The Hydrogen Sonata

Book Details

71.4% complete

Author(s):

Iain M Banks

First Pub:

2012

Genre(s):

Science Fiction

First Read:

2023

Times Read:

1 time

Rating:

Chapters:

25 chapters

Internal ID:

1698

Series:

<- Surface Detail

Culture Series*

#10 of 10

Culture Series*

A loosly related series of science fiction books that all take place in the same universe. Written by Iain M Banks.

View this series in the book list

1) Consider Phlebas
2) The Player of Games
3) Use of Weapons
4) The State of the Art
5) Excession
6) Inversions
7) Look to Windward
8) Matter
9) Surface Detail
10) The Hydrogen Sonata

Copyright:

Dedication:

To the memory of
Paul Gambol
and
Ronnie Martin

First Sentence:

In the dying days of the Gzilt civilisation, before its long-prepared-for elevation to something better and the celebrations to mark this momentous but joyful occasion, one of its last surviving ships encountered an alien vessel whose sole task was to deliver a very special party-goer to the festivities.

Last Sentence:

May contain spoilers

The sound was swept away by the mindless air.

Comments:

Comments may contain spoilers

Iain M Banks

Synopsis not on file
Extract not on file

Added: 14-Jun-2015

Last Updated: 18-Sep-2023

Publications

10-Sep-2013

Orbit

Trade Paperback

Date Issued:

10-Sep-2013

Format:

Trade Paperback

Cover Price:

£9.99

Pages*:

630

Read:

Once

Reading(s):

1) 2 Aug 2023 - 8 Sep 2023

Cover Link(s):

World Cat

amazon.com

Internal ID:

2489

Publisher:

Orbit

ISBN:

0-356-50149-3

ISBN-13:

978-0-356-50149-9

Printing:

Country:

United Kingdom

Language:

English

The scavenger species are circling. It is, truly, the End Days for the Gzilt civilisation.

'Banks has created one of the most enduring and endearing visions of the future... The Hydrogen Sonata confirms his pre-eminence in the field' GUARDIAN

'Epic in scope, ambitious in it ideas and absorbing in its execution' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

'The Hydrogen Sonata counts down to Sublimation, where an entire race leaves our universe to move spiritually upmarket. But scavengers await, and a racial secret sparks violence, intrigue, murder and general unspirituality. Compulsive reading' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'Sharply satirical and packed with brilliant action scenes' BBC FOCUS

'Magnificent' DAILY MAIL

'Jam-packed with extraordinary invention' SCOTSMAN

Cover:

Notes and Comments:

14th printing from the number "line"

Author(s)

Iain M Banks
Birth: 16 Feb 1959 Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, UK
Death: 09 Jun 2013 Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, UK

Awards

2012	Good Reads	Best Science Fiction	Nominee
2013	Locus Magazine	Best SF Novel	Nominee

I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.