Book Review: “The Hydrogen Sonata” by Iain M Banks — Reviewed by Andrew Robins

Review: The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M Banks (Orbit, 2012; 517 pp.)

Reviewed by: Andrew Robins

I am a fan of Iain M Banks and the Culture “universe”, so it has been a rare treat for me to get the opportunity to read and review a second Culture novel this year. (The first was Surface Detail.)

The Hydrogen Sonata has some flaws as a story (in my opinion), but once I recognised these and accepted them, they did not really detract much from my enjoyment while reading.

The Culture is a very rich back d...