starts with basically a parallel of brexit too which is amusing in its own way.

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[SAI Peregrinus]

Now on to "Consier Phlebas". Been putting of Banks for too long. I know everyone says not to start with that book, but it's too late now.

Everyone is wrong. It's an amazing spaceopera tragedy road trip around the Cultureverse from the perspective of someone opposed to the perfect socialist utopia, for perfectly rational reasons. There's way less Culture smugness than some of the later stuff and if you don't read CP, then IMO you can't put that later smugness into proper context.

NB: I highly recommend reading Look To Windward directly after Phlebas, even though it's out of publishing sequence. Then go to Player Of Games and Use Of Weapons, etc.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.

[Djan Seriy Anaplian]

Now on to "Consier Phlebas". Been putting of Banks for too long. I know everyone says not to start with that book, but it's too late now.

Everyone is wrong. It's an amazing spaceopera tragedy road trip around the Cultureverse from the perspective of someone opposed to the perfect socialist utopia, for perfectly rational reasons. There's way less Culture smugness than some of the later stuff and if you don't read CP, then IMO you can't put that later smugness into proper context.

NB: I highly recommend reading Look To Windward directly after Phlebas, even though it's out of publishing sequence. Then go to Player Of Games and Use Of Weapons, etc.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.

Seconded. CP serves as the best introduction and Look to Windward is my personal favourite.

Malc is wholeheartedly right. PM me if you want the mobis

[Jolin]

Just finished reading Furiously Happy. I honestly did not expect it to so good. Or for me to relate so much it. I want to meet the author in person now.

[SAI Peregrinus]

Here's a good article on why the Ian M. Banks's Culture is well thought out. It's a reasonable argument, and makes a very good case for Consider Phlebas.

[LordsServant]

Been reading Elysium Fire, new book in the revelation space universe by Alastair Reynolds. Sequel to the prefect. Pretty good stuff so far, only a few chapters in, the guy is an absolute master at making his world seem believable. Big fan of the hard "realistic" approach to scifi.

Starts with basically a parallel of brexit too which is amusing in its own way.

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Holy shit I had no idea there was a new book out.

Alastair Reynolds is easily one of my favorite authors(haven't read anything of his I haven't liked) and the Revelation Space Series is probably my favorite ever. I'll be looking this up immediately.

[Snottus]

Little over halfway through The Passage - so far an interesting read that keeps getting better.

[Keeves]

Just finished the Gulag Archipelago. Jesus Christ, that was a ride.

[Keckers]

Just finished the Gulag Archipelago. Jesus Christ, that was a ride.

What were your thoughts at the end? Kulak's deserved worse or liberals also get the bullet?

[Keeves]

Just finished the Gulag Archipelago. Jesus Christ, that was a ride.

What were your thoughts at the end? Kulak's deserved worse or liberals also get the bullet?

I'm not really sure what you mean... If I'm reading the question right, I don't think I'm nihilistic enough to answer that.

[Leviathan]

Now on to "Consier Phlebas". Been putting of Banks for too long. I know everyone says not to start with that book, but it's too late now.

Everyone is wrong. It's an amazing spaceopera tragedy road trip around the Cultureverse from the perspective of someone opposed to the perfect socialist utopia, for perfectly rational reasons. There's way less Culture smugness than some of the later stuff and if you don't read CP, then IMO you can't put that later smugness into proper context.

NB: I highly recommend reading Look To Windward directly after Phlebas, even though it's out of publishing sequence. Then go to Player Of Games and Use Of Weapons, etc.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.

i read player of games first, then use of weapons and phlebas.. for no other reason then acquisiition timing- was acceptable reading material.

[Dahak]

Finished "Consider Phlebas", not really sure why everyone says not to read it first. I found it quite interesting to have the story told from the point of view of someone opposed to the human society, which is pretty unusual for sci-fi. Usually it's the human viewpoint against the aliens. I liked it a good deal and have added the remaining books to the wishlist. Currently on "The Player of Games" since that's the only other Culture novel I had on hand at the moment.

[SAI Peregrinus]

Now on to "Consier Phlebas". Been putting of Banks for too long. I know everyone says not to start with that book, but it's too late now.

Everyone is wrong. It's an amazing spaceopera tragedy road trip around the Cultureverse from the perspective of someone opposed to the perfect socialist utopia, for perfectly rational reasons. There's way less Culture smugness than some of the later stuff and if you don't read CP, then IMO you can't put that later smugness into proper context.

NB: I highly recommend reading Look To Windward directly after Phlebas, even though it's out of publishing sequence. Then go to Player Of Games and Use Of Weapons, etc.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.

i read player of games first, then use of weapons and phlebas.. for no other reason then acquisiition timing- was acceptable reading material.

It doesn't matter too much what order you read the books in, though Look to Windward is a pretty direct sequel to Consider Phlebas so those two shouldn't be swapped. A few of the other later books reference the Culture-Idiran war, so they should be read after this pair. And Phlebas is a good intro to what the culture is.

[Sacul]

Here's a good article on why the Ian M. Banks's Culture is well thought out. It's a reasonable argument, and makes a very good case for Consider Phlebas.

Damn good article.

[Sacul]

Been reading Elysium Fire, new book in the revelation space universe by Alastair Reynolds. Sequel to the prefect. Pretty good stuff so far, only a few chapters in, the guy is an absolute master at making his world seem believable. Big fan of the hard "realistic" approach to scifi.

Starts with basically a parallel of brexit too which is amusing in its own way.

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epub somewhere?

[Isyel]

Well when I say reading i mean listening because audible is godly. Sorry can't help you mate.

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