Part 3: Machina ex Machina

[Sam]

Discussion of part 3 of The Player of Games

[Sam]

The events of this part reminded me of the end of Ender's Game. It seems they were published around the same time (1985 for Ender's Game, 1988 for The Player of Games).

The backdrop of this part was delightful. Was the fire that moved around the planet actual fire, or was it magma? When the planet was described, a comparison was made with tidally locked planets having a bulge facing their companion, which gave me the impression that the bulge was magma, which ignited the nearby plant matter in a firestorm.

The climax of the story was really well done. I couldn't put the book down during it. Nicosar's insanity at his impending loss of the game (and ultimately his empire) was enthralling.

The Culture's meddling in the empire seems rather arrogant to me. Throughout the book, it's strongly implied that the Culture is vastly superior to Azad, and it certainly seems so. Does that make it right for them to overthrow the empire?