The Player of Games
Dec 2009 · Sold by Orbit
4.6star
243 reviews
Ebook
416
Pages
family_home
Eligible
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About this ebook
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.
The Culture Series
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
The State of the Art
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata
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.
The Culture Series
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
The State of the Art
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata
Ratings and reviews
4.6
243 reviews
Ian Stewart
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December 30, 2013
A bit short, but my favorite Culture novel so far. It gives cause for reflection upon the predominance of game-players and entertainers in our society.
3 people found this review helpful
Victor Wade
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April 4, 2019
Reading this novel is akin to experiencing several multi-part discovery movies. The depth and structure of the author's writing style is intoxicating and addictive. Finishing this novel, I couldn't help wanting to know more. Departing it, I now know how Jernau Morat Gurgeh felt after the climax of this story. And how much of me wishes for clarification of what happened at the end. Such a beautiful cast of characters! No matter who they were supposed to be, I felt attached to them… No matter how briefly…
2 people found this review helpful
A Google user
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March 28, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the perfect blend of science and fiction, never dwelling too long in hard science before coming up for air. It was difficult to put down until the last page turn.
5 people found this review helpful
About the author
Iain Banks came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. Consider Phlebas, his first science fiction novel, was published under the name Iain M. Banks in 1987 and began his celebrated ten-book Culture series. He is acclaimed as one of the most powerful, innovative and exciting writers of his generation.
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