The Player of Games

Iain M. Banks

May 2011 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Peter Kenny

About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

Player of Games was my first read of the Culture books. Excellent novel and one of my Culture favorites! The audiobook and narrator is just as enjoyable. It can be quite graphic in a few short pages regarding rape and sexual violence. So be warned if considering this book for a certain audience, yourself included. The drones are hilarious and fun. I've read other books in this series since, and each novel can stand on it's own. They are very different in terms of theme, flavor and perspectives of those within or from outside of the Culture. My additional book faves are Look to Windward (disastrous consequences when the Culture meddles with another race) and Excession (if you enjoy reading about the ship Minds and drones). Some readers vote that Use of Weapons as the best book, and I thought it was awful haha. Everyone is different, so if one Culture book doesn't suit you, try another in the series.

Starts a little slow. But it comes out pretty great at the end. Enjoyable build up.

About the author

Iain Banks came to controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. He has since gained enormous popular and critical acclaim for both his mainstream and his science fiction novels.