The Player of Games by Iain M Banks || Book review (some spoilers)

Hi guys! In this video I review Iain M Banks' sci-fi The Player of Games, the second novel in his Culture series.
Thanks for watching!
#sciencefiction #spaceopera #theculture
Review criteria
***** - Blew my mind. Simple as.
**** - Great story, well written, entertained me all the way.
*** - Good story, well written, mostly entertaining.
** - Has good bones but failed in a number of ways.
* - Failed in every way a book can.
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MY STUFF
linktr.ee/bookodyssey​​​​​​
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vvv MORE vvv
MY SCI-FI NOVELS
linktr.ee/bookodyssey​​​​​
DELPHINE DESCENDS
After her family is killed and her homeworld occupied, young Kathreen Martin is sent to the distant world of Furoris for re-education. She will live the rest of her life as a serf - to be bought and sold as a commodity of the Imperial Network.
When her only chance of escape is ruined, a chance mistaken identity offers her a new life as the orphaned daughter of a First-Citizen Senator and heiress to a vast fortune.
She vows to claw her way into power to sit among the worlds’ elite. Then, with her own hands, she will reap bloody vengeance on them all.
But to beat them, she must play their game. And she must play it better than them all.
BLACK MILK
Prometheus has the chance to bring his wife back from the dead, but doing so will mean the destruction of Earth.
Spanning time, planets and dimensions, Black Milk draws to a climactic point in a post-apocalyptic future, where humanity, stranded with no planet to call home, fights to survive against a post-human digital entity that pursues them through the depths of space.
Five lives separated by aeons are inextricably linked by Prometheus’s actions:
Ystil.3 is an AI unit sent back in time from the distant future to investigate Prometheus’s discovery...
The mysterious Lydia has devoted her life to finding a planet that the last remaining humans can call home…
Tom Jones (he’s a HUGE fan!) is an AI trapped inside a digital subspace, lost and desperate to find his way back to his beloved in real-time…
Dr Norma Stanwyck is a neuroscientist from 24th Century Earth whose personal choices ripple throughout time...
Prometheus must learn the necessity of death or the entire universe will be swallowed by his grief.
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GOODREADS
You can stalk me on Goodreads to see what I'm currently reading. bit.ly/3rrcByD
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IMAGE USE
The images in in my videos are mostly licensed stock photos. However, occasionally I will use images found online. I always seek to properly credit artists and offer a link back to their amazing work but sometimes it's hard to find the original source of the work. If I've used an image you own and I haven't credited you, please feel free to get in touch as I am always more than happy to do so.

[@royston1928]

The striking purple and black cover art is what grabbed my attention to this book back in the 90's when I was in my early teens. I basically judged a book by it's cover and it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. The Player of Games blew my mind. From there I devoured the other Culture books and I've been a SFF nerd ever since. A re-read of this one is long, long overdue. Great review man!

[@ryang.5094]

Literally had the same experience here. I think it’s more common than we think.

[@greyareaRK1]

A theme that runs throughout the series is that the culture is shepherded by minds of infinite complexity who are constantly playing games, guiding the evolution of its citizens along personal and social development that maximizes harmony and utility. They also guide those outside the culture to obviate eventual conflict. It's so subtle that few, if any, can see the games being played, but it's why their utopian society doesn't devolve into hedonism or in-fighting. The vast majority of their citizens can sustain indeterminant lifespans in relative happiness.

[@crystianvasconcelos1951]

Por quanto tempo isso vai durar ? Por mais que ache divertido a cultura e muito complexa pra seu próprio bem e muita coisa pode dar errado e a cultura parece muito com os eldar de 40k antes da sociedade cair em completa depravação e o que acho afinal nada pode escapar da entropia

[@rommdan2716]

​@@crystianvasconcelos1951 Probably until the heat death of the universe

[@crystianvasconcelos1951]

@@rommdan2716 duvidoso mas levando em consideração que e um universo fictício o autor pode puxar uma besteira dessas mas realisticamente nada pode vencer o fim só adiar o inevitável e nos só podemos aproveitar o aqui e agora e servir de exemplo pra futura gerações gerações

[@joshuawilliams9247]

@@crystianvasconcelos1951even banks himself outright says the culture won’t last forever

[@crystianvasconcelos1951]

@@joshuawilliams9247 sim e claro que ganhou e uma obra de ficção utópica mas vamos ser realista vocês realmente acreditam que isso vai realmente acontecer? No fundo nos sabemos como realmente vai acabar nada vai mudar nossos desejos de autodestruição e egoístas para pro bem ou mal e isso que nós somos

[@johnmendoza6345]

I have been on the fence with starting a Culture book. They’ve been on my list to read for years now. But after watching your review, decided to get Player of Games and start there.

[@Sci-FiOdyssey]

Good decision. A lot of people start there and aren’t disappointed!

[@bmoneybby]

It's a fun read. I enjoyed it.

[@jonathanedwardgibson]

I think Consider Phlebus resonates with more and a bit easier. All good.

[@bmoneybby]

@@jonathanedwardgibson People like which ever one they read first more I've noticed.

[@victortanasa6186]

I started with Consider Phlebas, and while I think it's an inferior book to The Player of Games, I would still recommend starting with the former, as it has so much worldbuilding, giving a lot of context for the following books.

[@HappyHighwayman]

This was my favorite of the series that I've read. A lot more relatable to the audience.

[@SuperNova-py1ec]

This was my first culture book and was the start of my journey. I enjoyed the story a lot, the drones were especially interesting. A nerfed Contact drone with attitude. I have recently started listening to the series on Audible . The narrator Peter Kenny brings the stories to life. Highly recommended. Thanks for these reviews, I have been working my way through your videos this week. Hope to see more culture book reviews.

[@theleadquote5372]

Just finished this a few days ago. This was my third book from Banks and by far the best so far. Really liked Consider Phibas really enjoyed this one.

[@Mark-iv6yg]

That was a great review, easily one of Banks best novels, it’s just such a wonderfully slow burn, with so much to extrapolate and entertain and speculate upon, a tremendous book!

[@eamobyrne1]

You're totally right in the review but wrong in the score. It's 5 stars. A fabulous book by a wonderful writer who's sorely missed.

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

After pushing through Consider Phlebas I was worried Banks just wasn't for me. I decided to trod on since Player of Games is so highly regarded and was wonderfully rewarded. Phlebas seemed bleak and grim the whole time, Player of Games was a lot more fun and enjoyable the entire time. The sneaky worldbuilding of both was very enjoybale and now I just want to start a third book. Great review, first time here and will def check out more of your stuff.

[@jeffreyatlee8785]

I am genuinely glad to have you with the bekk rung. I hope more people learn about you and you then make longer videos.

[@AndreGarzia]

Spot on review! The Culture is amazing and this book is a fantastic entry point into it. Can't wait to see if you're gonna review more books in the series. My favourites are Use Of Weapons and this one, so I'm already quite happy with your reviews :-) Also, I just want to highlight how much I value the effort you put in these views and channel. From the scriptwriting which is always great, to the quality of editing and art direction (love what you've been doing with your color palette and visual elements). It is hard work that is often unpraised. You're doing fantastic work.

[@Sci-FiOdyssey]

Thank you I appreciate that!!!

[@bazoo513]

Hint for Culture newbies: "The Player of Games" is probably the best introduction to this magnificent fictional universe, better than either the first novel published ("Consider Phlebas") or beautifully complex "Use of Weapons", the first written. As other Culture novels, these too provide us reliably with flies in the proverbial ointment of Bank's post-scarcity utopia. Another suitable entry point might be the sole novella in the opus: "The State of the Art".

[@e.matthews]

Just finished it, and found it to be an excellent starting point! Matter, Hydrogen Sonata, and Surface Detail are in the queue 👀

[@d15p4tch6]

Highly recommend "Use of Weapons" my favorite of the Culture novels

[@davidmurphy563]

Oh, I must have read that book a dozen times. Excellent review.

[@libertyauto]

Thank you for your review. Out of all the Culture series books, I suggest this one to introduce them to the series.

[@dougallwinship]

good review ... as old git i really miss the excitement of when he was releasing new books in the 90s+

[@lightningzstorm]

Of course the Culture is better than The Empire of Azad the culture is truly Altruistic and Culture citizens are free to live, develop and enjoy like as they like. While Empire of Azad reminds me of the authoritarian of Ancient Sparta, Greece, Rome and India.

[@marshalm83]

Loved the review! Would really like to hear your take on "Look to Windward" (my personal favourite Culture book), as it plays on a lot of similar themes, e.g. the role of influence in an anarchic society, the role of "superpowers" in influencing other societies (and the associated consequences), and the everyday life of people in a post-scarcity world, etc

[@elareia]

Please keep up the good work. Thank you.

[@davidunderwood326]

Good review - as always! But, you little tease, I was shocked for a moment when you said you didn't like it lol

[@MuantanamoMobile]

7:40 He didn't really need to cheat, since he was going to win the game anyways. He just wanted to win in a spectacular fashion and be the first person in the culture to break the record for that game. The drone used this to convince him it didn't matter if he cheated, he may just as well.

[@FR3nkly]

Reading it felt like playing a game of magic. Loved this book!

[@GoldBearanimationsYT]

At 2:38 you cheeky clever cheeky boy

[@smallsim2663]

This story is just great. As for the culture manipulating their citizens. Usually it is much simpler to convince people doing what the authorities want. Just pay them. But that's not easy within the culture. The culture is "good" in the way it provides an environment where it is possible to live and be happy for most people. You can even leave the culture when you don't like it. However, there is a common set of guidelines most culture citizens follow. There is almost no limit to personal freedom, as long as it does not cause harm to others without consent. And the punishment is being kept under permanent mandatory observation. This has a huge impact on your freedom as some might understand it. So not a perfect utopia for non-conforming people. However, since the guidelines are not laws as we have them, almost nothing is forbidden. But don't try to see it as being nice. You are limited in a way which will seem worse than being broke/dead to people who live in societies as we have on earth. It's so hard to bribe or force your will at anybody.

[@MuantanamoMobile]

8:20 The culture is significantly different from the empire of Azad, since once can choose how they live their life and not exert ownership or coercive control over others. Being post scarcity. Additionally one can decides to ascend or chose their mode of existence in the culture. The culture only acts in defence of its citizens individually or as a whole, and not simply to perpetuate itself through aggressive expansion.

[@d45hid0]

This is my second favorite Culture book after "Look To Windward". Excellent review. I actually "Consider Phlebas" one of the weakest Culture books.

[@andrewdouglas846]

I've read Player of Games and Excession and found them both very compelling, which book would you recommend next? I've tried a couple of others but not found them as accessible.

[@davidmurphy563]

Maybe Book Odyssey will have a different view but I'd recommend Matter. The opening of the book is, in my humble opinion, is simply jaw dropping.

[@d15p4tch6]

They're all great, but "Use Of Weapons" is my favorite. It's mind bending

[@davidunderwood326]

@@davidmurphy563 I really enjoy Matter also - a great story, characters and just the sheer inventiveness of the whole setup...

Always read in the order they were written by the author.

[@misomiso8228]

Such a good book.

[@tishardnatthaniel8047]

Man I think Imma read this book now I been putting off for a year now

[@paulklee5790]

I often wonder if the entire adventure is just a VR generated by a Mind to snap the protagonist out of his existential ennui....

[@readlots9983]

That thought occurred to me as well during my reading. I wondered if his drone friend Chamlis and Yay were in on it together to get him out of his depression. There were a lot of mentions of the bracelet that Chamlis gave him, and it might've been a device working on his mind. This plot would've resembled the film The Game (1997) with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. I don't think this is what Banks intended, though.

[@Josh_Quillan]

8:10 I really hope you're not serious here. Azad and the Culture are opposites. The Culture philosophically emphasises efficiency and therefore reasons that making the population happy will make everything work better. It has put off intervening in the Empire of Azad for 70-odd years until a situation naturally arises where a master game-player is tiring of the opportunities to play games within the Culture, and offers subtle manipulation to steer him towards doing what they want. Mawhrin-Skel does get slightly rough with Gurgeh at one point, after Gurgeh voluntarily gets himself into a situation where he's open to being blackmailed, but at literally every other point he has the option to quit if he wants; he persists with the game series through his own choice. Azad by contrast has abundant resources and total authority, but artificially maintains scarcity and power hierarchies for philosophical reasons despite the disadvantages this confers to the civilisation, and compels its citizens to do as commanded under horrifyingly varied threat of violence, torture and death. As an example, the rector of the elite gaming college who attempts to bribe Gurgeh to throw a match when he progresses further than they expect; when his scheme fails and Gurgeh keeps winning, the emperor orders the rector to be deprived of anti-aging drugs causing him to experience death by accelerated aging. Then the emperor orders his personal guard to execute everyone else in the palace when he loses the final game rather than accept the Culture coming in to reshape their society to be fairer and kinder. Subtle manipulation versus utter brutality. There's no similarity.

[@frankmontez6853]

Yeah read it many years ago. Liked it. Yeah that primitive culture Azad by many standards seemed extremely cruel and evil to its own people. Really brought up the issue of “ moral relativity “ phrase used by some catholic theologians. One part of the book that an Empire of Azad person ( I forgot who exactly ) brought forth - who are you to judge our ways and impose your morals on us ? Many themes are worthwhile in this book / series. Like interfering in other cultures in ways condemned in the general society but used there. All for the greater good hmmm. Read several of the Culture books. Not all of them like the one where it deals with hell. Only read part of it and it seems those there in hell are really in a virtual hell ? I forgot the title.

[@blangkonpiano]

Grimes, Elon Musk, and Player of Games

[@readlots9983]

I just finished it, and I'm sorry I didn't share your reaction. It's a book about ideas and less so about characters. Gurgeh is a bored character, who is also boring. The big reveal at the end was surprising, but why it was kept a secret from him was puzzling. Ultimately, I didn't care. If you haven't already read them, there's a series by Catherine Asaro involving the Skollian Empire. It, too, has a game in it called Quis. The characters and relationships are much more interesting, imo.

[@EhrgeizGod]

This guy wrote anime before anime even made it to the US on mass...

[@havocmaverick]

This was not a real good book. The rest of the culture series are far worse. Horribly written and poor characters and pacing.

[@paulklee5790]

No, your simply wrong. Get a grip....

[@blangkonpiano]

Grimes, Elon Musk, and Player of Games

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

Who the heck is Grimes?