The Player of Games

A little heavy-handed but damn it's fun to reread early [a:Banks 5807106 Iain M. Banks http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]! And even though his digs at (present) human institutions are less than subtle and his Game gimmick too obviously handwaveish, this is astonishing and brain-churning and delightful work. And the eye-roll moments had an unexpected but appreciated side effect: they got me to think of the author. Who is this man, who at 34 was shaping this Culture and thinking such thoughts and writing so gracefully? The more I read with that in mind, the more I felt humbled. And thankful.I don't know what I'll get out of it if I reread at age 60, or even if I will. But I am ridiculously excited to have reread this at 46. I see it as an affirmation that there are indeed some big-deal things wrong with the world; that there are people out there who see them; that there are epic visions of hope. And that we can have fun while doing our bit to make things better.