The Hydrogen Sonata

Several years ago I decided not to read any more Culture novels. I felt the whole idea was thoroughly explored by the end of the third book and that all of the subsequent ones represented a decline from that peak. With the sad early demise of Banks I relented; there were only two I hadn't read and there won't be any more. Some time later I've read the penultimate Culture novel and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Initially I was concerned that I'd made a mistake - old problems were all present and correct: infelicitous sentences, meandering plot with little focus and too many protagonists, nothing really new by way of themes, too much swearing humour. Quietly, however matters improved on almost all fronts and the last third is a gripping space opera. One thing that is absent is really overt discussion of the pros and cons of interventionist politics. The theme is all present and correct but at least it's not rammed down your throat, which it feels like it has been since book three. In fact the handling of it here is subtler than in previous books and shows the motivations of Minds to be more interesting than previously indicated.

I found myself reacting against the "physics" of Banks' universe, where e.g. relativity is ignored - why isn't time travel possible, for instance? This is, I think a response to having replaced Banks with Alastair Reynolds as my favourite writer of intelligent space opera. Reynolds' treatment of known physics seems to lend much greater authenticity to his breaches of the known rules - he knows what needs to be explained and justified in this regard, where-as Banks just ignores these issues.

Another great Culture novel from Banks, and sadly the last. Appropriately, perhaps, it deals with the Sublime. This is an issue touched on by previous books, but here Banks speculates on the actual process of an entire civ preparing for the 'great enfolding'. Satisfyingly, the prospect of subliming leads to fin de siecle debauchery and corruption. A seemingly advanced civilization is revealed to be petty and peevish, with the overhanging irony that it has spent the past millennium living under a serious misapprehension. A great cosmic / religious misunderstanding that was either the remnant of a practical joke or an elaborate simulation.

Against this background, the Minds engage in their curiously anachronistic IM chat, revealing them to be nerdy and sarcastic, but fundamentally decent. The Minds have a deep rooted interest in tidiness and a quiet life and are prepared to project their awesome military might to achieve it. Many things get blown up in this story, but always with regret.

This book is right up there with 'Consider Phlebus' as I think Banks was at his best when he made the Culture the centre of the story.