Dead Air

Iain Banks first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. He's also seen this book, "The Crow Road", adapted for television by the BBC in 1996. "Dead Air" is his eleventh non sci-fi book and was first published in 2002. The book's 'hero' is Ken Nott - a Scottish 'shock jock' who works in London for Capital Live. He's very much a liberal who doesn't believe in religion; having said that, he isn't about to prevent someone from going to church. Ken currently lives on the 'Temple Belle', a very cool houseboat on the Thames. His home, however, is actually owned by Sir Jamie Werthalmey, Capital Live's incredibly rich owner, and is rented by our hero at a very reasonable rate. Ken also appears to be a very prolific lover. Divorced from Jude, his current official girlfriend in Jo. A PR agent for a record label, Jo's main project appears to be pandering to the every whim of the label's current 'hot' band, Addicta. Unofficially, Ken's also been spending quite a bit of time with Celia. This is something he has to be very secretive about - not only because of Jo, but also because Celia is married to John Merrial. Merrial is not only an acquaintance of Sir Jamie's, but is also a noted 'businessman' whose imports and exports include drugs and people. Although, apparently, he isn't personally violent, crossing him will leave you - at best - VERY injured. The story itself jumps backwards and forwards, which may put some off - for example, its established very early in the book that Ken and Celia are lovers, though the history of their relationship is told only gradually as the book progresses. The biggest factor on how much someone's going to enjoy this book is Ken himself. He holds very definite opinions about things - notably politics and religion - and won't hold back when he wants to make a point. Given that the book opens on the 11th of September, 2001, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that part of what Ken has to say touches on America's response. I'm also pretty sure there'll be people who won't like what he has to say or how he says it - as a result, I suspect the book won't be enjoyed by the pro-war, anti-liberal community. However, this isn't a book about the Twin Towers or the 'War on Terror' : it's about Ken's ability to get himself in trouble. Despite what I felt was a slow start, I enjoyed it a great deal.

It took me a while to figure out this one: it is set in the backdrop of 9/11, but 9/11 is not really important for the story, apart from a brilliant line: "If 9/11 was meant to be an attack on democracy, they should have rammed the planes into Al Gore's house!"No, the satire lies in the fact that for the wast majority of people 9/11 did not change anything, life has gone on. Some banality here, a little drama there. The protagonist, a shock-jock with similarities to Howard Stern goes on with his daily life in London, UK. Things happen to him, and he tries to set wheels rolling with political stunts, but everything just fizzles out for him. I think that's where the satire is: whatever big things that happen around is, our personal life and private dramas tend to be pretty banal.

I am a big fan, but I must admit, his books can be a bit....cerebral, a result of his ability to make a timelessness occur as part of the setting of his books. This one however, cuts to the core, by choosing to be extremely relevant to THESE times, and making the story a very personal one, about an ideological, and quite self destructive protaganist. The story is available in a regular book format, and is a very very good read. Suspenseful and witty and covering many points of view through amazingly well written dialogue (it is like a screenplay at times) the overall feeling upon completion is similiar to having watched a great U.K. film. The scenes are vivid, and those familiar with London will feel like they are right in the action. His other books, Whit and The Wasp Factory, as well as The Crow Road, are brilliant as well.