Thoughtful reader
- 1
- review
- 0
- helpful votes
- 2
- ratings
-
The Player of Games
- By: Iain M. Banks
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,533
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,035
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,027
The Culture - a human/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players, and one of the greatest is Gurgeh. Jernau Morat Gurgeh. The Player of Games. Master of every board, computer and strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel and incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game...a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor. Mocked, blackmailed, almost murdered, Gurgeh accepts the game, and with it the challenge of his life - and very possibly his death.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great introduction to The Culture series
- By Ken on 08-04-11
- The Player of Games
- By: Iain M. Banks
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Sci-Fi at its Best
Reviewed: 07-12-22
The Player of Games is an excellent, engrossing story. The book starts with a fascinating expose of the world, falls flat a bit in the middle, but finishes with brilliance.
The writing, particularly in the final third, is technically excellent and manages to be at once pithy and flowery. The performance of the voice actor is outstanding, with only a slight gripe being the chosen accent for a major group of characters.
Overall, I would highly recommend The Player of Games to any sci-fi fan who enjoys political intrigue, social commentary, and imaginative scenery.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!