Excession

People change. It must have been 2008 when I started reading fiction again, and Iain Banks’ Culture series became among the first things I devoured. Excession was my favorite of the series back then, and I decided it was time to reread it – hopefully to be entertained and awed again, and, at the very least, to take a long, hard look in the mirror of time.

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Last time I read a speculative work of Banks was in June 2019, over 4 years ago. I didn’t think Transition was a success, and I vehemently disliked The Algebraist, which I started in 2018. Before that I read Inversions, and I didn’t really like that either. So I was starting to wonder: was I too easily impressed in 2008 and 2009? Or did, by sheer luck, I read all the Iain M. Banks books that where least to my liking last?

It turns out – as expected – the answer is a bit of both. I did like rereading Excession – mostly, that is. But I wouldn’t call it a favorite book anymore, and I’ve taken it off my list.

Let’s do a quick run-up of the good and the bad.

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Full review on Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It