"Transition" by Iain (M.) Banks.

[Big Orange]

Iain M. Banks had another novel published, Transition (details here), the book is not officially a sci-fi (in the vein of the Culture) since in the UK at least Banks' "M" is omitted. The story involves transdimensional agents who work for a mysterious order known as the Concern.

In the main the reviews and fan reaction to Transition is generally positive, however the surprisingly mixed fan reaction to Matter did not deter me from really liking that last Culture novel anyway (I prefered Matter to the fiercely imaginative, yet rather muddled The Algebraist and the undeniably solid, yet over-hyped Excession).

[Marcus Aurelius]

Iain M. Banks had another novel published, Transition (details here), the book is not officially a sci-fi (in the vein of the Culture) since in the UK at least Banks' "M" is omitted. The story involves transdimensional agents who work for a mysterious order known as the Concern.

I suppose they are trying to lure a wider audience by omitting the "M". After all, it seems to be set on Earth at present time, so it's not too "scifi" for mainstream audience.

In the main the reviews and fan reaction to Transition is generally positive, however the surprisingly mixed fan reaction to Matter did not deter me from really liking that last Culture novel anyway (I prefered Matter to the fiercely imaginative, yet rather muddled The Algebraist and the undeniably solid, yet over-hyped Excession).

I agree with you that "Matter" is the best Culture novel since "Use of Weapons". "Excession" lacked engaging characters and "Look to Windward", despite some interesting ideas, was still a bit run of the mill. I had no gripes about the ending though, unlike some people who think that the Culture is some kind of far-future version of the UFP. (In some ways it is, but better )

[Covenant]

I think a lot of us like Excession because of the Minds, at least I did. As a story itself Excession is much less interesting, but filled with such interesting concepts and characters that it was a real fun way to start my culture-book reading. There's a lot of deeper books in the list, but for whatever reason, I really liked the many personalities I got in Excession as well as the linear structure that kept giving me new tastes of them. Not sure why that is, I normally yawn at character studies.

[Siege]

I've read Transition and really liked it, it has lots of character development as you'd expect from a Banks novel and the way the plot develops in such a fashion that you're left wondering what the hell is going on for the first hundred or so pages appealed to me. There were a few minor details and developments that seemed odd to me, but nobody's perfect -- I'd heartily recommend the book to anyone who likes Banks' previous works (in fact, to anyone who enjoys a good pseudo-scifi thriller).

[Big Orange]

I suppose they are trying to lure a wider audience by omitting the "M". After all, it seems to be set on Earth at present time, so it's not too "scifi" for mainstream audience.

The Business is a sci-fi along the lines of a James Bond movie and The Wasp Factory delves into the occult, The Bridge supposedly has very surreal segments to it, and Walking on Glass has VR video games.

I agree with you that "Matter" is the best Culture novel since "Use of Weapons". "Excession" lacked engaging characters and "Look to Windward", despite some interesting ideas, was still a bit run of the mill. I had no gripes about the ending though, unlike some people who think that the Culture is some kind of far-future version of the UFP. (In some ways it is, but better )

I wouldn't go as far as saying that, but I liked Matter as much as I did Look to Windward and Consider Phlebas; it was also better than Feersum Endjinn (fun enough romp weighed down by annoying phonetic spelling gimmick) and Alastair Reynold's Absolution Gap (the Inhibitor trilogy kinda crapped out and had a literal Mary Sue, but walking cathedrals are kool). Against a Dark Background is my favourite Banks novel so-far, but I've got The Crow Road waiting on my shelf. Excession's humanoid characters were not exactly compelling and some came across as whiney, but the decidely non-human Affronters, lesser Culture AIs, and Culture Minds such as the Sleeper Service and Grey Area were excellent.

Banks seems to be increasingly hamstrung by his troupes in recent years though, like incest. Not to give much away his incest troupe was genuinely shocking in Use of Weapons, a source of tension between the heroine and villain in Against a Dark Background, but was laid on thick and was dull in A Song of Stone. In his stories more grounded in the "real world" (like The Business and some short stories form The State of the Art) his political preachiness can get a little histrionic (I heard it was plain bad in Dead Air).

[Crazedwraith]

What incest? The Against A Dark Background people are cousins, which is arguably not incestuous or illegal at all. And The Use Of Weapons were entirely unrelated if I recall correctly. Elthiomel was just a friend of the family who got taken in by the Zakalwe's.

As to Matter, I found it in dire need of an editor. Even aside form the typical Bank abrupt downer ending, it's got a bunch of plots and characters that pretty much go nowhere and all just ending dying pointless when the barely explain evil killing device is unleashed at the end.

[The Grim Squeaker]

What incest? The Against A Dark Background people are cousins, which is arguably not incestuous or illegal at all. And The Use Of Weapons were entirely unrelated if I recall correctly. Elthiomel was just a friend of the family who got taken in by the Zakalwe's.

You are correct sir! "The long road to Garbadale" did have an incest plot line that was handled, erm, well though.

[Marcus Aurelius]

As to Matter, I found it in dire need of an editor. Even aside form the typical Bank abrupt downer ending, it's got a bunch of plots and characters that pretty much go nowhere and all just ending dying pointless when the barely explain evil killing device is unleashed at the end.

Pointless deaths are of course one of Banks' main philosophical points, so editing them out would change the whole tone of the book. Or rather books, since many of his novels have pointless deaths of central characters. If you want smooth mainstream plots, you should read only international best sellers. The ending was, as you wrote, fairly typical Banks as well, but sufficiently softened by the Epilogue.

[Big Orange]

What incest? The Against A Dark Background people are cousins, which is arguably not incestuous or illegal at all.

I agree cousins fucking is not as immediately deleterious as siblings fucking, it is not a legal taboo in many societies, but never the less is still the butt of jokes and long term cousin fucking can have bad results, and Banks loves his close knit royalty and aristocracy.

And The Use Of Weapons were entirely unrelated if I recall correctly. Elthiomel was just a friend of the family who got taken in by the Zakalwe's.

I haven't read the book properly in quite a while, but I got the impression they were fairly close relatives and other fans kept insisting on that, so.

As to Matter, I found it in dire need of an editor. Even aside form the typical Bank abrupt downer ending, it's got a bunch of plots and characters that pretty much go nowhere and all just ending dying pointless when the barely explain evil killing device is unleashed at the end.

I partially agree it was not an all time great (in comparison to The Player of Games) yett Matter did not have as many tangents and loose ends that were featured in Alastair Reynold's Inhibitor trilogy (three big tomes that are really a single story that went on for a staggering 2000+ pages and sort of ended with a whimper, as cool as walking cathedrals are). I don't think the Iln artifact was completely left field, and some of the human characters were more likable and developed a bit more than some of the pampered Culture brats in Excession.