This debate is a common one in Banks's Culture novels. While Inversions does not show any obvious signs of the Culture--it is set in a technologically backward and politically fragmented world that has only recently begun using firearms--readers with any knowledge of the Culture will be able to recognize its telltale signs.
But Inversions also stands as an independent science-fiction (almost fantasy) story of its own. In the nation of Haspidus, a doctor named Vosill is the personal physician to the king. She claims to come from a foreign land, and, indeed, her medical skills are beyond the understanding of her Haspidian colleagues. On the other side of the world, DeWar is the personal bodyguard to the Prime Protector of Tassasen. His naturally suspicious nature and preternaturally powerful skills soon make him indispensable. But neither Vosill nor DeWar, for all their good intentions, can stop the political intrigue that surrounds the leaders they have chosen to serve. And soon this intrigue embroils both of them--and their sovereigns--into big, big trouble.
Inversions is an extremely polished novel: elegantly written, well paced, and eminently readable. The problem is that, despite the pretty packaging, there just doesn't seem to be much substance in the twin stories. Much of the action in the book (such as it is) takes place outside the view of Vosill and DeWar--a natural consequence of palace intrigue, but an amazing impediment to catching the reader's interest. While each chapter taken by itself is quite interesting, the narrative overall has little pull. In fact, Inversions must be one of the most boring Banks novels yet. And finally, Banks disappointingly draws few connections between the two stories, aside from a few tangential remarks. As a result, the novel finishes abruptly and feels incomplete; surely Banks could have said more about the lives of the two protagonists afterward, or given them an even more active role in the book's central events.
Inversions is not a terrible novel; it just feels bland, especially compared to Banks's other works. Hopefully his next Culture novel is better.
Copyright © 2003 Steven Wu 