I had several issues with this novel. It was the first Banks' work that I haven't liked.

To be honest, it rather bored me. I read this during a very busy and work-stressful period. As a result, I kept falling asleep while reading, and perhaps I lost the continuity of the story.

Still, I found both the characters and the plot quite confusing. Generally, I like complex books that require a significant amount of input from the reader. However, for this Culture novel, I either could not or would not put in the effort.

I don't even feel compelled to spend much time on this review. It's time to move on...

Maybe I'll give Banks another chance in the future, but for now, this particular novel just didn't click with me.

Another few months have passed, and I'm delving into yet another book in my complete re-read of Iain M. Banks's Culture series. This time, it's his novel Excession. The story revolves around what Banks terms an 'Outside Context Problem'. It's something entirely unexpected, something that a civilization, by its very nature, can't plan for. And if they react incorrectly to it, it will likely spell their doom. It's what Donald Rumsfeld would call an \\"unknown unknown\\".

I think this book marks a return to previous heights. Banks presents us with a sort of combination of a Culture novel and Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama. However, instead of a simple exploration of a Big Dumb Object, Banks transforms it into a tale of political intrigue and warmongering. Here, multiple factions and civilizations are vying for control of the object or simply exploiting its existence for political gain. The AIs that govern the Culture can't reach a consensus on how to respond to the excession, which brings to the forefront the ongoing disputes about how to handle lower civilizations. Civilizations like the Affront view the excession as an opportunity to show the Culture that they won't be pushed around anymore or treated like pets to be 'trained' in the 'correct' behaviors.

Of course, Banks can't resist naming things in a way that reveals more about them than we initially think. Somehow, it never feels like a cheap trick or an easy cop-out. The Affront truly are an affront to the Culture's sense of morals, and the GSV Sleeper Service is not only storing people who just want to sleep but is a sleeper agent under deep, long-term, cover as an Eccentric ship.

Simultaneously, Banks adds many more layers to the world-building of his Culture series. It almost seems as if Banks has suddenly realized that this series is more extensive than just a couple of science-fiction novels, and he needs to explain a few more societal concepts. The Culture proper is the main core of the society, with the Involved – the races and minds that manage the Culture – forming the inner ring. Outside the Culture are the Ulterior, who seem to have stepped away from the Culture but not completely left. There are also the Eccentrics, whom we already know about, those minds that have gone nomad and left the Culture to fend for themselves. Finally, there are the Elench, who have broken away from the Culture and seek to be assimilated into other civilizations rather than adhering to the Culture's ethos of absorbing younger civilizations. As if these new tiers of Culture society weren't sufficient, we also get mentions of the Elders – sublimed races that predate the Culture and have 'ascended' into higher states of being. Their mention feels a bit strange, as if they could intervene in the story if they wished but choose not to. So why are they mentioned? Are they being set up for appearances in later novels?

I really didn't have a good relationship with this book at all.

It was extremely difficult for me to keep all the names of the different ships straight, especially since they changed names periodically. This constant name-changing made it very confusing and hard to follow the story.

Aside from that, The Affront didn't seem to have any real purpose in the plot. It just felt like an unnecessary addition that didn't contribute anything significant to the overall story.

Moreover, the story of the two former lovers was also rather pointless. It didn't go anywhere interesting or exciting. It just kind of meandered along and then fizzled out at the end.

Overall, I think it's safe to say that this one is my least favorite of the Culture novels so far. It lacked the depth, excitement, and engaging plot that I have come to expect from this series.

Several months ago, I made a decision to read the Culture books in the order of their publication. As a result, I estimate that I am currently approximately halfway through. Having done this, I would like to recommend to readers who are new to the Culture that they start with the second book in the publication order, namely The Player of Games. However, Excession would also be a fine choice as the next Culture book to read.

On the negative side, Excession is by far the most confusing of the lot so far. This is especially true when it comes to the intrigues and machinations of all those ships. Their amusing names, unfortunately, still fail to help me remember who's who. Nevertheless, Banks manages to come through with all his usual humor, big ideas, and high-quality writing.

This particular book focuses much more on the Minds, especially the ship Minds. This is interesting stuff, although it can be a little challenging for less intelligent minds like mine to follow. It's not that I couldn't understand the basic arc of the Minds' plotting, but piecing together the details was difficult until the end.

The stories of the humans and other carbon-based lifeforms are engaging. In particular, the main character (or at least the character with the most screen time) has an emotionally complex, often poignant, and occasionally heart-breaking story. The Excession itself is rather cool (one of those "big ideas" that I mentioned), but I'll stop here to avoid spoiling the fun.

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

After reading the excellent Use of Weapons, I was rather disappointed with Excession.

The story has 3 interwoven strands. The first one is about the appearance of an object with superior technology compared to that known by the Culture civilisation.

The second strand describes a relationship between two Human members of the Culture, with a few tangents involving some other characters.

The third strand involves a series of conversations between a number of zanily-named AI spaceships that run the Culture and are concerned about the mysterious object and its impact on the universe.

I had several complaints about these strands. Firstly, the story took an extremely long time to start progressing and then had an anticlimactic ending. Secondly, the motivations and actions of the human characters seemed implausible to me, so I didn't really care about them. Thirdly, there were too many zanily-named spaceships that all seemed to blend together, and since the conversations between these ships were presented as a series of email exchanges, it was difficult to follow what was happening. Specifically, it was hard to figure out what the different factions of ships were subtly doing behind the scenes.

For me, then, this book required better characterisation, some streamlining, and clearer indication of the conspiracy among the ships to deserve more than 2 stars.

When I initially approached Iain M. Banks’ Culture novels, I was highly skeptical and unconvinced that I was going to like them.

However, now that I have finished number 5, I have completely changed my stance and become a total convert.

This particular installment had a great deal happening within its pages. While I may not have loved every single aspect of it, the presence of the Affront more than made up for any shortcomings.

Oh yes, it was all about those revolting tentacle beasts! They are unwaveringly patriarchal, extremely violent, highly militaristic, obsessed with meat eating, and cruel to the core, embodying everything that the Culture stands firmly against.

Not only are they fully aware that they are an affront (hence their very name) to the Culture, but they are also proud and vocal about it.

They are the kind of villains that you can't help but love to hate - such an exaggerated caricature of the bad guy that they almost seem too absurd to be taken seriously.

And yet, their very revolting nature makes them almost endearing in a strange way.

To add to the intrigue, there is an espionage plot that is carried out almost entirely by super-intelligent AI spaceships.

There are also various people stored in one ship’s memory banks, leaving the question of whether they are truly dead or not in this state.

And then there is the alien object apparently from another, older universe - the Excession of the title.

However, I have to take issue with one particular aspect. I don't care if you're just a glimmer in some machine’s memory banks, I seriously doubt that any woman would write a character who has chosen to stay 8 months pregnant for 40 years! I call bullshit on that, Mr. Banks.

Unfortunately, we lost Mr. Banks in 2013. But I'm glad that I still have a number of his novels as yet unread and can look forward to spending more time exploring the fascinating world of the Culture.

Book 319 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy reading project.

‘Excession’, the fifth installment in Iain M. Banks’ Culture series (beginning with Consider Phlebas), evoked memories of the works of many 1970s science fiction writers for me. I'm not entirely sure why. There's something about the high-concept speculative science, the ironic tongue-in-cheek tone, and a plot that often seems to meander off course. It makes me wonder if the author took LSD after attending a Worldcon convention before sitting down to pen this novel. However, it was published in 1996. So, that's that.

Speaking of Minds, this particular book in the series centers on the Minds of the Culture. Minds are ultra-intelligent, ultra-sentient artificial intelligences created eons ago by humans. They typically reside on ships. Long ago, the Minds took over all governance from humanity, at least for those who accept their authority. The Minds, along with other small sentient machines, take care of people, even if it means dragging some reluctant individuals into doing the right thing. If societies, not just those of humans, on planets and other habitats like orbitals, accept the Minds as the bosses of everything, they transform into technological heavens. There's no need for money, no existential worries of any kind, and brain and body implants offer whatever one desires. People can change their gender, connect to any form of entertainment via implants, decide to 'nap' for thousands of years on Sleeper ships, or live and play on GSVs (host ships). They have implanted glands that can be activated to put them in any mood they want. People live extremely long lives as they can regrow their bodies and any injury can be repaired. Being in a Mind-controlled Culture is like being in a dream VR world forever.

Below is a link to information about the Culture and the Minds:

https://theculture.fandom.com/wiki/Li...

The names of the ships are hilarious!

Of course, in the universe, there are many resentful entities and cultures that want nothing to do with the paradise the Minds can offer. One such group calls themselves the Affronters - four-limbed creatures with tentacles, eye stalks, a two-meter circumference ball body suspended under a sac of gas, and a beak for a mouth. The Affronters are a warlike and aggressive race. For example, they use living bat-like animals in a tennis-like game, fully aware of the animal's suffering as it is struck back and forth. In fact, the more the animal struggles, the happier the Affronters are in the challenge of hitting the 'ball'. It's a culture that tortures, maims, and kills for any perceived affront or failure. Adult Affronters terrorize and punish their own children with pain and death for any sign of weakness or disobedience.

Genar-Hofoen, a human, has a strange affinity for them. He's lived among them, partied with them for years on their planet. He's in the Culture's Diplomatic Force. (The Culture has several "Contact" agencies, some of which secretly spy on and influence non-Culture governments that the Culture deems self-destructive.) He has to wear a protective skin at all times as the Affronters' air would kill him. But is there something else brewing? Are the Affronters plotting against the Culture?

Genar-Hofeon receives a notification from SC (Special Circumstances) - which is类似 the Minds' CIA. The SC sends an image of Genar-Hofoen's uncle as a hologram to plead for his help. They want him for a special visit to a wildling Mind, a sleeper ship (with millions of people in suspended animation) that lately has been behaving more eccentrically than usual. The Culture wants him to talk to a sleeper aboard the ship The Sleeper Service. The sleeper was a captain of a ship that reported a weird anomaly 2,000 years ago. The Culture has discovered that the weird anomaly has reappeared, seemingly some sort of traveling black hole (which shouldn't be possible, right?), a thing with mysterious energies. It's become an interesting development that the Minds want to investigate.

The Minds, whether eccentric or normal, all have an extreme sense of curiosity. I think they're generally very bored, and like bored people, they find ways to distract and entertain themselves. Humans are both entertaining and puzzling to them, and can be witting and unwitting agents of chaos.

You see, dear reader, not every Mind and every Culture-educated being fully enjoys being part of the Culture. They may seek more challenges or genuine threats to their lives, or simply want to struggle or experience immersion in other societies and cultures. "Eccentric" Minds are Mind ships that want to go their own way, make their own decisions and pursue their own goals, not entirely adhering to the suggestions of the mainstream Minds (the Culture prefers to suggest obedience rather than demand it). Eccentric Minds are still part of the Culture in many ways, but they mostly live apart, doing their own thing. They can disconnect from the Culture completely for millennia. However, sometimes Minds lose their minds and go crazy. They can also be taken over by another sentience attacking their computer brains, but that's rare.

There was a terrible war earlier that involved the Minds and the Culture (as seen in Consider Phlebas). It was a brutal war against a horrible religious sect that hated the hedonistic Culture. Clues are piling up that perhaps a new war might be on the horizon. But is it because of the anomaly, or, yikes, the Affronters?

I really enjoy this imaginative series! The Minds can be hilariously ironic, sometimes perhaps not intentionally on their part but definitely by design on the author's! Some of the books are quite bloody, though, as people and other entities can be like that. But not this one.

Really sharp and interesting science fiction, this work is full of eye-catching elements and Banks' occasional signature shift to the darker and messier side of human emotions, even within the cyberutopia.

When it comes to worked-through attempts to realize a post-scarcity Star Trek style political economy in the form of literary space opera, one can't get better than the Culture novels.

The author *occasionally* expresses one thing in three different ways, and the timeline is presented in the Order Of Most Human Interest rather than any logical sequence. However, given some aspects of the novel, I'm not entirely certain that its form isn't part of the point.

Perhaps the unconventional form is deliberately designed to add an extra layer of complexity and depth to the story, making the reader think more deeply about the themes and ideas presented.

It could also be a way for the author to break free from the constraints of traditional narrative structures and explore new ways of telling a story.

Overall, this novel is a thought-provoking and engaging read that offers a unique perspective on the future of humanity and the possibilities of a post-scarcity society.

You know it by now. I have an absolute adoration for Banks. The universe he has crafted is super detailed, and it's truly a wonder to explore. The themes he delves into are thought-provoking, and his unique style adds an extra layer of charm. Let me tell you, I have been fully satisfied with this Culture Novel.

This book meticulously details a war that is unfolding between two civilisations. They seem to be cohabiting in the galaxy, but beneath the surface, there is turmoil. Adding to the mystery is a strange sphere called Excession, which makes several noteworthy appearances. As we journey through the story, we follow multiple characters. There is an envoy dispatched to the Affronts, a barbaric and warlike race. Additionally, there are multiple Minds, which are ships equipped with highly developed AI and capable of having a conscience. These Minds are conspiring in the shadows, adding an element of intrigue.

This is a very interesting book indeed, filled with great ideas. At times, it can be a bit confusing due to the sheer number of characters, situations, and locations. However, despite this, it remains a pleasure to read. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, just like the rest of the saga. It's a literary adventure that you won't want to miss.

This review truly does not disappoint.

Just as in "Consider Phlebas" and "The Player of Games", the imagery presented in this work is simply brilliant.

It is an absolute must-read for any enthusiast of Culture novels.

The reviewer also mentions having a second read through an audio book, with the great Peter Kenny as the narrator.

This second experience was described as fantastic.

The use of an audio book can often add a new dimension to the reading experience, allowing the listener to fully immerse themselves in the story.

With Peter Kenny's narration, it is likely that the story came to life in a whole new way.

Overall, this review highly recommends the book, whether it is read in print or listened to as an audio book.

It is clear that the author has created a captivating and engaging world that readers will want to explore again and again.

This was a significantly better experience for me as a reader compared to Consider Phelbas. My primary concern with Phelbas wasn't Banks' writing prowess; rather, it was the fact that Horza, the main character, was so unappealing. One of my shortcomings as a reader is that I desire at least one character in the story that I like even a little. Nevertheless, Phelbas was so expertly written that I knew at some point I would want to give Banks another chance and thus sought out some recommendations.

Banks' writing is once again very good, if not outstanding. He has the ability to make his exposition dumps not seem like such. I find the characterization to be much improved, whether it's the AI minds of the Culture or the humans and non-human Affront. Genar-Hofoen and Dajeil might not be the most fully developed characters I've come across, but Banks wrote them well enough for me to become invested in the outcome of their stories.

Banks is regarded as one of the founders of the new space opera, and this truly shows in this addition to his Culture Universe. The overarching story is that an out of context event, an excession, is occurring in known space. An out of context event is the equivalent of a native people's first encounter with gunpowder weapons on Earth. The 'dirty tricks' arm of the Culture Special Circumstance gets involved.

Simultaneously, interstellar war breaks out for the first time in approximately 200 years.

Amidst all of these space opera tropes unfolding, arguably the main underlying story is...

A love story. A love story that I thought actually worked and had a realistic conclusion.

Good, but definitely not my favorite Culture book.

Unlike a lot of the other Culture novels, this one is truly more tailored for those who have delved deep into a significant amount of harder science fiction. For want of a more precise term, it presents a challenging yet rewarding experience. However, it is not overly centered on character development. Instead, it places greater emphasis on ideas and concepts.

The sheer number of different minds and ships engaged in communication with one another makes it extremely easy to become disoriented. Nevertheless, for the most part, I was able to get a fairly good handle on the plot. I have a hunch that this book might reveal even more of its depth and nuance upon a second reading.

It seems to be one of those works that requires a more in-depth exploration to fully appreciate all that it has to offer.