"A great mix, this has everything: battles, many varieties of alien, heroics aplenty and deep thought on the nature of ecology and preservation. Amazingly inventive."
"Possibly slightly controversial in such exalted company, but at its heart this is pure rollicking sci-fi fun. My favorite of all the Miles Vorkosigan books..."
"Men as gods on an Indian-inspired colony world. A genre-crossing masterpiece which just touches the line between sci-fi and fantasy, this has that fantastic Zelazny touch. He is sorely missed."
"A war-torn veteran looking for redemption in a vast and uncaring culture. It's a tough choice between this and Player of Games, but this just shades it. A dark novel, but definitely Banks at his best!"
"Sci-fi gumshoe classic. More than a token gesture to the old Master of sci-fi, this is a genuine classic which has stood the test of time, and a good introduction to the Elijah Bailey/Robot series."
"Grand sci-fi on a huge scale, no genre top-ten would be complete without this; the cultural analysis and distant future prediction is breathtaking. And as usual, the book is better than the film."
"A coming-of-age tale on a distant planet. Beautifully portrayed, styled, with a good mix of action, and often underrated; also the beginning to a great trilogy. Try this, you won't be disappointed."
"Another rather dark novel, this kicked off the cyberpunk genre in style, and deserves its place in the top 10. Modern techno-noir of the highest quality."
