Matter (Culture, #8)

by Iain M. Banks

English language

Published April 28, 2008

ISBN:: 9781841494180

(27 reviews)

Matter is a science fiction novel from Iain M. Banks set in his Culture universe. It was published on 25 January 2008.Matter was a finalist for the 2009 Prometheus Award.

3 editions

Antolius reviewed Matter (Culture, #8) by Iain M. Banks

Review of 'Matter (Culture, #8)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Reminded me of Revelation space series by [a:Alastair Reynolds|51204|Alastair Reynolds|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1521740247p2/51204.jpg].

Good:
Worldbuilding is just top-notch; Sursamen Shellworld, its lore & inhabitants, Nameless City slowly uncovered by a waterfall, ...
Mesh-up of fantasy & sci-fi elements.

Bad:
Ending is rushed, storylines left unfinished, most characters just die.
Ferbin's journey is inconsequential.
* Introduces various themes (e.g. surveillance) but doesn't fully explore them.

Paul J reviewed Matter (Culture, #8) by Iain M. Banks

Review of 'Matter (Culture, #8)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Another wild cross-cultural ride

As much as I enjoyed the previous books, this one is probably my favourite since I started re-reading the Culture books. Somehow Banks managed to blend old and new worlds while subtly shedding more light on how the Culture works and fits into the Galactic picture. All this in a thrilling adventure. Loved it.

Hirvox reviewed Matter (Culture, #8) by Iain M. Banks

Review of 'Matter (Culture, #8)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

"The stage is small but the audience is great." sums up life in the Culture series. Someone is always watching and opining, even though it would be improper for them to intervene in the play. So what happens when one of the unwitting actors in a pre-industrialization Macbethian regicide drama decides to appeal to the audience?

While I always enjoy Banks' worldbuilding and how he explores how his premises can go horribly wrong or horribly right, there is just something off with Matter's pacing. Unlike in Excession, the pieces in this particular play move so slowly and so separately that the overall plot doesn't coalesce together until the very end. The level of danger escalates quickly by several orders of magnitude, so it looks like the book is heading to a cliffhanger.. and then it just ends. While there is an epilogue, I would have preferred it to be about …