Surface Detail

This was not, to my mind, one of Banks' best novels. There were times that it seemed to drag a bit, and the scenes in Hell were not to my taste. I also felt that there was too much emphasis on main villain Veppers and not enough on the Quietus agent sent to deal with the problem.

Having said which, Banks off his form is still up there with the best, and it's well worth the trouble. There are memorable characters, with the Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints being particularly so. And, as always, it's full of stunning ideas and details, a setting on a grand scale, where things aren't always black-and-white.

So it's not a full 5 stars, but I'll give it 4.5 rounded up to 5, which will do nicely.