Anyone read any of the Doctor Who books? If so, what did you think of them?

I'm reading some of the Eighth Doctor books at the moment, and they're good and well written. You can tell which Doctor it is as well.

I know it's a wikipedia link (ad most of you know my distain for wikipedia), but it surmises the Culture quite well

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture

interesting I may have to check those out.

Bsically they're set many thousands of years in the future, and we've evolved a lot into a a space-faring race known as the Culture. we don't tend to live on planets as such, but in large communities surrounding stars known as Orbitals. The Culture is the only aspect shared by each novel, they are usually set on various different Orbitals, with different characters and different situation. They're all about interaction of people groups, and differnt philosophies. Really well written stuff.

There is one i wouldn't reccommend you reading until you've read a couple, and that's Inversions. Mostly because i t will confuse the hell out of you when you try to figure out how it belongs in his sci-fi stuff (he writes sci-fi under the nam Iain M Banks, and his other novels under Iain Banks). Start with Look to Windward or Player of Games.

I'm not aware of them what are they based on?

well, the best way to describe how FH wrote Dune was as two story arcs, the first being Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, then the second God-Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune and then Chapterhouse: Dune. The shame of it is we'll never really know what Frank had in mind to finish the story, as the Hacks Twain will never release the mysterious notes he left behind. Instead they just try and push all their bullshit on us and try to make it canon and replacing what has already been written.

I thought of another favourite: Iain M Banks. His Culture novels are brilliant.

I agree on Dune I had failed to mention that one. I read the first four but the first was by far the best in my opinion.

Gah! too many, too many!!!

Right, I'd have to start Dune. Frank Herbert was a genius.

Rama, by Arthur C Clarke

The Hyperion Cantos and Ilium/Olympos by Dan Simmons

there's a load more, i just can't think of them at the moment!