Billed as a “space opera,” Iain M. Banks‘ Consider Phlebas (1987) is quite a bit more than that. It certainly checks the requisite boxes–an intergalactic war involving almost incomprehensibly powerful technology (and explanations for the same that sure sound scientific), alien races that range from humanoid to highly mysterious, high-octane action scenes with spaceships in hot pursuit, interludes that would be comedic if they didn’t place the protagonist in such extreme peril. But there is also an intelligence and a depth of character and an ending that remains satisfying, despite it’s subtle movements against genre.
Two specifics that raise the book above the norm: first, the general conflict is intelligently articulated. On one side is a race ordained by their Gods to rule all they encounter, a good old-fashioned imperial hegemony; on the other is a massive and loose affiliation of worlds known as The Culture, whose primary mark is a trust in technology as a means to free sentient beings to pursue pleasure and the arts. It’s deftly done, and even the side of the protagonist is a bit of a surprise, but well thought out and consistently presented.
Second, towards the end of the book, the characters overwhelm the plot; that is, you end up caring less about what happens, and more about who it happens to, and as more fringe characters move towards the center of the resolution, the book ends with a deeper emotional resonance than could be expected.
It’s not a short book, but it’s an enjoyable and fast read, and is recommended to the point where I will probably look into other works by Banks in the not so distant future.
#WhatIWishICouldDo
There is a fantastic confidence in Banks’ writing, a sense of authority that helps immediately to build trust between reader and author. In stories that stretch credulity–as all good science fiction/fantasy should–that is a key element in the reader holding their judgement in abeyance long enough for the story to seduce them.