Was this book necessary? It was well executed, but was its length justified by an orignal idea? It succeeded at escapism, and if that is your aim then your time will be well wasted.

this is an absolutely fantastic read. each glimpse into the universe that M Banks has crafted is wonderful mystifying and evocative. the narrator is also superb and one of the best I've had the pleasure of listening to

This is the second time I’ve read this book. I enjoyed it even more than the first time. Iain Banks was truly brilliant and ahead of his time. He effectively described smart phones before there were even pocket-sized cell phones?!? And there is so much more to his work. Over all the books I’ve read I can honestly say that Dean Koontz expanded my vocabulary and Iain Banks expanded my mind! It has been years since I first read this book. I’ve learned, gathered insight, accrued experience and all that opened aspects of this story to me that were previously closed.