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A review by beaconatnight
The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
4.0
This is the second book in the Culture-series, and I'm reading them in order, so it's also the second book for me. Since Consider Phlebas left me a bit disappointed (see my review here), I wasn't too eager to get right back into the Culture-universe. However, I'm pleased to say that I did enjoy The Player of Games more than I enjoyed the first book
The story's main protagonist is the popular game-player (Jernau Morat) Gurgeh, who feels his life has gone a bit stale and who is looking for new challenges. So he accepts an order of the Culture's Special Circumstances institution and is send to the planet of Azad, where he is to participate in a very special sort of game. Somewhat like Borges's Lotterie in Babylon, developments in the game determine much of the politics, religion and education of that society, with personal success or failure deciding over your social standing within its institutions. Moreover, Azad has strong imperial ambitions, for which it is frowned upon by the Culture, but whose utopian principles forbid them to intervene in more direct ways.
Interestingly enough, even though the game of Azad is the element from which all plot threads resolve, the games itself are not actually depicted in the narrative. This is a smart move, because in this way its sheer complexity, in its rules as well as in its implications, remains believable and Banks can focus instead on what it all means for Gurgeh. So, if you are like me and expect a story in the vein of Ender's Game you should prepare yourself for something quite different.
While Horza (in Consider Phlebas) was motivated mostly by pure egoism, Gurgeh is a much more nuanced and interesting character. He has ambitions, struggles with constant pressure, speculates on his role in the wider scheme, and empathizes with others. I don't know, I think it's easier for me to sympathize with a character who navigates with something of a moral compass. There were some interesting interactions with other characters, too, especially with the AI's.
The Player of Games also gives the reader a much better insight into what the Culture actually is and how it is to live within its jurisdiction. We get to know about their ideas on issues such as gender, war, money, or architecture, and only get an idea about their technology. There was one idea that I found particularly interesting. Growing up in the Culture, Gurgeh has to been taught concepts such as greed, blackmail, or insurance, for which there is no application within his own society, but which are of central importance to the people of Azad. The implication is that concepts and ideas are shaped along with a society's development, to the point were it might become obsolete. There was also a page or two about how language forms thought, but unfortunately it wasn't pursued any further.
To sum up, I'm very keen on continuing with the series very soon, and even the more so after the great ending of this month's read. I've read that the next one is quite different once again. Stoked!
The story's main protagonist is the popular game-player (Jernau Morat) Gurgeh, who feels his life has gone a bit stale and who is looking for new challenges. So he accepts an order of the Culture's Special Circumstances institution and is send to the planet of Azad, where he is to participate in a very special sort of game. Somewhat like Borges's Lotterie in Babylon, developments in the game determine much of the politics, religion and education of that society, with personal success or failure deciding over your social standing within its institutions. Moreover, Azad has strong imperial ambitions, for which it is frowned upon by the Culture, but whose utopian principles forbid them to intervene in more direct ways.
Interestingly enough, even though the game of Azad is the element from which all plot threads resolve, the games itself are not actually depicted in the narrative. This is a smart move, because in this way its sheer complexity, in its rules as well as in its implications, remains believable and Banks can focus instead on what it all means for Gurgeh. So, if you are like me and expect a story in the vein of Ender's Game you should prepare yourself for something quite different.
While Horza (in Consider Phlebas) was motivated mostly by pure egoism, Gurgeh is a much more nuanced and interesting character. He has ambitions, struggles with constant pressure, speculates on his role in the wider scheme, and empathizes with others. I don't know, I think it's easier for me to sympathize with a character who navigates with something of a moral compass. There were some interesting interactions with other characters, too, especially with the AI's.
The Player of Games also gives the reader a much better insight into what the Culture actually is and how it is to live within its jurisdiction. We get to know about their ideas on issues such as gender, war, money, or architecture, and only get an idea about their technology. There was one idea that I found particularly interesting. Growing up in the Culture, Gurgeh has to been taught concepts such as greed, blackmail, or insurance, for which there is no application within his own society, but which are of central importance to the people of Azad. The implication is that concepts and ideas are shaped along with a society's development, to the point were it might become obsolete. There was also a page or two about how language forms thought, but unfortunately it wasn't pursued any further.
To sum up, I'm very keen on continuing with the series very soon, and even the more so after the great ending of this month's read. I've read that the next one is quite different once again. Stoked!