When you talk about people you make them important. I want to think more about who I choose to make important.

Even if you are criticizing someone, burying their bad ideas with logic and all the knives of science you're still making them and their ideas important.

You can expect me to talk about Iain M. Banks more and the questions I have about his work.

It's why it's probably is a good idea to do a critical review of Newitz and their "Terraformers" which I also have questions about.

I'm sick of criticizing people I don't like, you know. Let's argue about cool people instead.

@futurebird Ooh, OK. My starter. I think Iain M. Banks wrote slightly better books as Iain Banks, than Iain M. Banks. Controversial I know.

He wrote my favourite opening line of a book ever.

"It was the day my grandmother exploded"

@eclectech @futurebird The Wasp Factory really really got to me ... can't think of one particular scene without feeling queasy ...
@eclectech @futurebird (which I think is good writing btw but I do find it very difficult to reread that book)

@mherbert @eclectech

I couldn't put it down, but I was NOT having a good time.

@futurebird @eclectech definitely a bruising read ... still thinking about it though, so pretty effective ...