For those of you who have been visiting heptapod.org on a regular basis have come to understand that I'm a pessimist. When I'm feeling optimistic I'll just think that I'm being a loud pessimist but deep down I figure everything's going to be all right.
One thing that I really have a hard time understanding is how people can be so cheerful and optimistic all the time. From Jaybird to raddidge to elmgrows to others. I just can't see why or how these people and others are able to keep it up all the time. Most of all come across as being genuine rather than facetious.
One of the best players in The Culture is having a personal crisis about gaming and if he should blow his brains out if he loses his next game. Special Circumstances, a department of The Culture, taps him on the shoulder with a mission. A distant civilization's entire society is based upon a game called Azad. It's used like a civil service exam and it affects the various castes. Gurgeh, the protagonist, accepts the mission to learn the game and participate in an upcoming tournament.
The story is really good, a page-turner and is pretty original. What stood out in the novel was a series of situations where his library drone decides to show him around the Empire of Azad. These bits end up feeling a bit out of place as if Banks really needed to drive home "Azadians bad. Culture good." Of course there's a hunting scene towards the end of the book which has the same flavor.
Now this is entirely forgivable because of the presentation. I recommend The Player of Games.
By spivak, age 12
Yet after beating Orochi, I'm not that interested in playing the game. It seems like playing the game is just advancing from one lock, unlocking it then advancing to another lock to unlock another door only to get to the very end. Videogames are fun but this doesn't feel like a game. Maybe it's just a mood considering the first part of this entry.
Reckon I'll feel differently in a few days.
