16) Matter, by Iain M. Banks

The latest Culture novel by Banks; speaking in Brussels a couple of weeks ago, he said that he felt he is mellowing as he gets older, and the book is strikingly domestic - I can't think of another Culture book which has such a focus on family. Here we follow the tale of three royal siblings - the sister who ran away from a primitive society to join the Culture, the older brother who is on the run believed dead in battle, and the younger brother who has accidentally become king - as the main set of plot strands. The background for much of the story is the Shell world on which the family originate, a massive nested structure of concentric spheres, more reminiscent of Ringworld than Rama but borrowing from both. I found it not a stretching but a satisfying read; the ending was abrupt, but fitted reasonably well with the accelerating pace throughout the book. If I'm nominating for next year's Hugos this will probably get a vote from me.

As mentioned a few weeks back, Iain Banks gave a lunchtime talk in Brussels on Tuesday, in Scotland House which is the top two floors of the building where my own office is located. (The building also houses the Brussels representations of Norway, just below Scotland; Sweden, occupying the three lowest floors; and Gibraltar, around the corner from my office; and of course I myself have certain quasi-diplomatic duties too.) The Scots put on a decent spread of standard Brussels sandwiches; I was pleased to see both guidoeekhaut and quarsan there as a result of my publicising it. Both of them have already written the event up on their respective blogs.

The actual lecture room was filled up, with a dozen people left standing at the back after the 150 or so seats were taken; we were welcomed formally by the jolly Linda Fabiani, Scotland's Minister for Europe and Culture, and then Iain Banks immediately began by standing up and dominating the entire room, leaving the unfortunate Scottish attaché for fisheries and agriculture (nominally chairing the meeting) cowering in his seat and attempting to interject the occasional question.

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Anyway, great fun; I was feeling pretty grotty, but the event lifted my spirits for the rest of the day.

Any fans of Iain Banks in or within reach of Brussels may like to know that he is speaking at Scotland House, Rond Point Schuman 6 (top floor) on Tuesday 29 January at 13h. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance from brusselsevents AT scotland.gsi.gov.uk - thanks to aeglefinus for the heads-up.

As luck would have it, that is the same building as my office, so I will certainly be there!

(And I suppose in a way this continues the theme of Scotch whisky from my post yesterday...)

5) The Steep Approach to Garbadale, by Iain Banks

This was great fun: memories of teenage lust, complex families with long-hidden secrets, games and business connections, and an excuse for the occasional political rant. It reminded me a lot of three of my favourite other Banks books, in particular The Crow Road and The Player of Games, with a certain amount of Whit thrown in as well. I think it's a fair bet that if you liked those ones you will like this as well.

A shorter visit today.

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And so home again. Thanks to captainlucy, xxipuloxx, h0pal0ng and wiselamb once more.

A great day at MeCon yesterday - I post these pictures and a video to make you all feel jealous that you weren't there.

( MeCon X )

Not sure if I will make it again today, but thanks to all for organising and doing it.

15) Dead Air, by Iain Banks

A gratifyingly easy read compared to some I've tried recently, this is the story of Ken Nott, a Scot who hosts a popular London radio show. The political disasters of late 2001 are mirrored in his personal life, as his dangerous affair with a gangster's wife drags him into the underworld. Nott's obsession with truth at a professional level (there is a rather peculiar show-down with a Holocaust denier) is contrasted with his difficulties with honesty in his sex life. Banks has a great ear for dialogue and for the different demotics of London. And the climactic chapters, where Nott tries and fails to avoid the wrath of his lover's husband, are vividly related. Very enjoyable.

Top UnSuggestion for this book: The sisterhood of the travelling pants, by Ann Brashares.

Transatlantic flight finished, now a wait for several hours in Heathrow for the connection back home.

Trip report below the cut, but first of all, congratulations to captainlucy for securing no less than Iain M. Banks for next August's MeCon in Belfast! Certainly increases the chances of my showing up.

( US trip )

Well, Iain Banks is pretty smart: confirmed twice in one night.

Getting 17 out of 18 questions right on "Sex and the City, Series 3" as your specialist subject is rather naff. The only thing that is more naff is to then get only one question right in the general knowledge round, a sign perhaps that one needs to turn off the television, and read some of these things called books. (Or indeed just look at a map - when the first general knowledge question, "What continent are the Kalahari and Namib deserts in?" elicited a look of horrified incomprehension, I knew Iain Banks was pretty safe.)

Good for Banksie. Though he was taking a wild guess about the Planet Venus.

University Challenge coming up next.

Three Library Thing users own Purple Homicide, by John Sweeney, an account of Martin Bell's victory over Neil Hamilton in the Tatton constituency dutring the 1997 election. All three of us also have the following Iain (M) Banks books: A Song Of Stone, The State of the Art, Against a Dark Background, The Bridge, Complicity, Use of Weapons, Feersum Endjinn and Look to Windward. Oh yes, and we also all own Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

5) The Algebraist, by Iain M. Banks

Excellent; long review later. Only Iron Sunrise left to read.