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Synopsis
The Culture — a human/machine symbiotic society — has thrown up many great Game Players, and one of the greatest is Gurgeh Jernau Morat Gurgeh. The Player of Games. Master of every board, computer and strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel and incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game. . . a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor. Mocked, blackmailed, almost murdered, Gurgeh accepts the game, and with it the challenge of his life — and very possibly his death. The Culture Series Consider Phlebas The Player of Games Use of Weapons The State of the Art Excession Inversions Look to Windward Matter Surface Detail The Hydrogen Sonata
Is The player of games appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
A thoughtful science fiction novel for mature readers featuring violence, political manipulation, blackmail, and themes of imperialism; no explicit sexual content but mature situations throughout.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include torture, slavery, and manipulation (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
A clever sci-fi story about the best game player in the galaxy facing a deadly tournament that could change an entire civilization.