User:Philcha/Sandbox/Surface Detail
Sources
- Surface Detail by Iain M Banks – review - Naomi Alderman - The Guardian - Saturday 23 October 2010
- Surface Detail, By Iain M Banks - Roz Kaveney - The Independent - Friday, 15 October 2010
- Iain M Banks: Surface Detail - Alastair Mabbott - Herald Scotland - 11 Oct 2010
- Book review: Surface Detail, by Iain M Banks - Francis Spufford - Scotsman.com
- Surface Detail, By Iain M Banks - Doug Johnstone - The Independent - Sunday, 7 November 2010
- Surface Detail by Ian Banks - Sam Wood - Northwords Now (http://www.northwordsnow.co.uk/)
- Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks - Abigail Nussbaum - Strange Horizons - 13 June 2011
- Book review: 'Surface Detail' by Iain M. Banks - Jeff VanderMeer - Los Angeles Times - 1 January 2011
- Surface detail hides deep questions in new Banks novel - Clare Wilson - New Scientist - Reed Business Information Ltd. - 11 November 2010
- Russell Letson reviews Iain M. Banks - Russell Letson - Locus Publications - Wednesday 29 December 201
Lead
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | The Culture |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Orbit Books |
Publication date | 2010 |
| Publication place | Great Britain |
| Media type | Print (Hardback[1] & Paperback) |
| Pages | 627 pages[1] |
| ISBN | [[Special:BookSources/978-1-84149-895-9%7F%27%22%60UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU%60%22%27%7F |978-1-84149-895-9[1]]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Preceded by | Matter'[1] |
Plot
Among a member of a human-like species, Lededje Y'breq wears a full-body tattoo which brands her as a slave of the powerful tycoon Veppers, who frequently rapes her and, when she tries to escapes, kills her.[2] Neither knew that an eccentric Culture ship had implanted into Lededje brain a "neural lace", which at the woman's death sent a copy of her memories to the General Systems Vehicle Sense Amid Madness, Wit Amidst Follow.
Similar personality copying techniques allows the soldier Vateuil to fight in a variety of environments, including a mainly energy being which moves between layer and fractures of ice.[2]
The rulers of an elephant-like species maintain a Hell with which they punish for ever those whose conduct the ruler dislike. Prin and Chay volunteer to sent copies of their souls into this Hell, hoping to return and expose the atrocities, but only Prin is able to escape.[2]
There has been for a long time a battle between high-tech civilisations about whether Hells should be maintained or destroy.[2] So far this has only be waged in simulations, which the pro-Hell group seem to be winning, and some of the anti-Hell ones seem ready to transfer the war to the real universe. The Culture was excluded from the virtual contests because it earlier mismanaged an intervention in the religious affair of the Chelgriansl,<book>[3] but regards Hells as atrocities.[4]
Themes
Naomi Alderman says that Bank's fictional Hells are based on the Hell houses in which some Christian fundamentalists try to terrify those whose behaviour is not approved.[2]
Alderman says the book make clear the conflicts of objectives, for example whether the needs of Lededje or Chay should be sacrificed in order make certain that the Hells are destroyed.[2]
Reviews
Francis Spufford says that Surface Detail show how Banks had display "frivolous high spirits", "moral outrage" and "infernal cruelty".[5]
Kaveney says that, while Surface Detail provides readers horrible scenes, its energy is entertainment.[4] However, he says, new readers of the series may find it difficult to understand just how ruthless the Culture can be when pursuit an objective.[4]
Kaveney says that Banks makes readers care strongly about Lebedje's mission for justice, and for Yime, a Special Circumstances agent assigned to restrict Lebedje from killing Veppers. In Kaveney's opinion, the various AIs make a less powerful emotional impact as they are not likely to die, but may be entertaining.[4]
Alderman says the most vivid character is the Culture's Abominator-class warship Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints, which gleefully destroys an enemy fleet instantly.[2]
Alderman says the descriptions of some characters, such as the Special Circumstance agent Yime Nsokyi, as less vivid.[2]
Alderman says, "The novel's real power lies in the absorbing questions it poses about the value of the real, as opposed to the virtual, about who or what is expendable, and whether a society is better held together by threats or by promises."[2]
Roz Kaveney says the book shows in detail the technologies and politics, which mainly will of interest to long-term followers of the series.[4]
Production
References
- ^ a b c d Banks, Iain M. (2010). Surface Detail. Great Britain: Orbit Books. p. 627. ISBN 978-1-84149-895-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Alderman, Naomi (Saturday 23 October 2010). "Surface Detail by Iain M Banks – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ The mismanaging of the intervention in the religious affair of the
Chelgrians is one of the major themes of Look to Windward. See Daoust, Phil (Saturday 2 September 2000). "Brushes with doom". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e Kaveney, Roz (Friday, 15 October 2010). "Surface Detail, By Iain M Banks". The Indepentent. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Spufford, Francis (26 October 2010). "Book review: Surface Detail, by Iain M Banks". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 5 October 2011.