DNF - Phonetical writing is indeed too much of a chore for me.

Every time I have to deal with it, I feel a sense of frustration and exhaustion. The complex rules and the need to accurately represent the sounds make it a time-consuming and mentally taxing task.

I often find myself spending a significant amount of time trying to figure out the correct phonetic spelling, only to end up making mistakes or feeling dissatisfied with the result.

It seems that no matter how hard I try, phonetical writing always manages to elude my grasp. It's like a never-ending puzzle that I can't quite solve.

However, I know that it is an important skill to have, especially in certain fields such as linguistics and language teaching. So, despite the difficulties, I continue to persevere and try to improve my phonetical writing abilities.

Maybe one day, with enough practice and determination, it won't be such a chore for me anymore. But for now, I'll just have to keep struggling through it.

Iain Banks, a writer whose work was evenly split between literary fiction and science fiction, considered himself a science fiction writer at heart. He began his career writing space opera in the seventies, but those novels remained unpublished for decades. In 1984, he shifted his focus to literary fiction, hoping for better success in the mainstream. His first published novel, "The Wasp Factory," was a hit that year, and he followed it with a string of successful mainstream novels in the mid-to-late eighties.

However, by the late eighties, his publisher was eager for more, and Banks began rewriting his earlier rejected science fiction work. These novels became the first three novels set in the Culture and a standalone space opera. They were published pseudonymously as Iain M. Banks and released between his mainstream novels.

In the years since Banks was first published, cyberpunk had taken the science fiction world by storm and eventually given way to post-cyberpunk. Banks, who had missed out on participating in the cyberpunk genre while working in the mainstream and rewriting his earlier work, became interested in exploring it. His novel "Feersum Endjinn" grew out of this interest and was a departure from his earlier space operas. The story is set on Earth in the far future, after most of humanity has abandoned the planet, and addresses themes common to cyberpunk, such as identity and oppression.

One of the most interesting aspects of "Feersum Endjinn" is Banks' use of the cyberpunk toolbox to tell a story in a unique way. He splits the cyberpunk themes from their usual setting, creating a world that is closer to epic fantasy than traditional cyberpunk. The result is a novel that is both strange and fascinating, full of interesting characters and ideas.

Of course, not everything in "Feersum Endjinn" works perfectly. There are some plot-lines that are left unresolved, the story drags in the middle, and the phonetic writing style can be difficult to read. However, despite these flaws, the novel is still worth reading for anyone who is interested in science fiction or cyberpunk. It's a bold and experimental work that shows Banks at his most creative and innovative.

Posted at Heradas.com

This is truly good. It is as intelligent as the more contemporary 'The Bridge' (which, up until now, remains my favorite novel by Iain Banks that I have read - I am still delving into his books). It is not set within the Culture series but rather stands alone as a sci-fi novel with a very unique aspect, just like all his novels do.

However, my main concern (which also deterred me from reading the book the first time I tried it several years ago) was the phonetically written sections by a character named Bascule. Nevertheless, this attempt at re-reading was a success. While most might be initially put off by the 'text-speech', it does become easier as the book progresses and one gets accustomed to it. It took me some time, but the character who speaks in this manner also has a comedic value. Given time, one gets used to it, but it does make the novel a slower read.

It is a completely confusing, weird, off-the-cuff, and obscurely written tale about - hmm - multiple existences, space elevators, talking chimeric creatures, artificial intelligence, a world on the verge of being extinguished by something called 'The Encroachment' (space fog about to obliterate the sun), saviors (Bascule and his talking Ant are among them), and other tangential things. It requires re-reading, having gradually become used to the Bascule character and his phonetic writing throughout the book. Good, but odd. 4 stars.

By looking at my star rating, you might think I am not a fan of Iain M. Banks' non-Culture novel Feersum Endjin. That is not the truth, though.

I am a fan. A big fan, actually. But I try to stick to what the stars claim they are for. Since they range from \\"didn't like it\\" to \\"it was amazing\\" and are clearly subjective ranks rather than qualitative ranks, the book only received an I \\"liked it\\" rating from me.

If I was rating its quality, however, Feersum Endjin is worthy of the full compliment of stars.

Feersum Endjin is not an entertainment. But it is an impressive literary feat. Banks makes us work for every page, every step of the story. He rewards us with passages of exceptional, nearly poetic, prose that reveal his immense imagination and can set one's mind spinning into an all too feasible future Earth of massive architecture, virtual immortality, and Sun-induced, ice age Encroachment.

Banks' finest and most challenging achievement in Feersum Endjin comes whenever he shifts his narrative to Bascule, the dyslexic Teller who writes his story phonetically because he can't write it any other way. His accent, which feels a little North London and a little Glasgow, makes the phonetic spelling just a touch more challenging for the reader (particularly if the reader is from North America). But if one takes one's time, and even reads it aloud, the pay off is worth the work it takes to read.

Bascule may actually be Banks' most likable sci-fi character, and his search for the talking ant, Ergates, is satisfying in its future picaresqueness.

You might not \\"enjoy\\" Feersum Endjin in any traditional sense, but you will be glad you read it when you're through.

At least I am.

Set on an almost unrecognizable far future Earth, this book is Iain. M. Banks' second non-Culture SF endeavour.

Earth has long passed its golden hour, and technology has descended into the realm of mysticism and ritual. The story follows four different people living in the remains of what can only be described as an disproportionately scaled super-city. They are reluctantly dragged into a plot involving a threat against the entire Earth.

They face a conspiracy of powerful individuals with their own agendas, not necessarily interested in averting the looming threat. What's really special is that one of the protagonist's (Bascule, a young Teller (hacker, more or less)) viewpoints is written almost phonetically in first person perspective. This could potentially annoy some readers, but it adds another layer of flavor to the already very thick atmosphere of the book.

Here's an example of how it reads: "Well I no that, thilly, tho u r a very feerth old hok, & gettin less blind ol thi time. I woth jutht kiddin. O luke anuthi thee-gull. Or ith it? Lookth moar like a albino cro, akchooly. Well, i cant thtand awound hea ol day chattin with u; i 1/2 2 fly, Dartlin sez, & hops down off thi perch. Ith ther anythin i can get u, Mr Bathcule?"

Believe it or not, this makes sense when you have actually read the book. In any case, or perhaps because of it, I really enjoyed it. In fact, this is probably, in my opinion, Banks's best non-Culture novel. It offers a unique and engaging exploration of a future Earth that is both strange and captivating.

**Feersum Endjinn: A Captivating Far-Future Science Fantasy Blend**

Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks is a remarkable work that defies easy categorization. It combines elements from various classic genre works, creating a unique and engaging reading experience. The story is told from four alternating perspectives, gradually revealing the complex and strange world that surrounds the characters.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the book is the chapters narrated in phonetic spelling by Bascule the Teller. His sections, like the one that begins "Woak up. Got dresd. Had brekfast...", add a charming and unique flavor to the narrative. For readers familiar with Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker, this literary technique will be recognizable.
The main cast of characters includes Count Alandre Sessine VII, a military commander who has lost his real-world life and must now uncover the plot against him in the virtual Cryptosphere. Hortis Gadfium III, the Chief Scientist, becomes embroiled in a conflict with the ruling powers as she investigates warnings about the Encroachment. Asura, a mysterious woman with amnesia, must deliver a message without knowing its content or recipient, while Bastule the Teller dives into the Cryptosphere to retrieve lost information and find his ant friend Ergates.
The Fastness, a massive castle-like structure, is another key element of the story. Its origins and workings are lost in antiquity, and it is inextricably linked to the Cryptosphere. The descriptions of the Fastness, such as the one that mentions a single great bastion-tower and the unique plant-mass babilia coating its walls, add to the rich and detailed world-building.
Overall, Feersum Endjinn is a must-read for fans of science fiction and fantasy. It requires careful attention, but the payoff is well worth it. With its engaging characters, complex plot, and unique literary techniques, it is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

So, if you're looking for a thought-provoking and entertaining read, give Feersum Endjinn a try.

Iain M. Banks is truly a remarkable figure in the world of science fiction. He is the only sf author whom I have actively sought out in recent years. His Culture novels, in particular, have been a source of great interest. The sociological framework within them is unusually intelligent for the genre, setting them apart from the rest.

However, this particular work is not a Culture novel in the strictest sense. Although, goodness knows, it might find its place somewhere as pre-Culture within the broad canvas of Banks' vivid imagination. What it actually is, is a story set on a future Earth. The date is not specified, but it is clearly not the near future. The ostensible plot-driver is an interstellar cloud that is increasingly occluding solar radiation, thereby threatening all life on the planet. As is the case with many of Banks' works, the story is approached from the perspectives of several disparate characters, and much remains mysterious until the final chapter.

Unfortunately, even after reading the final page, far too much remains mysterious. Assuming this is a standalone novel, it lacks the advantage that the Culture novels have. In those, they pretty much explain, or at least promise to explain, everything among themselves. Here, one wonders how this advanced society lacks space faring capacities when it is evident that a significant portion of the population, "the Diaspora", flew off long ago. In other respects, they are quite technologically advanced, yet in still other respects, they are politically and sociologically atavistic. Common people exist in this book only as faceless masses ruled by - believe it or not - a king and council. The overall impression after finishing the book is that it feels incomplete.

Most irritatingly, one of the major protagonists is only represented phonetically (as in the book's title). This disability is mentioned only once explicitly, and as far as I could see, this device serves no purpose other than to slow down the reading process.

If I had never read anything by Banks except this, I would likely never read him again. Fortunately, I know better and intend to explore some of his straight fiction next, hoping to rediscover the brilliance that I have come to associate with his name.

I truly desired to have a greater affinity for this particular work. However, the chapters related to autism had the effect of significantly decelerating my reading pace. It felt as though an inordinate amount of effort was being expended with insufficient reward. I did find the story to be moderately engaging, and I have always held a fondness for Bank's writing style. Nevertheless, this book simply lacked the same profoundness and humor that were characteristic of his Culture novels. As a result, I finished reading it with a sense of underwhelment. One can only hope that Against a Dark Background and The Algebraist prove to be of a higher caliber.

Fino Reviews Iain M Banks Sci-Fi and Culture series
Culture Series
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... (The rest of the list remains the same)