Feersum Endjinn is an enthralling work of science fiction. It is set in a distant future where the enlightened humans have abandoned the planet. The remaining people possess some technology, yet not all of it is fully understood by them. Additionally, there is the kript, or cryptosphere, which is a kind of internet where artificial intelligences can freely roam. Moreover, when "real" people pass away, they have the option to download into the crypt and continue "living" as sentient beings. People can enter the crypt at any time, and in some cases, crypt forms can even take control of corporeal entities.

This complex setup provides the backdrop for a great story. The sun's orbit is about to lead the planet into a space cloud, dimming the sun and ushering in a long ice age, known as the Encroachment. The first generation of humans anticipated this and left a device, the titular Feersum Endjinn, to assist the rest in surviving. However, the current humans have no clue how to activate it. As if that weren't bad enough, they have also become embroiled in internal petty conflicts.

The book is written in four different alternating narratives. One of the characters, Bascule, speaks only in phonetics. A significant portion of the book reads like this:

Woak up. Got dresd. Had brekfast. Spoke wif Ergates thi ant who sed itz juss been wurk wurk wurk 4 u lately master Bascule, Y dont u ½ a holiday? & I agreed & that woz how we decided we otter go 2 c Mr Zoliparia in thi I-ball ov thi gargoyle Rosbrith.

It is interesting to note how quickly the human brain adapts to this form of written English. Before long, you will find yourself reading phonetics as fluently as regular English. It's truly fascinating.

Overall, Feersum Endjinn is a great book. It is highly recommended for those who are into science fiction and are seeking something a bit different.

You know it by now, I have a deep affection for the Culture Novels penned by Banks.

Each book within this remarkable series brings something entirely new and refreshing to the table, presenting diverse themes with every installment.

Feersum Endjinn is no exception to this rule.

Firstly, you might have noticed that the title actually means Fearsome Engine.

It is written in this unique way because a significant portion of the book is presented from the perspective of a character who has limited writing skills and consequently makes numerous mistakes.

Admittedly, this can be a bit of a challenge to read in English.

Putting this aspect aside, the story primarily follows the Count Alandre Sessine.

He has just been killed and now uses the remaining time of his existence in the virtual world to uncover the identity of his assassin.

In the process, he stumbles upon a vast conspiracy that extends far beyond his own murder.

Feersum Endjinn, although relatively short in length, is a book brimming with highly original ideas.

While it may not be my absolute favorite within the series, I still found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Particularly captivating was its exploration of themes such as mortality, rebirth, and virtual life - themes that are seldom combined in such a thought-provoking manner.

There’s no good analog for this one.

It’s a captivating blend that starts as a whodunnit and then evolves into a whydunnit, all set within a political thriller. The backdrop is an impending apocalypse that unfolds in a megastructure designed to resemble a castle. And I’m not kidding you, the author manages to pull this off masterfully.

The setting and names have a distinct flavor of fantasy, while some aspects of the world building echo cyberpunk. However, there’s truly nothing quite like it.

Some of this uniqueness probably stems from how idea-dense the story is. The author crams a series’ worth of sci-fi concepts into it. Instead of feeling overstuffed, the writing and plotting give each idea enough time to breathe (except for the chimerics). The result is a network of mutually reinforcing ‘holy shit’ moments, all of which support the meticulously crafted, mystery-quality plot.

The author’s work as a literary author is also on full display. At times, he literally paints the scene, allowing the story and imagery to venture in ambitious directions.

You also get a cast of strong characters, which can be a challenge in sci-fi. Additionally, the exposition never feels like the author wanted to write a textbook. This is due to his love of withholding information until about one-third of the way in, at which point you’re desperate to know what the hell is going on.

The first-person POV character whose story was written phonetically didn’t take long to acclimate to (he sounded Cockney in my head), so it helped flesh out that character’s perspective rather than just annoying me.

Lastly, the ambition and the length of time the author lets you flail around can make it seem like the book is overreaching in the beginning. But, somehow, he justifies everything by the end.

It’s amazingly good and confidently unique. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Feersum Endjinn is an amazingly visionary work of science fiction.

It belongs to the category of hard science fiction, yet it presents a fantastical feeling world from the far-distant future of humanity.

The story is filled with unique and captivating elements that draw the reader in.

However, some readers might be initially put off by the fact that one character's perspective is written with phonetic spelling.

But this stylistic choice by Banks is actually a brilliant characterization tool.

It not only adds a great deal of comedic relief to the story but also brings a sense of whimsy and charm.

Overall, Feersum Endjinn is truly one of the better novels by Banks.

It combines scientific concepts with an engaging narrative and memorable characters, making it a must-read for science fiction enthusiasts.

The book takes the reader on a journey through a future world that is both strange and wonderful, leaving a lasting impression.

Whether you are a fan of hard science fiction or simply enjoy a good story, Feersum Endjinn is sure to delight.

Amazingly imaginative! This book truly stands out with its remarkable creativity. However, it has a rather unique aspect that might be a bit of a challenge for some readers. A full 15% of the book is purposefully misspelt. This can be an excruciating experience at times. As you read along, you come across these intentional misspellings that seem to disrupt the flow. It forces you to stop and think, trying to figure out what the author really meant. On one hand, it adds an element of mystery and intrigue, making you engage with the text on a deeper level. But on the other hand, it can also be frustrating, especially if you are used to reading books with proper spelling. Nevertheless, it is this very quirk that makes this book different and worthy of attention.

For a writer as highly regarded as Banks, the number of awards he won was rather limited. Both this work and Excession managed to secure the BSFA, but that was it, with a gap of two years between the wins. I had read this book a long time ago, shortly after its release. To be honest, I couldn't recall much about it. One of the notable characters is Bascule, who narrates his chapters in a semi-phonetic style:

“O yes, I sed, which woznt stricktly tru, in fact which woz pretti strikly untru, trufe btold, but I cude always do them while we woz travelin.”

“Wots in that thare box yoor holdin?” he asks.

“Itz a ant, I sez, waven thi box @ his face.”

Bascule's story is just one of four distinct plot strands that follow different key characters through the landscape of a post-singularity society. In this society, most people reside in a vast structure known as Serehfa and also interact with a virtual space called the Crypt. What initially seem to be not only different stories but also different worlds ultimately fit together and amount to more than the sum of their individual parts. However, I wasn't entirely convinced by the overall narrative. Perhaps this is the reason why this book is not commonly listed among the top ten of Banks's works.

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It is possible that this is the last novel I will read by this author, not because I will stop following his works, but due to his death.

And, I'm sorry to write this, but it's probably not his best.

In this novel, we follow four narrators in a land of the distant future who will obviously cross paths and collaborate to save the world from an indescribable extraterrestrial threat.

Obviously, when you read it, you won't see it that way, because the author plays with his reader... in several ways.

The first way is, of course, the writing style of the so-called Bascule, which is very similar to what we could read in ENtreFER: a kind of phonetic writing mush that is barely readable.

The second way is what happens to the second narrator, who dies/comes back to life/disappears before being transformed in an unimaginable way.

There are still other games, in particular the classic one of setting up a decor on a... different scale, or globally playing cat and mouse with his reader.

And in fact, I think Banks does too much of it: I didn't understand half of the plot, which was probably too sophisticated for me.

I also didn't understand half of the motivations of the characters.

In other words, and it pains me to admit it, I didn't understand much.

In fact, I mostly understood the afterword, in which the collection director explains very well how happy he is with this account of the order of the dream.

I was asking myself questions... a lot... and then I took a look at the Wikipedia page: the novel was first published in 1994! And unlike ENtreFER, it was not published before 2012. Maybe it's a sign, or maybe not.

In any case, it's a very different novel. Even compared to the non-SF novels of the author that I have read.

I have a deep love for Iain Banks' science fiction works in general. This particular book caught my attention as it was nominally about a future Earth, rather than the vast universe-spanning tales of the Culture. However, I had postponed reading it for years, perhaps simply deterred by the title.

The plot will likely be recognizable to many of Banks' readers. It features flawed yet essentially appealing characters who are engaged in individual battles against despots or regimes hell-bent on war and destruction, similar to the beginning of Matter. Often, his most captivating heroes meet their demise in the final quarter of the book. Fortunately, in this case, at least many of them manage to survive.

I found the concept of a future Earth with a "Crypt" that can reincarnate people a limited number of times quite enjoyable, although the process is only vaguely described. The four heroes play important and interconnected roles. However, one of them, the "Teller," was extremely irritating to read about. The chapters related to the Teller were written in a combination of l33t speech and pidgin English (hence the name of the book), which had to be mentally sounded out to be understood. As someone with a very high reading speed, this was simply frustrating. I ultimately skipped a significant portion of the Teller's story because it was so difficult to follow.

In conclusion, if you wish to have a comprehensive understanding of Banks' works, then read this book. But if you're seeking true fulfillment, you might want to look elsewhere. It was a bit of a laborious read.

Awesome!

Here is another stand-alone book that is set on Earth thousands of years in the future. However, once again, Banks provides you with few clues regarding how the world and locations are configured, leaving a great deal to your imagination.

I truly love the way the narrative of one specific character is written entirely in phonetics, just like the title (Feersum Endjinn = Fearsome Engine). It is also extremely funny in certain parts, in a way that I can only describe as very "British".

This is definitely one of Banks' best works. It offers a unique and engaging reading experience, with its combination of a futuristic setting, an interesting narrative style, and a touch of humor. Fans of science fiction and Banks' previous works are sure to enjoy this book.

It was a toss-up whether I included Feersum Engjinn among my Banks's greatests. I probably should have done.

Certainly I would have done had I not feared that the strange phonetic spelling of Bascue the dyslexic Teller (prescient of modern day texting or what?) and the difficulty this might create for some readers.

Actually, given the universality of much the same dyslexic texting these days, Bascule might be the easiest text in the book for many readers.

But absolutely no doubt that this is an award-winning science fiction novel that merits and has its own page on Wikepedia.

Oh, of course I'm kind of changing my mind as I write this, and hammering and car-jacking it into my best of all Bank's three.

I suppose I'm making the square pet four somehow fit into the round hole of the three.

There you go. Ignore all the above. Feersum Endjinn is the extrapolation into the fourth dimension of the three dimensional trilogy previously lionised.

And old Bascule is the key. The book just wouldn't be the same -- not half as funny -- without him.

So it's a four (five if you take a peek into the fourth dimension) star rating for this wonderful, strange, work of genius.

This science fiction novel, Feersum Engjinn, presents a unique and captivating world. The character of Bascue, with his dyslexic spelling, adds an interesting and humorous element.

Despite initial concerns about its readability, the book's universal themes and engaging storyline make it accessible to a wide range of readers.

It truly is a remarkable work that deserves its place among the greats of science fiction literature.

The extrapolation into the fourth dimension takes the reader on a thrilling journey, and Bascue's role is essential in making the story come alive.

Overall, this is a must-read for any science fiction enthusiast.

Well. It's an earth that's on the verge of an ice age.

It's also an earth where people who are left behind (after the earth has been vacated by those who wanted to be space explorers) have forgotten science and have become mystics.

Cities have died, and the last bastion of civilization is an enormous castle called Serehfa.

The people on this earth live 8 lives, and after that, they move into a virtual world called the crypt and have 8 more lives to live there.

There's a battle going on between the rulers and the engineers to control who gets to live when the ice age does happen.

In the middle of this are four people who are the protagonists of our story.

Count Sessine is a high born who has already exhausted all his physical lives and is perilously close to finishing his virtual life as well. Before that, he needs to find out why he is being hunted down and assassinated.

There is a young woman called "Asura", who is either a virus trying to infect everything she touches or the one hope of humanity sent by the uncorrupted portions of the crypt. The problem is that she doesn't know which one she is.

There is a Master Scientist, a high born called Gadfium, who along with others is conspiring against the king because she doesn't agree with the war against engineers.

Then there is Bascule, a dyslexic young one with a healthy imagination and curiosity to see something through. He is also a teller, a person who can contact beings in the crypt and get their stories.

I thought about writing this review in Bascule fashion but couldn't get beyond two lines. It's a truly feersum thing.

Considering Bascule takes up about a full quarter of the book and is by far the most interesting part of it, Iain M. Banks has my unending respect.

It's not for everyone. I've always been able to read text speak easily (just not able to write it), but I know a lot of people who would be put off by chapters worth of it.

But it's worth the extra time it takes to read it. It's only writing, mind. Bascule has grammar, just not spelling. More than that, Bascule has humor.

And that becomes important because the other three quarters of the book is made up of very serious persons.

It's a great world, sometimes confusing, sometimes contradictory, always imaginative.

The societal structure is very well done. It's dense enough to require full attention.

Even though I was as attentive as I could get, I probably still need another go around to actually figure out some of the architecture of the world.

The crypt is a fascinating space, especially with Bascule as a navigator.

It was a bit long and more than a little convoluted. I lost track of the characters more than once because of all the duplicates of physical and virtual people running around in crypt space.

The ending too was abrupt. I would have loved to know more about the crypt and its denizens.

I would have loved to know what they do to disperse the dust cloud.

But it was still a super fun read that I normally wouldn't have read.

This was my first Banks book, and I will be back for more.

Excellent Banksian sci-fi presents a mind-bendingly complex, imaginative, and witty story. For me, it's like a unique combination of themes from Gene Wolfe's Book Of The New Sun, Snow Crash, Three Body Problem, and occasionally Pratchett.

This becomes clearer when I reference moments such as Chief Scientist Gadfium entering the Crypt. The Crypt is a virtual world parallel to the "real" one, accessible to those with cerebral implants. People can delve into it remotely at will or be taken there by certain others. After biological death, consciousness is uploaded into it. Gadfium erupts through an ice sheet on the back of a mammoth driven by an ape-like human precursor, accompanied by a giant bird hosting a human consciousness. This is to rescue a human-form projection of a collective of AIs sent to save the far future Earth from a cosmic cataclysm. Honestly, it mostly makes sense in context.

This story sits outside Banks' Culture universe. Along with Against A Dark Background, it doesn't receive the attention it truly deserves. Although I have to admit that on average, I think I enjoyed the Culture novels a bit more. Nevertheless, it is still mandatory reading for modern science fiction fans.