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Sue - I was just about to post about this and how very very sad I am to hear this news. One of my favourite authors, I remember getting to work with about 30 pages of Walking on Glass to read and sitting on the loo until it was finished as I couldn't bear to leave it for 8 hours before I knew the ending. I hope he manages to fit in as much into the last few months of his life as he would like.
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Sad news.


I got tired of his books if I'm honest although at first (Wasp Factory for me) it was *wow* , never did the SF stuff as that's not my bag,


I expect in reality he's marrying his partner 'cos when push comes to shove even a good socialist like Mr Banks would rather his loved ones get his hard earned (that's already been taxed) than the state.

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Quids, even if you don't usually like sci fi you may like these.


They're both profound and funny imo.


Often completely incomprehensible, to me anyway, but I still love them.


They're completely different to his other novels.


ETA: I agree his mainstream books are a bit variable but I thought Stonemouth (Ithink its title was).was excellent..I think that was his latest book? I just read it recently.

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only one I'd avoid is Canal Dream - from the middle of his Imperial period but inexplicably dull and pointless


Complicty and Crow Road are the mid-period books I most enjoy. I'm a big fan of The Bridge as well. Espedair St is great for anyone who was or was involved with musicians


I also strongly recommend his non-fiction book on whiskies - Raw Spirit

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If you've never read any, The Wasp Factory might be a good one to start with as it's brilliant, albeit very old now.


I think of the others different people will like different things.


I wasn't all that keen on Transition, another quite recent one.


I liked The Bridge.


Of his sci fi ones, I see I have kept Look To Windward and Use Of Weapons, so I must have thought those worth re-reading.

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I'm with most in that Canal Dreams seemed an odd hiccup in a purple patch.

Whit seemed a to sleepwalk a little and I didn't like the Business at all, so gave up on his terrestrial stuff, though weirdly bought Stonemouth a couple of weeks ago on the back of good reviews.


I thought the reason the non sci-fi suffered was because his heart was in his other books.


Consider Phlebas is a fantastic book full stop, and the quality remained good until a curiously nihilistic Matter, which was almost a Cormac McCarthy novel without the stark beauty.


I've actually not read any Banks since but have Stonemouth ready to go on my bedside table.

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Whit was sleepwalking a little but still pretty good


A Song of Stone was pretty dreadful ? I would even say it was more SF than a ?normal? book but either way, poor. And another outing for the ?ooh this lovely lass and laddie have lots of sex only to find they were on the bus, I mean brother and sister all along


The Business

Dead Air


Both struggling, but better than SoS to be sure


The Steep Approach to Garbadale I liked a lot ? a bit Crow Road-lite but enjoyable for that


Transition ? again more SF than normal possibly, and I can see why some don?t like it. I didn?t love it but I did enjoy it enough



From the early period, Walking on Glass can do one as well. Nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is

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