nicanical
Excession follows several Minds responding to a strange sphere (the Excession of the title) in Culture space, while tenuous allies—the Affront—also encroach. This is the Culture novel for fans of the AI: Minds are the focus with humans in supporting roles. There are plenty of ships, exhibits of obscenely powerful Culture technology, and repartee between Minds (the names sometimes make it difficult to follow along though).
But, because the Minds are practically omnipotent, Culture failure seems impossible no matter what happens with the Excession. This defuses any tension in the main plot, making it kind of dull. This is why, despite being a fan of the Minds, I was more invested in the human subplot with Genar-Hofoen and Dajeil: their reconciliation is not guaranteed, and the possibility of failure is captivating.
I wish Banks had cut Ulver Seich out of the story though. She doesn't add anything, and her character is insufferable. Many Culture stories feature immature characters but Ulver is the worst of the worst, being something like a combination trust fund baby-social media influencer.
Excession follows several Minds responding to a strange sphere (the Excession of the title) in Culture space, while tenuous allies—the Affront—also encroach. This is the Culture novel for fans of the AI: Minds are the focus with humans in supporting roles. There are plenty of ships, exhibits of obscenely powerful Culture technology, and repartee between Minds (the names sometimes make it difficult to follow along though).
But, because the Minds are practically omnipotent, Culture failure seems impossible no matter what happens with the Excession. This defuses any tension in the main plot, making it kind of dull. This is why, despite being a fan of the Minds, I was more invested in the human subplot with Genar-Hofoen and Dajeil: their reconciliation is not guaranteed, and the possibility of failure is captivating.
I wish Banks had cut Ulver Seich out of the story though. She doesn't add anything, and her character is insufferable. Many Culture stories feature immature characters but Ulver is the worst of the worst, being something like a combination trust fund baby-social media influencer.