Iain Banks – Cannonball Read 17

“It was the day my grandmother exploded.”

The Crow Road by Iain Banks

August 23, 2025 by bjornsnipe Leave a Comment

The Crow Road is about about Prentice McHoan’s preoccupation with death, sex, his relationship with his father, unrequited love, sibling rivalry, a missing uncle, cars, alcohol and other intoxicants, and God, against the background of the Scottish landscape. And doesn’t that just sound like so much fun? Or maybe just a Scottish take off on Nine’s “Folies Bergeres” Necrophorus: The trouble with Contini, he’s the king of mediocrities, A second-rate director who believes that he is Socrates. He never makes a “movie” or a “picture?” […]

Inside the mind of madness

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

July 4, 2025 by NatalieH Leave a Comment

I love Iain Banks’ Science Fiction Culture novels, so at some point in the past, I picked up his debut novel The Wasp Factory, released in 1984. It’s not my usual genre (sort of a psychological horror, I think? It’s somewhat hard to pin down), so it’s languished on my shelves for quite some time. I’ve been making a concerted effort to cut down on my physical TBR this year (down to 300ish from 400ish at the beginning of January!) and this is a short […]

A space game that’s not Ender’s.

July 16, 2015 by Fiat.Luxury Leave a Comment

This is one of those books that has just kind of stuck with me. The story arc is straightforward and not super exciting on the surface: man who is good at playing games plays a really hard game. The writing wasn’t bombastic; I wasn’t marveling at all the well-turned phrases. I didn’t particularly care for the main character until about halfway through, and the only other characters I sort of cared about were the droids. But…it has taken me about three weeks to sit down and […]

A thoroughly enjoyable disturbing novel!

December 31, 2014 by AamilTheCamel Leave a Comment

Fifty-first book reviewed as part of the 130 Challenge. This book is not for the faint-hearted. It isn’t for those who can’t stand gore and animal cruelty and the death of children. But in its own way, this is one of the best books I have ever read. This is the story of Frank, a 16 year old living with his Father on an island. His brother, Eric, has just escaped from a mental asylum and for the major part of the book, Frank is […]

Sci-fi as Literature: Matter by Iain Banks

January 21, 2014 by BB-8 1 Comment

It often takes only a few interesting elements to make a science fiction story successful

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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