> > I thought that the consensus on the Culture list was that _Player of
> > Games_ was the best first Iain M. Banks book to read, with _Consider
> > Phlebas_ a close second.
>
> I read _Player of Games_ first and thought it was a good introduction to
> the Culture universe as well as an excellent sf novel. In retrospect,
> however, I think that I'd rather have read _Consider Phlebas_ because
> that novel probably loses some of its effect when the reader knows too
> much about the Culture.
seen a bit of this discussion...
Consider Phlebas, read first. it's set in and around the Culture, but isn't
within the Culture.
Best order, imho, is this:
Phlebas
Player of Games
[Use of weapons]
the state of the art (the novella)
excession
look to windward
inversions
use of weapons is just nasty.well, even nastier, i think. read it in order
if you like. i like it, but then i liked "the wasp factory"...
enjoy
charlie
