English language
Published Nov. 30, 2012
4 stars
(5 reviews)
The Hydrogen Sonata is a science fiction novel by Scottish author Iain M. Banks, set in his techno-utopian Culture universe. The hardcover edition was released on 4 October 2012 in the United Kingdom, and on 9 October in the United States. The book's release marked 25 years since the publication of Banks' first Culture novel. A paperback edition of the book was released on 5 September 2013 in the United Kingdom, and on 10 September in the United States. The Hydrogen Sonata was Banks' last science fiction novel, as he died of gall bladder cancer in June 2013.The Hydrogen Sonata of the title is a fictional work of music which is woven into the plot.
moving to outside.ofa.dog reviewed The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks (Culture, #10)
Review of 'The Hydrogen Sonata' on 'GoodReads'
4 stars
Excellent Culture yarn that now feels more like a swan song than I think Banks could have intended, because it deals mostly with what happens when a civilisation feels it can't progress any more. Lots of intersecting subplots hinging around who knows what and the limits to even the god-like Culture Ships' ability to cross space and time... subplots that by the end get woven together coherently.
There's also a strong theme here about whether knowing the truth about things matters. If I didn't know it had been written a few years ago, I could easily have taken it as deliberate commentary on today's society and politics, but I suppose that's just a mark of great fiction: however much it's set in escapist sci-fi utopia it's of course also about people and how people interact.
moving to outside.ofa.dog reviewed The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks (Culture, #10)
Review of 'The Hydrogen Sonata' on 'LibraryThing'
4 stars
Excellent Culture yarn that now feels more like a swan song than I think Banks could have intended, because it deals mostly with what happens when a civilisation feels it can't progress any more. Lots of intersecting subplots hinging around who knows what and the limits to even the god-like Culture Ships' ability to cross space and time... subplots that by the end get woven together coherently.
There's also a strong theme here about whether knowing the truth about things matters. If I didn't know it had been written a few years ago, I could easily have taken it as deliberate commentary on today's society and politics, but I suppose that's just a mark of great fiction: however much it's set in escapist sci-fi utopia it's of course also about people and how people interact.
moving to outside.ofa.dog reviewed The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks (Culture, #10)
Review of 'The Hydrogen Sonata' on 'LibraryThing'
4 stars
Excellent Culture yarn that now feels more like a swan song than I think Banks could have intended, because it deals mostly with what happens when a civilisation feels it can't progress any more. Lots of intersecting subplots hinging around who knows what and the limits to even the god-like Culture Ships' ability to cross space and time... subplots that by the end get woven together coherently.
There's also a strong theme here about whether knowing the truth about things matters. If I didn't know it had been written a few years ago, I could easily have taken it as deliberate commentary on today's society and politics, but I suppose that's just a mark of great fiction: however much it's set in escapist sci-fi utopia it's of course also about people and how people interact.
