{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "This is the first book I’ve read by Iain Banks and it took me a bit longer to get through than I would’ve liked. This is my fault, not the author’s (finding time to read is hard and my inability to focus has me reading several books in parallel, albeit all different genres). Nonetheless I found this to be a relentlessly entertaining read. I am a total sucker for space operas, post apocalyptic tales and grandiose world building. This being the first entry in the Culture series made the natural entry point (though I know it’s not uncommon to read it out of order). Horza is a ruthless, occasionally sympathetic and altogether capable protagonist. He’s as detached and mercurial as one might expect of a person that can freely assume the appearance of others and a cunning manipulator of those around him. The warring factions are deftly and fully described (despite their scale and that of the war they’re engaged in). This is everything I like about sci-fi and Banks is ruthless in his willingness to discard characters and drive the story to its conclusion. I’m excited to dig into the rest of the series.",
  "path": "/reading/books/9780316095839/consider-phlebas",
  "publishedAt": "2024-11-28T00:00:00Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:sttgf52vkk46f6yuknvqxvgh/site.standard.publication/self",
  "tags": [
    "scifi",
    "fiction"
  ],
  "title": "Consider Phlebas"
}