The new The Player of Games thread (contains spoilers)

[Deep Black]

Indeed that can often be the case esp when the padding is extra waffle. But I think if integrated into the narrative it would have added something. I thought there was more about that prison from my faded memony of the last time I read it

[Deep Black]

Just finished, I'll have a trawl through that old thread when I get a chance.

I didn't get why the Culture wanted the Empire to fall so much? Surely they were no treat.

[Old Vig]

DB, good point. There's an implied contradiction in Culture interference; the culture will wipe out hegemonising swarms but are only too happy to remodel other societies after themselves. Double standards?

[Halmyre]

I think it was because the Azadian ruling class were such a shower of bastards. Remember the bit where Gurgeh is being shown the restricted-access TV channels?

[Big Orange]

Azad seemed more repressive, aggressive, and extortionate than normal for a moderately advanced interstellar civilization.

[charismatic megafauna]

Whether they are a threat to the Culture is beside the point. No other space faring civilization is a real threat to the Culture; the involved species have come to an agreement to settle differences in non-warlike ways and divide the galaxy into spheres of influence. The whole point of the Culture is to do good according to their criteria. A space faring group like the Azadians is bent upon destroying and enslaving their own people and others as a matter of course. Culture precepts leave no choice other than changing the underlying rationale that fuels and directs the Azadian Empire. Undermining the grand game of Azad, which is the foundation of the empire, will hopefully result in internal collapse and allow the change the Culture seeks, and most assuredly will be directing. Future books expand on the rationale and results of Culture interference in other species social evolution.

[Av Demeisen]

That about sums it up. As usual, there's little left to add after you've posted your thoughts on matters, CM.

[Big Orange]

I think SC had the wind taken out their sails in a later book if you think they got too cocky with the Empire of Azad.