I first heard about Iain M. Banks here on Hacker News. I've now read Use of Weapons, Player of Games and Consider Phlebas. Now currently reading Excession. This guy's writing is incredible. Lovely poetry with a crazy wild imagination.

Player of Games will be one of my all time favorite books for a long time. I can't wait enough to forget all of it so that I can go back and read it once more. I love you Flere-Imsaho!