The Player of Games

A space-future guy, considered one of the top players of board and card games in the entire galactic civilization known as “The Culture,” is recruited as an “ambassador of fun” to play the ultimate board game on a primitive, war-loving planet. In the process we get a good view of a less-advanced culture as we root for Gurgeh. Banks is making up goofy game rules as we go along, but whatever. The whole sporting-event framing of the story makes it move along quickly as we wonder how he’s going to be victorious despite the ever increasing stakes. Reminded me a bit of Ender’s Game just in its setup and structure.