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Consider Phlebas
Iain M. Banks Book Review

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Plot Summary of Consider Phlebas
"Bora Horza Gorbuchul is a 'changer' - a human-based being who can change his shape to imitate other humans. Working for the three-legged Idirans, he is sent to retrieve a fugitive computer 'Mind' from a Planet of the Dead. Set against a background of cosmic conflict, Horza and his mercenaries seek the mind, battling against agents of the human 'Culture' and fanatic Idirans, to then face their doom on the proscribed barren world where the mind has hidden..."
Paul W, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Consider Phlebas
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - computer/database
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
magical powers: - shapechanger (scifi)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - spy
Age: - long lived adults
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - can change shapes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - spy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Water - Space, need spacesuit - Domed/Underground City
Spaceship setting: - futuristic human warship - a space station - futuristic human freighter/transport - really, really giant spaceship/station
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - unfriendly aliens - neutral aliens - empty, or nearly empty world
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Takes place in spaceship? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture
scientific jargon? (SF only) - an average amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog
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Iain M. Banks Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Ian Peter Avery  

SCHOLARS:
Geoff Tanner  


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