Matter

By: Iain M. Banks

Narrated by: Toby Longworth

In a world renowned even within a galaxy full of wonders, a crime within a war. For one man it means a desperate flight, and a search for the one - maybe two - people who could clear his name. For his brother it means a life lived under constant threat of treachery and murder. And for their sister, even without knowing the full truth, it means returning to a place she'd thought abandoned forever.

Only the sister is not what she once was; Djan Seriy Anaplian has changed almost beyond recognition to become an agent of the Culture's Special Circumstances section, charged with high-level interference in civilizations throughout the greater galaxy.

Concealing her new identity - and her particular set of abilities - might be a dangerous strategy, however. In the world to which Anaplian returns, nothing is quite as it seems; and determining the appropriate level of interference in someone else's war is never a simple matter.

MATTER is a novel of dazzling wit and serious purpose. An extraordinary feat of storytelling and breathtaking invention on a grand scale, it is a tour de force from a writer who has turned science fiction on its head.

Flawless

I cannot recommend this highly enough. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book a few years ago, but the narrator brought another dimension to the story that blew me away.

In my humble opinion Iain M Banks is a master of this genre, rivalled only by Alastair Reynolds. This story is beautifully written and totally absorbing from the beginning. The characters are wonderfully realised, the story lines fast paced and believable with an underlying humour that I found delightful.

As is often the case when I read Banks, I found myself marvelling at his insights and observations. He is a formidably intelligent man.

Toby Longworth is a brilliant narrator and this story suits his talents to a tee. It takes real talent to bring characters to life as he did in this book.

Loved it and will listen to it again for sure.

Matter or Black Adder Rides Again!

This book meets my unusually high expectations for Banks' work. A delightful story with a talented narrator.

Freaking Outstanding!!!

What an incredible story of complex, rich interactions between galactic scale civilizations of various levels of technological progress. Ian M Banks is truly a genius to paint such vivid and fantastical futuristic pictures while keeping everything coherent. I truly am in awe of how he does it. To quote a friend, this is the benchmark in which all other sci-fi should be measured.

The worst culture novel is still pretty darn good

I get what Banks is doing here -- the point he's making is well taken, even if it's not the cheeriest insight humanity ever dreamed up -- and it's stylistically and structurally audacious and I think if I'd felt any affection for any of the characters outside of our ostensible protagonist, a Special Circumstances applicant and erstwhile princess, it might have worked better for me. Still, Banks' writing is never anything short of a joy to read, and even the worst Culture novel is still a Cuture novel.

Again…. It has pretty much everything.

Acting, story, production , premise all superior and thought-provoking entertainment. Might be in a dictionary under “space opera.”