The Player of Games

Thoughts

This is where Banks really goes hard on the glanding concept.

Also a great exploration of the “politics as a game” and “competing cultures” themes. That was a theme in Consider Phlebas as well and it is sort of the backbone of the whole series – but in the context of the game being played in the book it is much more explicit.

Quotes

We are what we do, not what we think. Only the interactions count (there is no problem with free will here; that’s not incompatible with believing your actions define you). Ans what is free will anyway? Chance. The random factor. If one is not ultimately predictable, then of course that’s all it can be. I get so frustrated with people who can’t see this!