Excession, A Cool Concept for Sci-Fi
As a concept, the Culture novels are wonderful; but at times the narrative crumbles under the weight of drawn out plots and overly detailed moments.
Test Your Skill Against the Player of Games
In a post-scarcity existence with hundreds of years to live one's life, what happens when one wants something else?
Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks
Consider Phlebas is a plot driven, action-filled, science-fiction novel that ultimately shrugs its galactic shoulders at the plot by the end of the book.