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I've recently finished Iain Banks' Dead Air, which was outstanding, and I'll be sure to write a review on it soon, and right now I'm reading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. Bit wacky sofar.

Cheers, Martin :D
 
Just finished A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony (enjoyed the story, hated the puns and the rampant sexism...overall 4 1/2 stars).

Now onto The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.
 
Just finished 'The Kalahari Typing School for Men' and have now plucked up enough courage to tackle the behemoth of Otherland. Probably going to be a somewhat lengthy endeavour.
 
Just finished nothing.

But I've started reading Manfred's Pain by Robert McLiam Wilson.

Might read something by Peter Ackroyd next. Maybe The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde. Who, incidentally, lays claim to one of the funniest 'last dying words' episode. He, apparently, said to those gathered around his death bed, "Either that wallpaper goes or I do".
 
Just finished Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. It was very good!!

Now I am forcing myself to read a book that has been in the TBR pile for a long time. I am going to start hidden echoes by mike jefferies.

Regards
SillyWabbit

PS: ( Martin! ) Pretty big surprise at the end of Wasp Factory, huh? :) I did not see THAT comming at all!!
 
Bought A History of Medieval Europe by RHC Davis yesterday and I'm reading quite happily through that just now.
 
It is. Brushed over the rise of Christianity in the West Roman Empire (Italy) and the East Roman Empire (Byzantium) and I'm now looking at the integration of the many barbarian people into Roman society...
 
The Wasp Factory is a great book. It received a great deal of shock-horror criticism in the UK press. I would tell people that one of my favourite authors was Iain Banks, and they would say "the man that wrote that vile book about hurting poor animals?", and I would reply with glee "yes that's him. What a great author he is" smiling profusely.

The Bridge and Feersum Endjinn are excellent too. Oh and Complicity and Crow Road.

Some people reckon that his sci-fi stuff is best. But quite honestly, apart from Consider Phlebas and Feersum Endjinn, I haven't read anything that great in his sci-fi oeuvre.
 
Feersum Endjinn is without doubt the best SF that Banks has written. I think, personally, it's one of the best SF books ever! I just LOVED that book.

I think the press, as per usual, have nothing better to do with their time. I don't see why they made such a fuss about Wasp Factory. Or maybe I don't see it coz im sick in the head! :D lol

Regards
SillyWabbit
 
Mile-O-Phile said:
It is. Brushed over the rise of Christianity in the West Roman Empire (Italy) and the East Roman Empire (Byzantium) and I'm now looking at the integration of the many barbarian people into Roman society...
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I always thought it was neat how charlemagne spelled his name:

...../\
.....R
< K O L >
.....Z
.....v

look, a holy cross.
 
( Martin! ) Pretty big surprise at the end of Wasp Factory, huh? I did not see THAT comming at all!!
Click to expand...
UH HUH!!!

On Feersum Endjinn. What is it with that title? I imagine this means Fearsome Engine. Is the entire book like that (speech, written out).

Cheers, Martin :D
 
bobbyburns said:
I always thought it was neat how charlemagne spelled his name
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Its a nickname, short for Charles Magnus (Charles the Great)

Mile-O, i have the Davis book, read it as part of my university course, its a good text, better read than a lot of books on the subject.

Phil :)
 
Martin said:
UH HUH!!!

On Feersum Endjinn. What is it with that title? I imagine this means Fearsome Engine. Is the entire book like that (speech, written out).

Cheers, Martin :D
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Yes, it means fearsome engine. The whole book is not written out like that, only parts. There are chapters that are from the viewpoint of a young boy and they are written phonetically. Martin, it's a shame you don't like SF because it really is a great book :)

Regards
SillyWabbit
 
Hey hey hey!

I never said I didn't like Sci-Fi. I just don't like the techno-babble. Is there a lot of techno-babble in Banks' books? Because I really like Banks!

Cheers, Martin :D
 
Martin said:
Hey hey hey!

I never said I didn't like Sci-Fi. I just don't like the techno-babble. Is there a lot of techno-babble in Banks' books? Because I really like Banks!

Cheers, Martin :D
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Mmmm, a little but not too much :) I think you would like his SF works.

Regards
SillyWabbit
 
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