This book is truly AMAZING.

With each new (to me) Culture Book that I read, I am constantly in awe of how Banks manages to continuously outdo himself.

I keep thinking that there is no possible way the next book will be able to measure up, and yet I am constantly floored when it does.

I have no clue if he'll be able to match the caliber of these first three, but I am extremely happy to continue reading.

The title of this particular one is highly appropriate, and the story unfolds in ways that I didn't anticipate throughout the course of the book.

There is a beautiful and artful poetry to this story.

I absolutely loved the concept and the execution.

It's a captivating read that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

The world-building is rich and detailed, and the characters are well-developed and interesting.

I can't wait to see what Banks has in store for us in the next installment of the Culture series.

It's been over a year now since the passing of Iain M. Banks. I'm still gradually making my way through his Culture novels. Aware that there's a limited number of these novels, I'm now savoring them, taking my time despite the fact that a part of me just wants to devour them.

So here we are at the third novel in the Culture series. I'm insisting on reading them in the publishing order, even though everyone says that some of them, like "Consider Phlebas", are actually rather bad.

When I first read "The Player of Games", I listed it as one of my Top 20 Sci-Fi novels. But now that place has been thoroughly taken by "Use of Weapons". It's an achievement in character building, plot structure, and language. I almost feel it's unfair to classify it as sci-fi because the only connection seems to be that it takes place in space. Indeed, for once the drones and Minds play a supporting role to the story of the main character, Cheradenine Zakalwe.

China Miéville lists this book as one of 50 that all socialists should read. Admittedly, in the beginning, I couldn't quite understand why. The Culture and its principles are a socialist's dream - the abolishment of poverty and class, a world where no one needs to work as all work is done by robots, a society of hedonism and self-exploration. And yet Zakalwe, not born into the Culture, is brought in by Special Circumstances to interfere in certain tricky situations.

It's difficult to describe "Use of Weapons" without spoiling major parts of the plot. It requires you to pay attention to two different timelines, one running forwards and one backwards. But there are enough references throughout to prevent the reader from getting too confused. On the surface, it's the story of a soldier being asked to bring someone out of retirement to avoid interplanetary war. But this book is so much more than that. It's an incredible exploration of guilt and its impact on one's life, and the fact that you can't outrun the past.

It has the sassiest drone I've read about so far (Skaffen-Amtiskaw, my hat off to you). But it's also a story of caution. Ultimately, no matter how "right" the Culture's approach to society is, should they really interfere through first Contact? Does that invalidate their approach to life? I can definitely see why Mieville recommends it, and I wholeheartedly agree.

(On a final note, Billy and I both attended LonCon3 this year and saw the installation for Banks' memorial. The sculpture he avoided is very much a reference to this novel. When I realized this evening, I shuddered. If you attended, you'll know exactly which one I mean. If you've read the book, you'll know exactly which item was depicted. And if you haven't, once you do read it, it will make sense. That's how powerful the imagery is.)

Simply brilliant.

Several months ago, I made the decision to read the Culture books in publication order. This particular one, "Use of Weapons", is my third. So far, each book has been a little bit different. "Use of Weapons" is less epic than "Consider Phelbas" and has fewer strange sci-fi ideas compared to "The Player of Games". Although I've been reading them in the order they were published, after going through the first three, I think "The Player of Games" would have been the ideal starting point.

"Use of Weapons" retains all the style and subtle humor of the previous novels. Not to mention the amazing concept of the Culture itself. However, what truly stands out about this book is its unconventional structure. The chapters alternate, moving forward in a relatively coherent story line and backwards in a series of flashbacks or flashforwards, depending on your perspective. The backwards chapters make this a far more introspective novel than the first two. I would also say that it is the most beautifully written.

I would have loved to have more details about the drones. In fact, I would even welcome a novel dedicated solely to the drones, as they are truly hilarious. The structure does make the reading a bit challenging at times. I must admit that I'm not entirely certain that I understood everything. But considering how much I enjoyed this book, this isn't so much a criticism as an invitation to read it again someday.

EDIT (June 7, 2015): See my reviews of all ten Culture books here: http://examinedworlds.blogspot.com/20...

Oh man, what a truly remarkable and mind-bending experience this book was!

As enjoyable as my first encounter with a Culture novel (Consider Phlebas) had been, I was completely unprepared for the strangely intoxicating and almost nauseating feeling that washed over me in the hours following the completion of this one.

Phlebas had presented a plethora of fascinating themes and concepts, but it also boasted an abundance of straightforwardly entertaining set pieces. There were enormous spaceships engaged in intense shootouts, with plasma, laser, and ballistic weapons unleashing their destructive power, blowing holes in everything from objects to people. There were even cannibal cults adding an extra layer of macabre excitement.

This particular installment, however, took a much darker and far more cerebral turn. While there were still some thrilling action sequences and moments of lighthearted humor (as is often the case with Banks' brilliant Minds), on the whole, it was a brutally unforgiving piece of work.

The plot revolves around Cheradenine Zakalwe, a highly intelligent secret agent and master tactician working for Special Circumstances, a shadowy sub-bureau within the Culture's Contact unit.

While Contact deals with alien cultures in a more general sense, Special Circumstances is the seedy, underhanded side of the operation, constantly meddling in the affairs of other societies on behalf of the Culture, using any means necessary to nudge them into a state that the Culture deems more acceptable.

Zakalwe is a virtuoso in this regard, employing assassination, economic manipulation, military strategy, and any other tool at his disposal to achieve his goals. The motivation behind his actions remains a mystery, but rest assured, it will be revealed in a manner that is both soul-crushing and deeply disturbing by the novel's conclusion.

No review of this book would be complete without mentioning its unique narrative structure. The novel is essentially composed of two intertwined stories, one set in the present and progressing forward in time, while the other is set in the past and moves backward.

Sounds confusing? It most certainly is, at least initially. I found myself struggling and a bit frustrated in the beginning, but as I gradually grasped the ebb and flow of the two narratives, I discovered that it became an easier and more enjoyable experience as the book unfolded.

I went from dreading the challenge of the structure every time I picked up the book to actually relishing it and craving more. By the end, the anticipation of the climax of both storylines had me on the edge of my seat, almost salivating over the pages and leading to a bout of intense binge reading.

If there was ever a moment when the adjective "haunting" was perfectly appropriate to describe a book, this is it. I truly felt emotionally unbalanced for a while after setting it down, and I simply wanted to stare blankly at the wall for a bit.

It was one of those rare experiences where you're not necessarily having "fun" with the book, but it is so emotionally charged and filled with a sense of psychic darkness that you can't help but recognize its power.

One could spend years dissecting and analyzing the ideas, themes, and narrative structures within this book, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone dedicated their entire dissertation to it.

It's almost comical to think that Banks' initial draft was even more complex than this one. The man must have been a genius to conceive of such a masterpiece and somehow manage to keep it all coherent and understandable, even for a relatively simple-minded reader like myself.

If you're interested in seeing the boundaries of space opera pushed to their absolute limit, then by all means, check this out. But be forewarned that the style does require a significant amount of mental effort on the part of the reader.

Probably Bank's best science fiction novel and one of his best works generally. Cheradinine Zakalwe, Diziet Sma and Skaffen Amiskaw are, together, his most interesting group of characters.

The structure of this novel makes it worthy of note on its own. Written in interwoven chapters, it consists of two alternating narrative streams - one indicated by Arabic numerals and the other by Roman ones. One moves forward chronologically, while the other moves in the opposite direction. Yet both are about the central, tragic character, Cheradinine Zakalwe.

Despite being the third of Banks' "Culture" science fiction novels to be published, he actually wrote a much more complex version of this story in 1974, before any of his books saw print. He later claimed it was so complex that it "was impossible to comprehend without thinking in six dimensions". He credits fellow Scottish author Ken McLeod with helping him sort this baroque novel into a publishable form.

Zakalwe is a complex character. He is a rogue, a military genius, an assassin, a sad case and an utterly sympathetic character all at the same time. Shaped by his experiences as the perfect soldier, he is taken, refined and utilised by the supposedly benign and pacific Culture for their nastier dirty tricks operations. The moral ambiguity and ethical contradictions of this are not lost on Zakalwe himself or on his Culture handler, the "Special Circumstances" operative Diziet Sma.

Gloriously grotesque, sharply observed, bleakly satirical and written with Bank's unique ability to make the most vile aspects of war and violence lyrically beautiful and richly ironic at the same time, this is the great Scottish master at his finest. It is a book that should be loaned to anyone who thinks science fiction is "dumb".

The Minds, in their profound understanding, did not impose such clear-cut distinctions. To them, tactics and strategy were intertwined in a seamless continuum. Tactics cohered into strategy, and strategy disintegrated into tactics, as they operated within the sliding scale of their dialectical moral algebra. This complexity was far beyond what they had ever anticipated the mammal brain could handle.

The start of this book is a bit rocky. The early chapters seem odd, almost as if they were penned by someone other than Banks. Or perhaps it's just Banks being his idiosyncratic self, giving the reader the old one-two. But once it becomes evident that we are dealing with a rather unique linear-forward and linear-reverse story structure, it becomes somewhat easier to put things in perspective. Or does it?

We have two stories being told here, in alternating chapters. One progresses forward in time towards its conclusion, while the other moves backward in time to its conception. They are related, and things start to make sense once you get into the rhythm. In fact, they are inextricably linked. The one focuses on the main story, as in any normal novel, while the other delves into the emotional state of the protagonist. In other words, who is Cheradenine Zakalwe?

This third Culture novel is an extremely good book, but it's not the easiest to digest, both in terms of subject matter and narrative. It is indeed upheld as one of the finer Culture novels by many, and justifiably so. However, it certainly isn't the most entertaining one. So far, for me, that honor still goes to Consider Phlebas.

The book contains some remarkable passages. For example, "A dark crop of stars reached out towards him, picked him up softly between vast fingers like some delicate ripe fruit." And later, "He opened the cottage door wide. You could see anything in the rain." These passages add depth and beauty to the story.

Overall, it's a remarkable book with an interesting paradox at its center. I give it 4 stars.

Ode to Zakalwe

In a world where all life is marred by violence, deeply rooted, firmly bound, and seemingly inescapable, everything around us becomes a weapon. This fact cannot be emphasized enough.

Memory, worship, flesh, and love - all these can be warped and turned into weapons. Inhibition, action, demand, and care - they too can be used in a violent way. Even the simplest of things like a shoelace, a knife, a gun, or a nuke - all have the potential to cause destruction. Blood, shame, and slinky - they are all part of this violent equation.

The gas chamber kills more than just the intended victims. The good books, which are supposed to enlighten, can also be misused to kill more. Chemical weapons have a devastating impact that goes beyond imagination. The pamphlet,看似无害, can also be a tool for spreading hate and causing harm. And a meltdown can have far-reaching consequences that kill more than we can fathom.

But no, nothing kills more than us. For we are these weapons all. Our minds, which have the power to create and destroy, are the ultimate weapons. Death may seem ineluctable, but it is we who bring it about. I kill, therefore I am.

This ode to Zakalwe is a reminder of the violence that exists within us and the power we have to either use it for good or for destruction.

Years ago, I decided to expand my genre reading horizons beyond media tie-in novels and the well-known giants in the field. So, I joined a science-fiction and fantasy discussion group. One of the books we read in the group was Iain M. Bank's "Excession," which is set in the Culture universe. The story was extremely dense, complex, and utterly fascinating.

During our discussion of the book, a particular group member couldn't stop raving about "Use of Weapons," claiming it was even better than "Excession" and lamenting that it had gone out of print in the United States. He kept hinting at a huge twist at the end that would take the entire novel to a whole new level.

Intrigued by his remarks, I embarked on a determined quest to find a copy of the book. I scoured used bookstores for weeks and months. (Remember, this was before the days of the Amazon marketplace, and E-Bay was still in its infancy.) Finally, when I found a copy, I was overjoyed. I immediately put aside the other books I was reading and began devouring "Use of Weapons."

To be honest, in the early stages, I couldn't quite understand why my fellow book discussion participant was so enthusiastic about it. The book was good, but it didn't seem great to me. However, knowing that there was something significant waiting in the final pages, I persevered. And I have to admit, when I reached the end and read the twist, I was completely blown away. It was so impactful that the novel instantly became one of my favorites and a book I would recommend to others when they were looking for something more substantial in their typical genre reading.

Fast forward to today, and I'm once again part of a reading group dedicated to sci-fi and fantasy. I repeatedly pushed for us to give "Use of Weapons" a try, arguing that it was a major work by a science fiction writer we had overlooked until now. I tried my best to keep quiet about the fact that a) there was a twist and b) what it was, hoping that my uninitiated friends would discover it for themselves.

Rereading "Use of Weapons," I'm amazed at how well it holds up. It's not an easy read by any means, as the story unfolds both backwards and forwards. Banks demands that his readers pay close attention and doesn't spoon-feed them with the details of what's happening in the story. In fact, I think this makes the novel even stronger.

In many ways, the Culture in this novel comes across as a warped version of the Federation from "Star Trek." Instead of non-interference, they actively interfere in things, albeit for their own gain. The morality and implications of this are explored to some extent, but Banks doesn't necessarily take a stance on whether pushing certain cultures in a particular direction is good or bad. Just like in the real world, there are valid arguments on both sides of the equation.

Rereading the novel and remembering the twist in the final pages, it's fascinating to see how Banks sets it up. It also demonstrates how this story could only be effectively told in the way he chose.

If you're curious about the Culture series, this may or may not be the best place to start. The novels are relatively self-contained, so you can begin at any point. However, I'll be honest - this novel sets a very high standard for the series, and if you start here, you might be disappointed by some of the other entries.

I find the Culture novels to be rather inconsistent. While I'm aware that they are highly cherished by numerous readers, I've never been able to rise above a mild level of admiration. They give the impression of being somewhat remote, perhaps. The manner in which they explore ideas doesn't really stir excitement within me. This might be making them seem worse than they actually are. In truth, I don't have an issue with reading them. It's just that I experience very little emotional connection.

Note: The remainder of this review has been removed due to alterations in Goodreads' policy and enforcement. You can discover the reasons behind my decision here.

Meanwhile, you can peruse the complete review at Smorgasbook.

Use of Weapons, at times, presents some interesting aspects. However, for the most part, it is rather boring.

Personally, I found it to be a tiresome read. As I turned page after page of Matter, I was completely spellbound. But when it came to Use of Weapons, I was only marginally interested.

The book fails to fully develop a significant portion of the Culture universe. Instead, it opts for a psychological thriller/mystery approach. The twist in the tale, unfortunately, doesn't have much impact.

When one is not engaged sympathetically or emotionally with the narrative, the revelation that a character's name has changed or his identity (which seems rather nebulous from the start) doesn't make a strong impression.

Adding to this is the incongruity between the form (novel) and the content (narrative twists that are more commonly found in short stories). This results in a story that has little substance and not much to describe.

In conclusion, while Use of Weapons may have some redeeming qualities, it ultimately falls short of expectations.

One of the foremost agents of Special Circumstances, sometimes referred to as Cheradenine Zakalwe, was renowned for handling both the overt and covert operations of the Culture. He was plucked from relative obscurity by the woman often known as Diziet Sma. She believed she knew him, but in reality, she had only glimpsed a shadow of his true character.

The drone named Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these individuals and had been tasked with contacting Zakalwe for another job that required his expertise. Zakalwe agreed to take on the work, but his payment was to be informed of the location of an individual named Livueta. Livueta also features in another storyline that runs in reverse throughout the book, detailing Zakalwe's other Culture-based jobs, dating back to his pre-Culture childhood and introducing a boy named Elethiomel. It is the very personal battle between Zakalwe and Elethiomel that forms the lynchpin of the book's plot.

Apart from "Excession," I have adored all of the Culture series that I have read thus far. Banks is a magnificent science fiction writer who can skillfully weave complex plots within the universe and among the populace he created, all underpinned by his dark humor. However, this particular installment didn't quite resonate with me as much. It had many of the elements that make the other books so great, such as a character with a rich backstory, a galaxy-wide storyline, and the ever-present ships that are the backbone of his books.

Despite having all of these qualities, there were some aspects that didn't work for me. Part of it was the ending, which was supposed to be a shock but instead felt like a letdown. Another part was the intertwined and reversed storylines. I prefer my books to follow a more logical timeline, and this one deviated significantly from that. It is such a clever plot, but I think it could have been presented in a much better way.

Damn. It's extremely hard to know precisely how to describe this book.

Cheradenine Zakalawe is a most complex character. He is a virtual warrior, yet what is it that is truly motivating this violence within him?

The culture agents who believe they are 'handling' him, but in reality, they aren't.

Things are constantly spinning out. In fact, anything can be a weapon really; it all depends on how you look at it. A white chair, for example, can be transformed into the most horrific thing in the universe.

And there is the deep pondering of interfering in other cultures' progress. Can interference ever be anything other than just interference? Is there truly such a thing as good interference or moral interference? A pebble falling into a gear might be seen as divine providence, but a thrown rock is no longer simply an act of god, is it?

This book is very thought provoking, making one question many aspects of life, character, and the nature of interference. It challenges our perspectives and forces us to grapple with complex ideas.