"Matter" is a poor example of Banks' work.
Please don't judge him on it. Read the Player of Games; there's only two names you need to remember in that. Even if the names are "Jernau Morat Gurgeh" and "Flere-Imsaho".
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Sun 27 Jun 2010, 10:45, 2 replies)

That's good
because my brother has the entire collection. I'm not sure why he intended for me to start on 'Matter'. Must give Player of Games a try. By the way the premise of the series is really interesting so I do hope to get into them.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Sun 27 Jun 2010, 10:57, closed)

Ah!
FSS is right, it's not a book to start on Ian M. Banks.

Player of Games or Consider Phlebas IMO.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Sun 27 Jun 2010, 11:06, closed)

I consider "Use of Weapons" to be a masterpiece.

(Pie of Meat ___°¬¯O¯____\o/_____/\_,____Y¯¯Y, Sun 27 Jun 2010, 12:05, closed)

Use of Weapons is an absolute masterpiece.
Although possibly not the best if you want to avoid confusion, since half of it is written backwards, interspersed with the bits preceding it, but written forwards. Simple.

I actually got to appreciate it twice. Read it once, half-comprehending it, absolutely shat myself at the bit with the chair. I then promptly forgot about the whole thing, which meant when I came back to it years later I got to enjoy it for the first time, all over again.
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Sun 27 Jun 2010, 12:56, closed)