Last modified: 2007-04-07 by marc pasquin
Keywords: algebraist | dwellers | book | novel |
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The Algebraist (690 pages, Orbit 2005 edition; ISBN:1-84149-230-2)
is a science fiction novel by british author Iain M. Banks. Not one of his best,
I must add… The background is a typical "space opera" setting, with lots of
sentient species, apart from Humans, all living in a very complex galactic society.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 december 2005
One of the alien races in this novel are the Dwellers, an enigmatic hydrogen breathing species who dwells in gas giants. These form a very ancient Galaxy-spanning civilization and engage in many forms of apparently inconsequential amusement, some of which include the use of crafts which "sail" three-dimentionally in gas giant atmospheric volumes flows with magnetic fields for wind.
These are mentioned for having flags of some sort. On page 393, refering to generic Gas Clipper vessel design and attire:
"Pennant sails carrying identifying marks, little flowers of colour within the silvery blades."
António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 december 2005