Surface Detail cover art

Surface Detail

Culture Series, Book 9

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Surface Detail

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.

The "War in Heaven", a simulated war game, rages between civilisations. Its virtual battles have been fought for decades, and the victors will decide the fate of the digital Hells - torturous artificial afterlives with horrors beyond imagination.

In the Sichultian Enablement, Y'breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit.

As the virtual war threatens to spill into the Real, Y'breq is willing to risk everything for her freedom - but she'll need the Culture, and its help comes at a price. The Culture is going to war with death itself.

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

©2010 Iain M. Banks (P)2010 Hachette Digital Science Fiction Fiction Banking War

Critic Reviews

'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson
All stars
Most relevant
great to listen to and try and figure what the end game will just be.

The games

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I inhaled all the Culture books as they were released, and it's such a pleasure to revisit them with Peter Kenny's masterful narration. The voices he gives to the multitude of unforgettable characters are pretty much consistent with my own internal voicings: once again he does an incredible job.

The story itself is riveting: at times shocking, hilarious and achingly sad, it is as wide ranging as the universe through which it veers at kilolight speeds. Banks manages to tie up all the loose ends brilliantly at the end, which comes far too soon.

I remember the excitement I felt each time a new novel in the series was released. You knew you were in for another epic adventure, and you were never disappointed. I can't think of another author with his originality, humour and pathos. He is sorely missed, but often revisited.

Another Banks Culture masterpiece

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Masterful narration by Kenny and the story is an almost perfect mix of pan human/Mind interaction.
And for those that have read the Culture series in sequence, the last line is an eye widening delight.

Another M. Banks classic

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Just listen to the damn thing.
Banks at his f-ing best, and Peter Kenny an auditory delight as usual.

Glorious, just glorious

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Not my #1 in the Culture series, but a good book nonetheless, and Peter Kenny makes it a joy to listen to. His wonderful selection of different voices always brings characters to life and makes them easy to tell apart.

Pleasure to listen to

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