Consider Phlebas cover art

Consider Phlebas

Culture Series, Book 1

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Consider Phlebas

Written by: Iain M. Banks
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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About this listen

The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.
War rages across the galaxy. Billions have died, billions more are doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, face cold-blooded, brutal destruction. The Idirans ­fight for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles are at stake. There can be no surrender.

Within this cosmic conflict, a crucial battle of wits is waged. Deep within a fabled labyrinth, on a Planet of the Dead forbidden to mortals, lies a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Idirans desperately seek it. It is the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictable mercenaries, human and machine, to actually ­find it - and with it their own destruction.

The Culture series:
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata
The State of the Art

Other books by Iain M. Banks:
Against a Dark Background
Feersum Endjinn
The Algebraist

©1987 Iain M. Banks (P)2010 Hachette Digital
Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Space
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What the critics say

'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson

What listeners say about Consider Phlebas

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very detailed.

A very intricate and complex world being built and explained for most of the book. Understandably, it takes quite a while to explain anything as the world is so unique.

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for your consideration

an exploration of what it means to be human, what it means to be truly phlebas.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Decent series opener

-1 perf for some skipping at end.
A decent opening to the Culture series. Occurs on the fringe of a galactic war between the AI utopian Culture and a militant theocratic biological species. Nothing particularly mindblowing occurs, but it's a cool world, and fairly action packed.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

An interesting milieu story

The story is entertaining, but most importantly, Bank's world is fascinating. I found the performance good.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Mis-fire

Consider Phlebas is something of a grand failure. Clearly, Mr Banks has wooed a size-able following, and so I don't mean his failure is material or communicative. Rather, the failure of the novel relates to its intended purpose: to introduce a new reader to the relatively unique concept of the Culture (a space-faring social Utopia that is Banks' response to traditional science fiction conceits) by ushering it in through the eyes of a sworn opponent, and then convincing the reader to mis-believe that perception.

To do that, an author needs the trust and confidence of the reader - and to gain that trust and confidence, the author must demonstrate that they can handle the task they are set about. It ultimately doesn't matter whether Banks can succeed in convincing readers that the Culture is a force for good if those same readers have quit the book in frustration.

#Audible1

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Grand story, but...

Grand story, masterful writing, however...
With all apologies to Peter Kenny, his breathy, hushed, rushed delivery effectively killed my desire to listen to audiobooks for the time being.
Indeed, I could not even finish this one and stopped 20 minutes shy of completion.

Perhaps it’s just that his style is so in contrast with my own internal narration when I read that it just disagreed with me personally.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My new favorite sci-fi book series!?

I think this might be my favorite sci-fi book in terms of overall concept!

The writing and performance were amazing. Can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A glorious space opera

Read this several years ago, but wanted to experience it again as an audio book. I was not disappointed as the reading and characterization were excellent. As for the the story, it’s filled with unique, sometimes off-putting (the Eaters…), but always interesting characters, concepts and set-pieces. A great intro to Banks’ Culture books.

A truly wonderful sci-fi novel and a conceptual thrill ride throughout!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A great read for future-realists

Great narration, well conceived and well written book. The brutal, pessimistic plot, while good future-realism, isn't for me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Like a long good episode of Blake’s 7

This was an enjoyable listen, with a Blake’s 7eque story line set in a well thought out Galactic setting.

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