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  • Dead Air

  • By: Iain Banks
  • Narrated by: Peter Kenny
  • Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (99 ratings)

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Dead Air

By: Iain Banks
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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Summary

A couple of ice cubes first, then the apple that really started it all. A loft apartment in London's East End; cool but doomed - demolition and redevelopment slated fro the following week. Ken Nott, devoutly contrarian leftish shock-jock attending a mid-week wedding lunch, starts dropping stuff off the rood towards the deserted car park 100 feet below.

Other guests join in and soon half the contents of the flat are following the fruit towards the pitted tarmac... just as mobiles start to ring, and the apartment's remaining TV is turned on, because apparently a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center....

©2002 Iain Banks (P)2013 Hachette Audio
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Critic reviews

"Hugely entertaining" (Daily Telegraph)

"A thrilling read, it's a dazzlingly clever, edgy, suspenseful book" (Scotland on Sunday)

What listeners say about Dead Air

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good book

I'm a big fan of Iain Banks and this was good but not up to his usual amazing standard. Well read by the narrator

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Some of Iain Banks best writing

Expletive littered and raw, this book captures one of Iain's best anti heros. A man so very likeable but with so many flaws, it's hard to turn away from the exciting conclusion. You be left wondering if he deserves it or now. A cracking read.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not Bank's best, but still great.

As usual with Iain Banks's books, you spend a lot of this story wondering what it's actually about. I suppose, in essence, it's a love story. But it's the things that happen along the way that make the book.

Banks doesn't fall into the trap of having to make every event in the book tie in to a plot. Some do, some don't, but it's interesting, funny and thought provoking.

There were parts if the book that were genuinely anxiety inducing for me. A testament to Bank's writing and Peter Kenny's narration, but not my favourite feeling!

As usual, Kenny's narration and characterisation is excellent.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Two masters of their art

Set in a post September 11th 2001 London landscape an amiable lefty Scottish shock jock has various adventures. It doesn’t feel too dated (apart from Motorola phones… what happened to them?)

Banks as ever writes English wonderfully with witty prose and engages the reader throughout.

Peter Kenny is the finest talent Audible has and is always a pleasure to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great work from Peter Kenny

Kenny did an excellent job with the wide array of regional accents and managed not to butcher the dialects of Scottish

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Classic

Classic Banks storytelling. Brilliant narration by Peter Kenny what more could you want!Give it a go.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An articulate rant

Here, as always, Mr. Banks writes so eloquently: in this case he also rants eloquently, albeit with a very generous sprinkling of 'language'. In the guise of a radio pundit he airs his forthright views on a variety of topics, arguing that rationality is the only sensible alternative to faith, bigotry, et al.
Expect some excitement towards the end and, if you're anything like me, you'll be torn between the anticipation of either slapstick comedy or downright horror.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another great Banks

A great book definitely recommend to any Banks fan. Or a good book for anyone. Good mix and humour too.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great slightly mad story

Great story as ever bonkers too ! Good narration and pace
Look forward to the next one

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Awful

I am a huge Iain Banks fan but this book was so bad I didn’t even finish it.
I remember now having the same impression with the physical book back at time of release. Just not up to his usual high standards .

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