This is one of Banks' ‘Culture' novels, set in his far-future universe of sentient ships and interstellar civilizations.

It stands in sharp contrast to his book "Inversions," where there is scarcely a hint that it belongs to the "Culture" series. In this novel, the intricate and far-reaching background nearly overshadows the plot, but not entirely.

An anomaly, dubbed an "Excession," has emerged in space. What exactly is it? Is it sentient? Could it potentially serve as a gateway to other universes?

No one has a definite answer, but everyone is in a frenzy over it. From the Special Circumstances division of the Culture, to the godlike ships of legend, and other civilizations such as the mild-mannered Elench and the cruel and barbaric Affront, all are being drawn into an ever-spiraling chaos.

Meanwhile, an ex-space captain lives a peaceful life in a state of eternal pregnancy in an isolated tower aboard an Eccentric ship.

An ambassador is recruited with promises that exceed his wildest dreams to attempt to kidnap a soul.

And a spoiled bimbo is lured into a mission of seduction, being told that she will become part of the elite Special Circumstances corps.

All of them will ultimately be drawn into the orbit of the Excession, their fates intertwined with this mysterious and powerful anomaly.

Among the novels read within the Culture, "Excession" is the one that has taught me the most about it. Starting from the introductory notes where its scope, worlds, motivations, factions, education, economy, politics, etc. are described. And once within the story itself, what maintained my interest was everything related to its ships, which are truly worlds and gods in themselves, extrapolating personalities, jealousies, and conspiracies to cosmic levels. Meanwhile, the human plot seemed to me an insignificant backdrop, just like that cosmic mystery that fades among so much previous paraphernalia.

As an introduction to what the Culture means, I think it is perfect. As a captivating adventure, I prefer "The Use of Weapons".

Early on, it seemed as if there were an overwhelming number of characters, an abundance of plot threads, and a plethora of settings.

It felt like Excession was just too convoluted to be any good.

Iain M. Banks’ Excession truly lived up to its title's definition:

\\"Excession; something excessive. Excessively aggressive, excessively powerful, excessively expansionist; whatever. Such things turned up or were created now and again. Encountering an example of was one of the risks you ran when you went a-wandering.\\"

It was a real struggle to get into the story. However, around the time Byr Genar-Hofoen was on his way to the GSV Sleeper Service and that ship was busy waking up people from its battle tableaux, I started to feel comfortable in Banks' most expansive Culture novel (if read in order) so far.

It was difficult to keep everything straight and hard to care about what was happening in every thread of the tale. Also, the work didn't really have a big, satisfying payoff. But there are still some positives to take away from reading Excession.

For instance, this is Banks' finest portrayal of the ship-mind (at least from what I've read so far, as I haven't read anything past Excession). He allows us to overhear discussions among the ships that make up the \\"Interesting Times Gang,\\" an unofficial branch of the Culture's Special Circumstances. They are involved in a conspiracy to deal a crushing blow to the upstart \\"Affronter\\" society by using the appearance of an Excession, an Outside Context Problem (OCP) in the form of a spherical nothingness connected to energy outlets in the hypervoluminous space. But he takes us beyond the communication between the great ship-minds and into the minds of Eccentric ships, Pseudo-Eccentric ships, Traitor ships, and Warships. It's a bit of a mind-bending journey and some of the hardest Sci-Fi Banks has written.

However, Banks also provides some engaging human interaction, centered around Genar-Hofoen, to keep us connected to the familiarity of humanity.

By the end, I was exhausted. I'm tempted to be unforgiving about how long it took me to really get into Excession, and the ending was ultimately unsatisfactory. But I still found myself reluctant to put the book down. I loved too many of the characters - ships, humans, drones, and Affronter alike - to let them go. I wanted Excession to continue for another thousand pages, but it didn't.

It's never ideal when a book leaves me wanting more, but that's a whole lot better than leaving me wishing the book would end. So if you're a Banks fan, I can say with confidence that this is a must-read - not his best, but definitely worth the time. However, if you're not a Banks fan, it's best to stay away. This book won't make you a fan of the man...even though he may be a genius.

What are all of these human characters doing in my big-brain space boat book?

It's a mystery that keeps bothering me. Are they passengers on a thrilling space adventure? Or perhaps they are the crew members responsible for the smooth operation of the space boat. Maybe they have come from different planets, each with their own unique stories and purposes.

I can't help but wonder how they all ended up in this fictional world within my book. Could it be that they were brought together by some unknown force or destiny? As I flip through the pages, I try to imagine their lives and interactions.

Do they face challenges and obstacles along the way? How do they overcome them? The possibilities seem endless, and it makes me even more eager to explore the depths of this big-brain space boat book and uncover the secrets of these human characters.

Perhaps, as I continue to read, I will find out the true nature of their presence and the adventures that await them in the vastness of space.

Banks is truly at his sci-fi perfection at its best!

The extensive details, which initially seemed a bit overwhelming until all the "neural lace," as Banks himself writes, started to make sense, were incredibly vivid and specific. It was as if I could close my eyes and envision the scenes even further.

Banks' culture novels not only showcase his knowledge of modern science and astrophysics but also his ability to incorporate human emotions and relationships into the high sci-fi setting. The cocky and sexed-up passages added an extra layer of excitement, and I eagerly looked forward to reading them from time to time.

Clearly, Iain M. Banks passes on the underlying message that despite the possibility of humans becoming immortal or highly technological in the future, the realm of human social life will likely remain minimally changed.

While reading this book, I felt so dreamy and inspired by the fertile imagination that it reminded me of my manga/anime teenage years when I would expand the story in my mind.

Now, I'm completely hooked on Banks' culture novels!

The series indeed has its share of highs and lows. Each installment seems to stand alone, yet it also manages to make me, as the reader, experience similar emotions. In this particular part, there is actually a potential deal breaker that could signify an upcoming change throughout the universe.

However, the way it is dealt with is rather incidental among additional sub-plots. These sub-plots have varying degrees of interest and a sense of agency, in my humble opinion. This has ultimately made the reading experience somewhat disheartening.

Unless this installment is a stepping stone for future books in the series, it feels like this pebble has sunk on its first bounce on the cosmic surface. It remains to be seen if this will lead to something more significant in the future or if it will just be a minor blip in the overall story arc.

I finally managed to finish the book. However, it was an extremely arduous task considering the meager payoff. It felt as if it took an eternity to reach the core or the main point. The whole process was so frustrating. I had to invest a significant amount of time and effort, but in the end, I didn't really feel like I got much out of it. It was a real letdown. I kept wondering if it was really worth all that struggle. Maybe I was expecting too much, but still, it just didn't meet my expectations. I hope the next book I read will be more engaging and rewarding.

People change.

It must have been in 2008 when I once again embarked on the journey of reading fiction, and Iain Banks’ Culture series quickly became one of the first things I voraciously devoured. Back then, Excession was my absolute favorite within the series. Now, I have decided it is time to reread it. My hope is to once again be entertained and awed, and at the very least, to take a long, hard look in the mirror of time.

However, it has been quite some time since I last delved into a speculative work by Banks. In fact, the last time was in June 2019, over 4 years ago. I didn’t consider Transition to be a success, and I vehemently disliked The Algebraist, which I began reading in 2018. Before that, I read Inversions, and I didn't really have a great fondness for that one either. So, I started to wonder: was I perhaps too easily impressed in 2008 and 2009? Or, by some strange stroke of luck, did I happen to read all the Iain M. Banks books that were least to my liking last?

As it turns out – and perhaps as expected – the answer is a bit of both. I did enjoy rereading Excession, for the most part. But I can no longer call it my favorite book, and I have removed it from my list.

Now, let's do a quick rundown of the good and the bad.

For a full review, please visit Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It.

The problem that comes with getting older and confronting mortality is that one realizes they won't be able to read all the books they desire. I have an intense love for the Culture books, and I would truly love to reread them in the order they were written. One of the reasons for this is the desire to track the Minds throughout the series. Do any of them reappear?

The most captivating aspect of Excession is that it is predominantly about the Minds, with the humans and a new alien species on the sidelines, although they are part of the plot. I simply adore the Minds! The names they choose are so entertaining, and I even want to come up with my own name. Despite their hyper intelligence, they have distinct personalities and agendas. And here, we even have a conspiracy within a conspiracy between the Minds!

However, this is also part of the problem with this book. With so many Minds around and only a few that are really distinctive, I found it difficult to keep track of who was involved in which conspiracy. Additionally, the humans and the alien species all had severe character flaws.

Is it possible to fall in love with a Mind? I found Sleeper Service to be completely loveable! And Mind's avatars can have sex! I wonder what that's like?

The actual excession of the title remains somewhat of a mystery at the end, but I don't mind that. I am left conjecturing.

I feel truly blessed to have had another Culture novel that I hadn't read after one of my favorite authors passed away. *sob* Thank you, Mr. Banks, for the pleasure you have given me on numerous occasions. I think I still have one more that I haven't read.

This is my fifth Iain M. Banks ‘Culture’ novel. I bought the complete set all at once and have been reading them in order. It's an interesting series set in the same universe and centered around the same civilization/society, The Culture. However, the characters are mostly new in each novel. You can compare The Culture to The Federation in Star Trek.

This book comes closer to my favorite science fiction theme/plot/storyline, which is 'Wonder and Big Ideas', than the first four books in the series. Banks reveals more about the technical wizardry of The Culture and its AI 'Minds'. We learn more about how FTL works and get deep into the thinking, communication, and motivation of the AI 'Minds'. We had some exposure to the Minds in previous books, but this one really opens them up for us to see.

Ultimately, it's one of the challenges of writing far-future grandiose science fiction. How do you characterize vast artificial intelligence far beyond human thinking in an approachable and interesting way for the reader? In Excession, the Minds are very human-like in their thinking and somewhat in their motivation. It's a bit disappointing as I had higher expectations, but it's also understandable. If they were flawless and communicated in incomprehensible binary languages, it wouldn't make for a very good novel.

There's also an artifact in this book, The Excession, that makes the Culture Minds look like drooling toddlers. This god-like power creates another common problem for this and similar sci-fi books: how do you end it? Think of 2001 – 'A Space Odyssey' – big build-up... what will happen... it's... it's... "something wonderful." I love '2001', but it can't help being a little anti-climactic.

There's a second plot line in this tale, more focused on humans. Genar-Hofoen is the main character who keeps us connected to the storyline. Genar-Hofoen feels like the same character Banks reincarnates (not literally) over and over again. He's like Horza in 'Consider Phlebas', Jernau Morat Gurgeh in 'Player of Games', and Cheradenine Zakalwe in "Use of Weapons". Despite being in a future society managed by super-advanced artificial intelligence, he's still a 'notch in the bedpost', love 'em and leave 'em character.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. There's more of The Culture revealed, a deep dive into the Minds, the threat of galactic war, and some intriguing big sci-fi ideas. I once again enjoyed the non-human characters more than the human ones and found the ending disappointing. I wish Banks would have found a character or two to tie all these books together (a drone and ship Mind would be perfect).

Four stars for this creative, energetically written adventure that continues to build out Banks' wildly imaginative 'Culture' universe.

This series is truly evolving and getting better and better with each installment.

Starting with "Consider Phlebas (Culture, #1)", it sets the stage for an immersive and captivating journey through the fictional universe of the Culture.

"The Player of Games (Culture, #2)" takes the story further, delving deeper into the complex social and political structures of this unique world.

"Use of Weapons (Culture, #3)" continues to build on the narrative, introducing new characters and plotlines that keep the reader engaged.

"The State of the Art (Culture, #4)" offers a different perspective, exploring the Culture's relationship with other civilizations.

"Excession (Culture, #5)" is another exciting addition, with its fast-paced action and thought-provoking themes.

And the series doesn't stop there. "TR Inversions (Culture, #6)", "TR Look to Windward (Culture, #7)", "TR Matter (Culture, #8)", "TR Surface Detail (Culture #9)", and "TR The Hydrogen Sonata (Culture #10)" all contribute to the rich tapestry of the Culture series, making it a must-read for fans of science fiction.

Whether you're new to the series or a long-time fan, there's always something new and exciting to discover in the world of the Culture.

I had to color code and highlight all the different ship names in an attempt to keep track of what the hell was going on. However, it didn't work.

I need to reread it six times or more in order to understand what the factions are doing, what their actions are, and against whom they are acting.

I would say it's sloppy writing, but this is Banks we're talking about here. So, it's probably just me being too stupid to understand this book.

I'm giving it 3 stars to save my pride.

Maybe with more careful reading and analysis, I'll be able to appreciate the true depth and complexity of the story.

For now, though, I'm left feeling a bit confused and frustrated.

But I'm not one to give up easily, so I'll keep trying to make sense of it all.