The Algebraist
Iain M Banks
Penguin
Trade paperback, R140
Reviewed by Gail Jamieson, 15 November 2004
Where are the editors today that we used to know from the past: the Hugo
Gernsbacks and the John W Campbells?
This book is in need of one of them, Yes, Iain M Banks is an excellent
writer, yes, he tells a great story, and yes, this is truly magnificent space
opera. BUT! The Algebraistneeds the sure hand of an
editor to prune a bit here, (it is a long novel) to insist on a change there,
add humour, subtract humour and to turn a great novel into a truly spectacular
one.
Most galaxies have only one or two truly dominant species, always very long
lived, at times billions of earth years, and they are called The Slow.
Generally they inhabit space itself, gas giants or even brown dwarfs.
Other widely divergent sentient life generally originated from the rocky
planets, lived at a higher speed and could never just plod from place
to place. They were called The Quick.
The Milky Way Slow were simply called Dwellers and lived in and on the gas
giants of the solar systems.
Fassin Taak is a human Quick, who has been talking to the Dwellers in the
gas giant of Nasqueron in his home system. He is suddenly thrust into a
search for a secret over half a billion years old, discovers that most of his
family have been wiped out in a planet attack, and is trying to avert a
war of destruction.
It is almost impossible to do justice to the breadth and scope, sheer
entertainment value of The Algebraist, so . . ..
Read and enjoy!
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