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Iain M. Banks is one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. The War in Heaven is a simulated war game between civilizations, and the victors will decide the fate of the digital Hells. Y breq is one of the Intagliated, and she is willing to risk everything for her freedom, but she will need the Culture's help.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 640 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

The novels of Iain M. Banks have left an indelible mark on modern science fiction, showcasing his exceptional talent and influence. His Culture series, in particular, combines breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, securing his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.

Banks' work takes readers on a captivating journey through a vast and intricate universe. In the Sichultian Enablement, Y breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame. Her life belongs to a man whose lust for power knows no bounds. As the virtual war threatens to spill into the Real, Y breq is willing to risk everything for her freedom, but she knows that the Culture, and its help, comes at a price.

The Culture is a civilization that has achieved incredible technological advancements and has a profound understanding of the human mind and body. They are a utopian society that values creativity, intelligence, and individuality. However, they are also a society that is constantly at war with other civilizations, both within and without their borders.

The War in Heaven is a simulated war game that rages between civilizations. Its virtual battles have been fought for decades, and the victors will decide the fate of the digital Hells, torturous artificial afterlives with horrors beyond imagination. The Culture is one of the factions involved in the war, and they are determined to protect their civilization and their way of life at all costs.

The series is epic in scope, ambitious in its ideas, and absorbing in its execution. Banks has created one of the most enduring and endearing visions of the future, filled with extraordinary invention, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes.

The Culture series includes several notable novels, such as Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games, Use of Weapons, Excession, Inversions, Look to Windward, Matter Surface Detail, The Hydrogen Sonata, The State of the Art, and Other Books by Iain M. Banks. Each novel offers a unique perspective on the universe and its inhabitants, and they are all masterfully written and executed.

In addition to the novels, Banks has also published The Culture: The Drawings, an extraordinary collection of original illustrations faithfully reproduced from sketchbooks that he kept in the 1970s and 80s. These illustrations depict the ships, habitats, geography, weapons, and language of the Culture, providing a visual glimpse into the world that Banks has created.

The Culture series has received widespread praise from critics and readers alike. Independent on Sunday praised it as "epic in scope, ambitious in its ideas, and absorbing in its execution," while the Guardian described it as "jam-packed with extraordinary invention." The Scotsman called it "compulsive reading," and the Sunday Telegraph praised it as "an extraordinary collection of original illustrations faithfully reproduced from sketchbooks Banks kept in the 1970s and 80s, depicting the ships, habitats, geography, weapons, and language."

Iain M. Banks is a true master of science fiction, and his novels have left an indelible mark on the genre. The Culture series is a testament to his talent and creativity, and it will continue to inspire and captivate readers for generations to come.

Weight: 434g
Dimension: 127 x 197 x 43 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780356521718