Use of Weapons is the third Culture novel by Iain M Banks and is essentially a rewrite of an earlier manuscript. Originally the book had the Culture in it, but was written before the other Culture universe was really created. What I like about the Culture novels so far is that they are very decentralized. All three books I’ve read so far can be read as standalone without any knowledge of the Culture, but the added Culture layer does add to the enjoyment.

Continue reading →

Iain M Banks keeps or loses the ‘M’ in his name depending on what type of book he is authoring. If you see the M, then you know it’s a science fiction novel and most likely in his Culture series. The Culture series depicts a universe with a dominant civilization known as the Culture (more information about the Culture is available in an IO9 article). The Player of Games is the second Culture novel (after Consider Phlebas). I had read the first book years ago, so I decided to move onto the second one. So, how is it?

Continue reading →