Transition - Iain Banks

I haven't read the last two non-SF Iain Banks books (Dead Air and The Steep Approach To Garbadale) because the two before (A Song Of Stone and The Business) put me off. I have however read just about all of his older novels and loved many of them. Transition appealed to me because although it was published as non-SF, no M. Banks, it sounded decidedly Science Fiction. And it is.

The prologue is a montage of characters and places, a mesmerising puzzle of stories, designed to hook the reader in. From then on the narrative is split between these characters, who at the start of the story seem unrelated. Nothing too unusual in that, a story weaved from many threads. However before any time at all it's clear that the story is about parallel worlds. Not metaphorical literary parallel worlds, but real Sliders style parallel worlds.

So why is this book a no M. novel? I think, unfortunately, it's because it is not Culture, because it has no spaceships and because it has a more of a Literary sensibility than many of his M. Banks novels. And by that I mean: more poetic description, longer lingering moments of character, less full-steam ahead plot. All of which I find very enjoyable, and all of which marks it out as good Science Fiction. The character development alone is fascinating, each one in a journey to reveal themselves, and ultimately doubting themselves. Everyone has to face up to who they are, analyse what they've become and decide what they will be.

The plot is still there though, slowly simmering up to a fast chaotic climax, and very well paced. I didn't for a moment want it faster or slower, no dull bits, no fast forward plot jumps, just the lovely momentum of a good story. (Compare this to Matter which I found over long and flabby.) There felt like a few holes, a few moments of rabbits out of the hat (characters and abilities) but nothing too distracting, and ultimately the story was satisfying.

The epilogue ties up the plot, a complete book-end to the prologue. My only complaint is that at least one of the plot threads in the prologue and epilogue appeared unrelated to almost everything else, unless I missed something, which is entirely possible.

All in all a very enjoyable novel, Ian Banks at his best: great writing, big characters and chunky ideas. Don't be put off by the lack of M., it's Science Fiction and I recommend it.