The Player of Games
The Player of Games
Iain M. Banks
Mark Zuckerberg
A science fiction book about an advanced civilization with AI and a vibrant culture. - Mark Zuckerberg
Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
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The Player of Games

The Player of Games

Iain M. Banks
By
Iain M. Banks
4.3
3466
ratings on Goodreads

In the sprawling galaxy of The Culture, where human and machine intelligence intertwine to create a utopian society, there exists a man whose prowess at games transcends mere entertainment. Jernau Morat Gurgeh, renowned across worlds for his strategic genius, finds himself ensnared in the ultimate contest of skill and intellect. Bored with the lack of challenge in his own civilization, Gurgeh is drawn to the Empire of Azad, a realm where power, politics, and the very fabric of society are determined by one's ability to master a game of unfathomable complexity. This game is not only a reflection of life itself but also the gatekeeper to the empire's throne. Venturing into Azad, Gurgeh is thrust into a labyrinth of intrigue and danger, where every move could be his last. As he navigates the treacherous waters of Azadian politics and confronts opponents who play for the highest stakes imaginable, he must also grapple with his own identity and the moral compromises required to survive. The Player of Games is a riveting exploration of the nature of competition, power, and the games we play—not only with each other but with ourselves. Iain M. Banks delivers a masterful narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling, challenging the reader to question what it means to be a player in the greatest game of all.

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Released
1988
1 Aug
Length
293
Pages

2

recommendations

recommendation

Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
A science fiction book about an advanced civilization with AI and a vibrant culture. - Mark Zuckerberg
All reality is a game. Physics at its most fundamental, the very fabric of our universe, results directly from the interaction of certain fairly simple rules, and chance; the same description may be applied to the best, most elefant and both intellectually and aesthetically satisfying games. By being unknowable, by resulting from events which, at the sub-atomic level, cannot be fully predicted, the future remains makkeable, and retains the possibility of change, the hope of coming to prevail; victory, to use an unfashionable word. In this, the future is a game; time is one of the rules. Generally, all the best mechanistic games - those which can be played in any sense "perfectly", such as a grid, Prallian scope, 'nkraytle, chess, Farnic dimensions - can be traced to civilisations lacking a realistic view of the universe (let alone the reality). They are also, I might add, invariably pre-machine-sentience societies.The very first-rank games acknowledge the element of chance, even if they rightly restrict raw luck. To attempt to construct a game on any other lines, no matter how complicated and subtle the rules are, and regardless of the scale and differentiation of the playing volume and the variety of the powers and attibutes of the pieces, is inevitably to schackle oneself to a conspectus which is not merely socially but techno-philosophically lagging several ages behind our own. As a historical exercise it might have some value, As a work of the intellect, it's just a waste of time. If you want to make something old-fashioned, why not build a wooden sailing boat, or a steam engine? They're just as complicated and demanding as a mechanistic game, and you'll keep fit at the same time.
— Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games

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