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A comment on Sci-Fi Author Iain M. Banks Gets Asteroid Named after Him. Parent comment

Re:Sci-Fi Author Iain M. Banks Gets Asteroid Named after Him by keenerd on Monday August 19, 2013 @06:15AM (#6236404)
Though if you prefer hard sci-fi to space opera, skip Culture and start with The Algebrist. I can't pin down why, but it was a much more enjoyable read and has a higher density of parts that make you think.
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Re:Sci-Fi Author Iain M. Banks Gets Asteroid Named after Him by signa11 on Monday August 19, 2013 @08:23AM (#6236808)
hmm, i like 'Excession'and 'Use Of Weapons' the best among culture series....
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Re:Sci-Fi Author Iain M. Banks Gets Asteroid Named after Him by Angostura on Monday August 19, 2013 @04:40PM (#6239663)
Interesting, I thought The Alebrist was one of his weaker efforts and really needed a strong editor to come along and say "Now then Iain, we need to lose about 100 pages."
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Re:Sci-Fi Author Iain M. Banks Gets Asteroid Named after Him by keenerd on Monday August 19, 2013 @07:20PM (#6240569)
A lot happens in the book and it explores a large number of interesting ideas. Sure it is long, but every part fits well together. As a result the universe feels more fleshed out and cohesive than the Culture books, and this is something I look for in sci-fi.

I've read every Culture book twice, and don't really have any desire to read them again, at least not for quite a while. The Algebrist I've read four times now and each re-reading finds something new.

What would you cut?

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