The Player of Games

By: Iain M. Banks

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

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.

A great book

Any additional comments?

I would strongly suggest reading the series from start to finish. This one, however, is one of the highlights on the journey. Masterfully crafted. Beautifully written. Wonderful characters. Cutting social commentary. Brutally honest.

RIP Mr. Banks. This book has made you immortal.

great book

really fascinating book, far better in my option than Consider Phlebas from the same series. narration was on point as well.

Good movie material!

a tough book to read, needs a vast imagination and a lot of focus, but great work. Love to see it as a motion picture! I plan to listen again in the future :)

Another Great Success

Brilliantly read and well-written as always. Banks' storytelling continues to impress with elegantly-woven threads of plot.

great story

narrator is wonderful but takes a bit to get acclimated. The world is food for thought and the ship names are humorous.