Book: Matter by Iain M. Banks
Rating: 4/10 … the well is running dry.
I read somewhere recently that Iain had to drag himself away from computer games to work on his books. I’m sad to say, it looks like he’s losing the battle. Following on his The Steep Approach to Garbadale, this is the second effort in a row that just wasn’t worth the trouble. For many years I considered him the very best science fiction writer on the planet and his recent The Algebraist was as good as they come.
Although packed with his signature inventiveness, this book fails utterly to deliver on plot which boils down to: wicked aide kills king, prince flees to seek his (Culture trained) sister and wanders the universe to find her, meets several of Bank’s fantastic (but mainly irrelevant) civilisations on his journey and returns claim his inheritance after battling the ‘dragon’ who avenged him.
If you haven’t read Banks, don’t despair, there’s a treasure trove of his work available. Avoid this one – it is the worst!
