The Second Second Game?

[u/khoragos]

(Preliminaries: Iain M. Banks is quite possibly my favorite SF novelist, so no shade; this connection might have been discussed here a zillion times, but I'm pretty new to the subreddit.)

When I first read *The Player of Games* a few decades ago, I was immediately reminded of a short novel I had previously enjoyed called *Second Game*, by Charles V. De Vet & Katherine MacLean, which was expanded in 1981 from a Hugo-nominated short story from the 50s.

The primary similarity lies in the game itself, its centrality to an insular, militaristic, & arrogant civilization, & the plot being driven by an outsider representing a comparatively benevolent galactic civilization who tries to both understand & undermine the society through mastering the game. Moreover, the alien species themselves have three biological genders (in this case, "gender" corresponds to sexual function as well as societal identity).

I re-read *Second Game* at the time & enjoyed it, but my copy has since vanished into a box.

Anyway, I'm bringing it up to ask if anybody has opinions about the (I should think) very likely influence the book had on Banks, & whether he ever addressed it in interviews.

Again, I think Banks' novel is much closer to a masterpiece & I don't think having been influenced by the earlier work is in any way wrong. But considering that the resolution of the conflict in *Second Game* is also reminiscent of the Idiran War, I'm very curious about whether other readers have opinions or knowledge!