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I love Banks' sci fi writing. As far as I'm concerned he's right up with the best, and I've re-read his books many times since he passed.
So that made me really hesitate when it came to thinking of a review for this book. Other reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and I think it's great that some fans are getting a lot of enjoyment from the work, but it's important that other fans, like me, get a balanced gauge of what you get for the money.
I'm giving a star for the quality of the book in general, because ypu expect a well made tomb for the asking price. Its nice. Weighty. Good dimensions.
I'm then giving a 2nd star for the reproduction process, which was evidently a pretty complex exercise to begin with, but which has ultimately provided a genuinely astonishingly clear view of what Banks had drafted many decades ago. That in itself is pretty fascinating stuff.
But fascinating stuff as it is, the actual quality and depth of the work simply isn't there. The book contains a treasure trove of what's basically adolescent pencil doodles, line drawings and assorted notes. Page after page of imaginary objects, rendered on back-of-a-fag-packet monochrome. It's clear from the text and the content that Banks was sizing up his universe, scaling the scope of his vision, and these were his notes, literally on scraps of paper, to serve as reminders and guidance as he forged a head with the (brilliant) writing.
During the intro there's mention of Banks when he was alive talking of an art book long after the writing has stopped or some such phrase. I'm not sure really that this is what he might have envisaged.
As other reviewers have commented, having a professional narrative, deeper explanatory notes, and references to the stories at each turn would have added another star for me.
But above all, using the original sketches as sidebars or inset pictures, accompanying an array of artistic visions of the ships and locations in full coffee table sized drama, even alternate renderings of the same places by different artists, I think that would have set off and put in proper context what Banks was imagining at the time. That would have propelled the cost significantly, but costs could then have been saved from the reproduction process. In any event for me that product would have been a possible 5 star review.
So in summary, and it still pains to say it, the book was a big let down for me. It won't stop me enjoying the books all over again, but I can't help feeling that a lot of fams who make this purchase, or are considering making this purchase, will feel exactly the same.
Genre: Science Fiction
So that made me really hesitate when it came to thinking of a review for this book. Other reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and I think it's great that some fans are getting a lot of enjoyment from the work, but it's important that other fans, like me, get a balanced gauge of what you get for the money.
I'm giving a star for the quality of the book in general, because ypu expect a well made tomb for the asking price. Its nice. Weighty. Good dimensions.
I'm then giving a 2nd star for the reproduction process, which was evidently a pretty complex exercise to begin with, but which has ultimately provided a genuinely astonishingly clear view of what Banks had drafted many decades ago. That in itself is pretty fascinating stuff.
But fascinating stuff as it is, the actual quality and depth of the work simply isn't there. The book contains a treasure trove of what's basically adolescent pencil doodles, line drawings and assorted notes. Page after page of imaginary objects, rendered on back-of-a-fag-packet monochrome. It's clear from the text and the content that Banks was sizing up his universe, scaling the scope of his vision, and these were his notes, literally on scraps of paper, to serve as reminders and guidance as he forged a head with the (brilliant) writing.
During the intro there's mention of Banks when he was alive talking of an art book long after the writing has stopped or some such phrase. I'm not sure really that this is what he might have envisaged.
As other reviewers have commented, having a professional narrative, deeper explanatory notes, and references to the stories at each turn would have added another star for me.
But above all, using the original sketches as sidebars or inset pictures, accompanying an array of artistic visions of the ships and locations in full coffee table sized drama, even alternate renderings of the same places by different artists, I think that would have set off and put in proper context what Banks was imagining at the time. That would have propelled the cost significantly, but costs could then have been saved from the reproduction process. In any event for me that product would have been a possible 5 star review.
So in summary, and it still pains to say it, the book was a big let down for me. It won't stop me enjoying the books all over again, but I can't help feeling that a lot of fams who make this purchase, or are considering making this purchase, will feel exactly the same.
Genre: Science Fiction
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