Feersum Endjinn - BookWyrm

Chris reviewed Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks

None

4 stars

Well, this was what I wrote in 1995 when I read this book. I think I was a bit hard on Banks and the philosophy behind the "Culture" series; after all it was himself who said the fate of one character properly managed can be the subject of an entire book. Anyway, to the review, which originally appeared in my apazine "In the Wedge" for "Acnestis" in February 1995.

Ah jus finisht reedin "Feersum Endjinn" ba Iain Em Banx. U kan tel, cant u? Its way weerd. Ah thot it wuz fukin long an ol. 1/2 thi time banxi gos of inta utha bitz & storiz komplitli. Uthawys thur's this fukin grate dust clowd hedin 4 Erth an thur's peepl livin in a huj kassil - lyk Gormenghas - wiv a vurchal riallity in thi baysment ful ov A.I. represuntayshuns ov ded peepil. Thurs about 4 main caracters - 2 gud gys, 1 bad gy an 1 wuman hu may bi gud or bad, not shor reely becos shi kips dyin an changin karaktr. Anyhoo thurs bastid big burds lik lammergeyers, & thurs slofs & such stuf in thi cassil an theyr fytin a skind hed whut kips appeerin & giberin at them. Thi kassil use 2 b a terminal 4 a spays elevator (thuts a lift in civilysd) & now thurs a hol civilysashen in it as wel as thi vurt in the baysment. 1 of thi karakters (Bascule) interfasis with thi ded, so he's a kind of nekromanser if not a nuromanser, gibson joak. He ryts lyk this, fonetikly. Theres also cyberspays lyk in Gibson 2. Bascule gets into thi story cos hees lukin for his friend the tokin ant hus bin stolen by a lammergeir. Awso thur's this yung wuman hu weks up not noin hu shi iz or haw shi got thur, an shi turns out to b karryin a piece of code whut can activate thi feersum endjinn (hens the tyettul) 2 taik thi erth awa from thi dust clowd an so save thi erth. Aso becoz evriwan kan dy 7 times beofr its curtins, as theyr resurektid, its no big deel when some1 is kild becos eithr they wurnt reel to begin with or they kin be resurektid in the body of theyr chois. Its a bit like Banxys Culcher storiz wher ol u hav nau iz fukin abowt wiv morality an fuk al els wich may b interestin 2 Banxy but not any1 els. Trubl is then, u hav 2 hav somthin as big as thi Incrochement ov this dust clowd 2 meik thi stori interestin at ol, or 2 giv thi karakters sumthin 2 think abaut.
Wel ah sez, closin thi buk, it wus fun but am not konvinsd.

bookishhoard reviewed Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks

Didn't love it but it sticks with me

Hard to read. Tricky to imagine. But can't stop thinking about it.

Joerg reviewed Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks

Review of 'Feersum Endjinn' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Nope. Haven't been able to deal with willfully obscured narrative in Neuromancer, and wasn't able to cope here. Barely made it through.

Martin reviewed Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks

5 stars

Not sure why I didn't rate this a 5 the first time. It's the first Banks novel I read (I believe), and it's responsible for getting me "into" the author, as well as the art of Michael Whalen, who painted the beautiful cover. I am in the midst of re-reading it, only because I'd run out of steam on the other novel I was reading, and wanted a "sure thing". It's sucked me back in, and I'm definitely finding it quite enjoyable the second time through. (Though it likely helps that it's been long enough that I remember basically nothing about the plot from the first time.)

Edit: finished it, was not disappointed. If you can get past the one plot line that is written in its own English (definitely difficult to read), then this is one of Banks' better books, IMO.