The Algebraist

Culture

By: Iain M. Banks

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

As complex, turbulent and spectacular as the gas giant on which it is set, this novel from Iain M. Banks is space opera on a truly epic scale.

“An enormously enjoyable book, full of wonderful aliens, a sense of wonder and subtle political commentary on current events.” –Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

It is 4034 AD. Humanity has made it to the stars. Fassin Taak, a Slow Seer at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers, will be fortunate if he makes it to the end of the year.

The Nasqueron Dwellers inhabit a gas giant on the outskirts of the galaxy, in a system awaiting its wormhole connection to the rest of civilization. In the meantime, they are dismissed as decadents living in a state of highly developed barbarism, hoarding data without order, hunting their own young and fighting pointless formal wars.

Seconded to a military-religious order he's barely heard of—part of the baroque hierarchy of the Mercatoria, the latest galactic hegemony—Fassin Taak has to travel again amongst the Dwellers. He is in search of a secret hidden for half a billion years. But with each day that passes a war draws closer—a war that threatens to overwhelm everything and everyone he's ever known.

“Banks is a phenomenon...writing pure science fiction of a peculiarly gnarly energy and elegance.” –William Gibson

“Banks writes with a sophistication that will surprise anyone unfamiliar with modern science fiction.” –The New York Times

For More from Iain M. Banks, check out:

The Culture series:
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
The State of the Art
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata

©2024 Iain M. Banks (P)2024 Orbit

Critic reviews

“An enormously enjoyable book, full of wonderful aliens, a sense of wonder and subtle political commentary on current events.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on The Algebraist

“Banks never lets up in a dizzying array of characters, mind-bending ideas, and dazzling action.”—Booklist

“Few of us have been exposed to a talent so manifest and of such extraordinary breadth.”—New York Review of Science Fiction

World building escape from reality

First off Peter Kenny is amazing as always!! Thank you for bringing this Mr. Banks story back to the light. While not a Culture book it possesses the same deep thinking inner motivations of species and the same heavy sci-fi space ship whoop ass. Be patient, read it twice, you’ll find it a masterwork in the Banks world!!

It wasn’t for me

The story concept was bigger than the story itself. Not my favorite book on dealing with aliens from gas giants. The characters seemed rather one dimensional. The “big reveal” didn’t feel like a payoff for slogging through the story.

a modern Sci Fi classic

Although written back in 2004, the Algebraist (nominated for Hugo) is already a classic.
From the pen of the late Iain M Banks, creator of the culture novels, comes one of 3 novels not based in his envisioned world.

This book a stand alone novel deftly entwines political, religious divides in the backdrop of a sci fi world that only Iain M Banks could achieve.

If you are new to Iain M Banks, I would encourage you to start with the culture novels, not in any order, for it is there that Mr Banks gave the world a fascinating series of books amd it is also there that Mr Banks achieved a greatness to be named among the greats of recent Sci Fi authors.

The story here moves swiftly albeit the sci fi in this novel is what the genre would label Hard Sci Fi, the depth and imagination involved in this or indeed any other of the authors scope takes root from page 1 until.the end.

The release of this audio book, comes at a very good time, When mediocrity in sci fi is accepted as the norm in recent years ( save a few authors ) and reminds us that this form of sci fi still exists,

The narrator does an absolute stupendous justice to the written word and brings to life the characters by using nuance within his voice to make every characters identity clear at the same time making this audio book approchable to a new audience.

I cannot recommend this book or indeed the narrators part highly enough, indeed if you are new to Mr Banks, be prepared for a bibliography of fascinating literature.

Sadly the author passed away but nor before leaving us with a treasure trove of some of the most enthralling and entertaining sci fi ever written.

The performer spoke so fast that I couldn’t understand

After the introduction I slowed the narrative to .7

The story line makes The Three Body book seem crystal clear, and I had to listen to that book more than once,

Surprisingly meh

Strong start. Then 15 hrs of verbal diarrhea with a strong finish. Not a culture book. I started to listen again just in case I missed something. I must have as this guy doesn’t do boring. I couldn’t do it. Given the wait… total disappointment. But still interesting, and better than most. I’ll try again some other day. Hopefully they’ll release the rest of his works. Audible UK can access these, but I haven’t found a workaround for the US. We’ll have to wait.