author : Iain M. Banks

A brilliantly drawn view of a future where the warring civilizations of The Culture and the Idirans are racing to recover a valuable lost Mind. It's wonderful spce opera, with malevolent superior artificial intelligences, and destruction of mega-large artificial environments. Also a treat for coprophiliacs: gross out on the early "death by slow drowning in sewage" scene, and the later "ritual cannibalism and feces eating worship" scene. Although these scenes do rather stay in the mind, around them there are many other brilliant, if less gross, chapters.

In the Lesser Magellanic Cloud the Culture has discovered the Empire of Azad, a brutal and cruel, but surprisingly stable, regime. Meanwhile, Jernau Gurgeh, the Culture's best game player, is bored (boredom is a real problem in the Culture: what to do if you are so rich and powerful that nearly every whim can be catered for?). To neutralise Azad's threat, the culture manipulates Gurgeh to take on a five year mission, to beat the Empire at its own game: where the winner becomes Emperor, and losers can die.

There is more living in mega-large artificial environments, and some interesting ideas about synthetic languages affecting thought patterns. It is definitely "lighter" (for the most part) that his usual style. Example: when the drone Flere-Imsaho is trying to stop the Empire learning the Culture's synthetic language, Marain, from listening to its translations. A good place to start the 'Culture' novels.

Cheradenine Zakalwe is a soldier with a shady past, recruited by the Culture's Special Circumstances to fight its battles, on whichever side they deem most useful. Diziet Sma has to pull him out of retirement for one last job. But his past is threatening to catch up with him.

This is another great Culture novel. Most of the action is set outside Culture space, showing the (alleged) benevolent humans and Minds interfering in others' problems, all for their own good, of course. It is, in turns, hilarious, and horrific, and is always inventive. Half the chapters present the current story, with each alternate one covers an event from the past, slowly flashing back to the truly horrific event that formed the protagonist (a structure suggested by Ken MacLeod). Great stuff; I don't know why it's taken me so long to get round to reading it.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Road of Skulls. 1988

• A Gift from the Culture. 1987

• Odd Attachment. 1987

• Descendant

• Cleaning Up. 1987

• Piece. 1989

• The State of the Art. 1989

• Scratch. 1987