Player of Games: Initial Discussion Thread

[Rick]

Here's a catchall thread for talking about the May Renegade Read, Iain M. Banks The Player of Games.

Why are we reading this? See here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

A few ground rules I'd like us to follow: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

I'll add some thoughts of my own later but wanted to give the discussion a home thread in case people had things to post. Back to work for now, though...

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

Got the book on order so it should be with me after the 7th. Excited! :D

[Warren]

I started it. Good selection.
I'm enjoying the sardonic wit.
Not that I personally would stoop to such a thing.

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

It arrived early, but I'm holding off reading it until a very big scary important exam on the 7th is out of the way. I read the first chapter though, and it was hard to tear myself away. I used to find some of Iain Banks' articles in a magazine I read a little stuffy at times (though I eventually got past that and enjoyed them) so I was a little worried I wouldn't find the book easy to get into right away, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The world and characters were set up excellently and interestingly, and it's hard to resist diving into the book right now.

[AndrewP]

Not much activity here, how many others are reading the renegade read? Tom said he was going to but I think he wimped out :)

I find that one of the more interesting aspects of the Culture is that robots/drones have evolved to a level where they are treated on equal terms with sentient biological life forms. Not including the Minds of course, they are effectively god like in terms of intelligence and abilities.

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

I was held up by exam stress, and then by the post failure urge to rearrange my room and throw stuff out and all that. Plus I got hooked on Wool, whereas Player of Games slowed down after a great start, which is not a bad thing, but I don't think it is a quick book, since it takes time and care to slowly build its world and characters.

I finally finished it yesterday, and I loved loved LOVED it. Certainly worth the read, and really glad I joined in this renegade pick. Hope more will join us into the next month...because we are renegades, right? We recognise no time limits! Or something like that. :D

[Rick]

Yay! Glad you liked it Ruth.

How did exams go?

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

Alas, not good. No more university for this girl...at least, not THAT university - shall see if there are other doors I can pry open. But for now my present position isn't awful, and reading great books is an excellent way to make myself feel better. :)

[Rick]

Boo. Good luck going forward though.

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

Thanks, Rick.