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[TriBeCa]

Anyone read him? With or without the M.?

[JuntaJoe]

What does he write?

Titles, genre, that kind of thing.

[s_stabeler]

actaully, my faist reacvtion was who? when I reasd that. and the answer is no, I haven't.

[TriBeCa]

Iain Banks is a fiction author, Iain M. Banks is a sci-fi author. Same guy, different author, basically.

www.iainbanks.net for his official site.

His sci-fi is described by some as superb space opera, though I'm not really sure what constitutes that genre. He wrote an essay about the world in which his books (the ones published with the M.) take place, which can be read here: http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~stefan/culture.html

Basically, the each book revolves around a few characters in a semi-Utopian galactic superpower, a civilization known as the Culture. Most of the books involve members of 'Contact,' the part of the culture that is responsible for managing relations with other civilizations. The division of Contact known as 'Special Circumstances' features pretty heavily in most of the books--the culture is not above interfering in the development of other civilizations, even those to whom they haven't revealed their existence.

As for an entry into the series (they do not progress in any order), I started with Excession, and would highly recommend it. It revolves mostly around the ships, rather than humans, which are sentient. Use of Weapons and The Player of Games are also excellent. Two of these books actually don't involve the culture directly. One of these, Against A Dark Background, is also excellent, though quite depressing (Banks can be quite dark at times). Finally, Inversions was one of the best books I've ever read. It takes place on a planet whose people are approximately equivalent to 16th or 17th century Europe, but revolves around two characters from the Culture, though it never involves the culture directly.

As for his fiction, I would highly, highly, highly, recommend Complicity. If you're not careful you'll just read straight until you're done once you pick it up. The main character is a drug using, video game playing, reported who gets wrapped up in a series of vigilante killings. The Wasp Factory was also excellent, though extremely dark. Walking on Glass is great too.

Actually, the only banks book I've read that I wouldn't recommend is Song of Stone, and The Crow Road was less entertaining than most of his books.

There's my Banks review :P