I bought a copy ages ago, and then picked up another in the library book sale, but still haven't got round to reading it yet.

The Count Sessine had died many times, once in an aircraft crash, once in a bathyscape accident, once at the hand of an assassin, once in a duel, once at a hand of a jealous lover, once at the hand of a lover's jealous husband and once of old age. Now, it was twice at the hand of an assassin; a male one this time, for a reason he was unable to determine, and - most distressingly - for the last time. Finally, physically dead, for ever more.

On a future earth about to enter a cosmic dust crowd that will threaten extinction for human civilisation, the ruling consistory do not seem to be taking the threat of the Encroachment seriously. The story is told from four points of view; Count Sessine a recently assassinated member of the aristocracy, Chief Gadfium, the government's chief scientist, Bascule a young man who comes to be mixed up in things seemingly by accident, and Asura, who was created by the crypt to bring out the answer to the problem of the Encroachment. The crypt is a fascinating invention; part afterlife, part collective unconscious, part virtual reality world, part AI system protecting the castle and its people.

An exciting if confusing story, that all comes together at the end. The only problem I had was with the phonetic representation of Bascule's speech, . . . whitch . . . if . . . ur . . . nthin . . . lik . . . me . . . wil . . . 1/2 . . . u . . . reedin . . . 1 . . . wurd . . . @ . . . a . . . time . . . like . . . a . . . smol . . . chyl.

RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at the Sheffield Book Crossing meet-up at the Showroom Bar.

We'll be taking over a couple of the black leather sofas, so come and see us there. Child-friendly venue.

Collected at the Sheffield Meet on Saturday 8th, my amor is a massive fan of Banks and I have to confess the lan guage games in this one have me intrigued. :)