Use of Weapons, by Iain M. Banks Synopsis: A series of shorts taking place during lulls in violent conflicts, examining the banality and futility of war, of redemption. Book Review: Technically there are two storylines in this book, my synopsis only covers the important one, which is told in reverse. The normal-progressing storyline is too long, and drags in many points. The two storylines are interwoven, and thus the chapters alternate between them, but the book would have been better served if two-thirds of the forward-progressing story had been cut. I suspect he felt the same, because Banks’ prose never rose from the page in those sections. I could see the right words being used, in the right order, but somehow the descriptions never kindled my imagination, the world never drew me in. I put this criticism up front, because the meat of the novel is mind-blowingly awesome.
SF/F Review – Use of Weapons
SF/F Review – Use of Weapons
SF/F Review – Use of Weapons
Use of Weapons, by Iain M. Banks Synopsis: A series of shorts taking place during lulls in violent conflicts, examining the banality and futility of war, of redemption. Book Review: Technically there are two storylines in this book, my synopsis only covers the important one, which is told in reverse. The normal-progressing storyline is too long, and drags in many points. The two storylines are interwoven, and thus the chapters alternate between them, but the book would have been better served if two-thirds of the forward-progressing story had been cut. I suspect he felt the same, because Banks’ prose never rose from the page in those sections. I could see the right words being used, in the right order, but somehow the descriptions never kindled my imagination, the world never drew me in. I put this criticism up front, because the meat of the novel is mind-blowingly awesome.