The Culture Novels, by Iain M. Banks

I picked up my first Culture novel quite a few years ago. It was a random purchase on a rainy day. The book was called The Use of Weapons and I had never heard of the author or the series. It turned out to be a great read, which turned into many more—the series is now up to 8 books. But don’t be intimidated.

I was disappointed at first, given that I had read the 3rd book first, as any fan of genre fiction rightly should be. These things have an order. It is important to follow the order. But the Culture novels stand strongly on their own, and the spoilers were very minor. I was pleased.

Over the next two months, I will share with you my thoughts on the Culture novels. As a whole and own their own, they make for a great read. I have been tempted to try a video review. This seems to fit nicely with the Culture. Trying something different, something new. We shall see. My reviews, at least, will be in order of publication, starting with:

Consider Phlebas (1987)
The Player of Games (1988)
Use of Weapons (1990)
Excession (1996)
Inversions (1998)
Look to Windward (2000)
Matter (2008)
Surface Detail (2010)

Various and sundry covers below. Stay tuned for the reviews, starting next Monday.