Katerina
asked:
Can you read this book if you have not read any of the other books in this series? I'm not a sci-fi reader, but this book was especially recommended to me because of the female character and I'm a bit averse to reading 7 other books just to get to this one, might catch up on the other ones though, if I enjoy this one. Thank you :-)
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R.E. McCready
This was the first culture novel I read, and I really enjoyed it. I'm sure I'd have got more out of it had I read others in the series, but I didn't feel like it suffered to much because of this factor. Hope you liked it!
Stella Lee
Most of the Culture novels can be read as stand alone books although reading them in order does help I think. The first time I read them it was completely out of order and this time I started at #1 and read through in order and looking back I wish I had done that the first time.
Christopher Carrigan
Oh definitely. The book specifically explains the relevant culture back material (which is sparse, not directly related).
Kenneth Hindle-May
There's never really any continuity between the Culture books, to speak of. They do, however, chart the Culture's changing status within the galactic hierarchy. If you read the novels out of order it might seem a bit strange to go from a galaxy where the Culture are only one of a number of roughly equal powers (like in this one), to one of the earlier ones where they are the Big I Am and more powerful than anyone. It won't get in the way of the plot in any way, though.
Use of Weapons and Inversions also feature women as one of their two primary POV characters. The two books following this one, Surface Detail and The Hydrogen Sonata, both have female protagonists as well, though neither of them are proper members of the Culture.
Use of Weapons and Inversions also feature women as one of their two primary POV characters. The two books following this one, Surface Detail and The Hydrogen Sonata, both have female protagonists as well, though neither of them are proper members of the Culture.
Mark
I would say any of the culture series can be read in isolation. There is obviously a theme that runs through the series, but that isn't character or plot derived.
I would say having read them all that Matter is a 3.5 star read for me. There are a few 5 stars in the series...
I would say having read them all that Matter is a 3.5 star read for me. There are a few 5 stars in the series...
Pep
I wouldn't read this book because the supposed hero is supposedly female. IMB's humanoid characters are generally devoid of anything but primary sexual characteristics (or caricaturistics?) and the Culture's bioscience means that these are whimsically transient.
Rick
I'll go against the grain and say no. I mean you CAN and it will be OK but I think that you should read at least a couple of the earlier ones to get some context for the Culture. I'd read Player of Games at least (the 2nd in the series).
Be aware, though, that they're all quite different and the series doesn't form one long story
Be aware, though, that they're all quite different and the series doesn't form one long story
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