Surface Detail
Culture Series, Book 9
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Surface Detail
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Narrated by:
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Peter Kenny
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By:
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Iain M. Banks
About this listen
The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.
The "War in Heaven", a simulated war game, rages between civilisations. Its virtual battles have been fought for decades, and the victors will decide the fate of the digital Hells - torturous artificial afterlives with horrors beyond imagination.
In the Sichultian Enablement, Y'breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit.
As the virtual war threatens to spill into the Real, Y'breq is willing to risk everything for her freedom - but she'll need the Culture, and its help comes at a price. The Culture is going to war with death itself.
The Culture series:
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata
The State of the Art
Other books by Iain M. Banks:
Against a Dark Background
Feersum Endjinn
The Algebraist
Critic Reviews
'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson
What listeners say about Surface Detail
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lyndon
- 25-06-2017
The games
great to listen to and try and figure what the end game will just be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tim L
- 02-09-2022
Another Banks Culture masterpiece
I inhaled all the Culture books as they were released, and it's such a pleasure to revisit them with Peter Kenny's masterful narration. The voices he gives to the multitude of unforgettable characters are pretty much consistent with my own internal voicings: once again he does an incredible job.
The story itself is riveting: at times shocking, hilarious and achingly sad, it is as wide ranging as the universe through which it veers at kilolight speeds. Banks manages to tie up all the loose ends brilliantly at the end, which comes far too soon.
I remember the excitement I felt each time a new novel in the series was released. You knew you were in for another epic adventure, and you were never disappointed. I can't think of another author with his originality, humour and pathos. He is sorely missed, but often revisited.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-01-2023
Glorious, just glorious
Just listen to the damn thing.
Banks at his f-ing best, and Peter Kenny an auditory delight as usual.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Etni
- 10-08-2023
Pleasure to listen to
Not my #1 in the Culture series, but a good book nonetheless, and Peter Kenny makes it a joy to listen to. His wonderful selection of different voices always brings characters to life and makes them easy to tell apart.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Boat
- 04-12-2022
A Glorious Mistake
I think that Iain M Banks surpasses himself in the final two novels in the culture series.
They are and remain my favourite books of all time and given the very short time my health is allowing me on this planet, last thing I wil do on this earth will be to listen to them again.
One more left then.
Life is a glorious mistake full of anelgs and demons, ecstasy and toxic torture, all reflected in the universe and our own unique constructs, Heaven and Hell.
I LOVE how Banks sweeps the concept of religion aside as an evolutionary stage as a method of control and law derived from fear. ( possibly to the dissatisfaction of every cleric, beguiled ancient and practitioners for centuries wink emoji) I don't suppose Mr Banks would have been very popular, for very long should he have written this in the Middle Ages and therefore could be be entirely correct.
Surface detail is definitely one of the centre most peaks in the culture series novels crown and regardless religion, I'd encourage you yo read it.
Another triumph from Banks... One more to go, before you get home.
Listen to this ... as a priority not an option, it's a must
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shaun Young
- 18-11-2018
Brilliant Banks
The story is sweeping, yet limited to only a handful of key characters which is helpful if you're an intermittent reader or forgetful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 25-01-2019
Clever and thoughtful
My only complaint is that some of the torture seemed excessive, even a little gratuitous.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Murph
- 11-03-2021
Favorite book of the Culture Series
Have read the entire series, as part of the Media Death Cult read along. This has been by far my favorite book in the series.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jim hill
- 07-12-2022
wonderful
The most I've enjoyed a book.
Peter Kennys performance takes the novel to another level.
IMB is sorely missed to this day
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 07-10-2024
Top adventure story from legend of sci fi.
As good as any of his best, another Banksy ripper. Brilliantly narrated. Cannot fault it. Epic
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