Any fans of the Culture novels (Iain M. Banks)?

[ayavner]

It's one of the series I come back to year after year, probably read all of them 5 or more times... I know that Elon Musk is a fan, and names some of his rockets in the style of some of the Minds/ships from the series. If I didn't already have a name picked out for my MS if/when I get one, I would probably name it after a Culture Ship. I was reading these before I knew who Elon was - I think the connection was one of the things that piqued my interest in his ventures and ideas. I really wish someone with a huge budget and the talent would make these into a series, but I'm afraid of what could happen in the wrong hands.

Good solid hard sci-fi with interesting stories and characters, and dealing with many intriguing areas of philosophy that arise with the sorts of technologies imagined in a far-future, post-scarcity universe.

Anyone else, before I really get started? LOL

 

[Horza]

It's one of the series I come back to year after year, probably read all of them 5 or more times... I know that Elon Musk is a fan, and names some of his rockets in the style of some of the Minds/ships from the series. If I didn't already have a name picked out for my MS if/when I get one, I would probably name it after a Culture Ship. I was reading these before I knew who Elon was - I think the connection was one of the things that piqued my interest in his ventures and ideas. I really wish someone with a huge budget and the talent would make these into a series, but I'm afraid of what could happen in the wrong hands.

Good solid hard sci-fi with interesting stories and characters, and dealing with many intriguing areas of philosophy that arise with the sorts of technologies imagined in a far-future, post-scarcity universe.

Anyone else, before I really get started? LOL

Completely agree with you. It is ironic that billionaires like Elon profess to love Iain M Banks's socialist vision of a post scarcity society where money really means nothing and billionaires would be thought of as backward idiots. I'm interested in the ranking of his novels - as I'd put Excession at number 1, with Player of Games (2) and Consider Phlebas at (3) - although there are good claims for Use of Weapons, Hydrogen Sonata and Look to Windward to break into the top 3. Like you, I am super keen for an adaptation but suggest this should not be a movie but a HBO type series. Amazon were definitely the wrong lot to make it, because Iain M Banks would think Bezos an even bigger tosser than Elon, and it needs to be dark and complex - the Wheel of whatever has shown Amazon could not do this any justice. I suspect there are plans afoot to adapt Surface Detail into a movie with a kick ass heroine - not my preferred choice of first adaptation and it should be Consider Phlebas. I am interested to see how the adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman goes - as this will give us the closest indication yet if something could work for the Culture. But frankly I don't think the world is ready, just yet. A tip for you would be to start investing in this first editions as they are becoming increasinsly rare.

 

[ayavner]

100% needs to be HBO or similar... Amazon would ruin it. I am equally scared of any potential adaptations of Tolkein's works around the First or Second Ages... As to ranking, I agree Excession (while not an easy read) has to be at or near the top. The chatter between the minds never gets old. I think Surface Detail would be a good adaptation as a series, but it may be too layered to translate well. It is one of my favourites, though, for the playful malevolence of the Minds/drones as well as the exploration of some pretty deep ethical issues. Consider Phlebas I think is the best choice to get started both reading and for any potential film adaptation. The Sim Problem from Hydrogen Sonata is something we need to get ahead of sooner than later.

Apropos of nothing, I love Banks's recurring use of the phrase, "just so" throughout the series.

I never thought of his vision of the post-scarcity society as particularly "socialist"; in fact, such considerations seem to become completely irrelevant. The question then becomes, "how do we as humans find meaning when every resource is unlimited?" What I love about the Culture is the protagonist isn't always the "good guy", and rarely "wins". In the end, the Minds always order things according to their own inscrutable calculus. Consider Phlebas's ending was a shock to me (I won't spoil it here), but that's what made it interesting.

Good tip on the first editions - I have them all on e-book at least, even the non-culture ones such as The Algebraist and others. Let me know if you're missing any

Yes, I caught your forum name 'Horza' - nice one! And great first post, welcome!

 

[Beasts]

My thanks to both ayavner and Horza for your suggestions of good science fiction authors. I have always been a fan of the genre but have gotten out of touch with others who share my tastes. An important read out of my past is Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein which shares some of the discussions you have mentioned, but that is reaching back 50 years.