Use Of Weapons

A stunning new reissue edition of the third Culture novel from Iain M. Banks – one of the most important and influential writers in modern science fiction.The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances’ foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action.The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought.The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman’s life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a burnt-out case. But not even its machine intelligence could see the horrors in his past.Praise for the Culture series:’Epic in scope, ambitious in its ideas and absorbing in its execution’ Independent on Sunday’Banks has created one of the most enduring and endearing visions of the future’ Guardian’Jam-packed with extraordinary invention’ Scotsman’Compulsive reading’ Sunday TelegraphThe Culture series:Consider PhlebasThe Player of GamesUse of WeaponsExcessionInversionsLook to WindwardMatterSurface DetailThe Hydrogen SonataThe State of the ArtOther books by Iain M. Banks:Against a Dark BackgroundFeersum EndjinnThe AlgebraistAlso now available:The Culture: The Drawings – 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 of Banks’ Culture series of novels in incredible detail.

Reviews of Use Of Weapons

There is now no British SF writer to whose work I look forward with greater keenness * THE TIMES * In many ways his best yet… rich, vivid and great fun. * VECTOR * To say that Banks is Britain's best writer of science fiction would be to understate the case. He's simply one of our best novelists, whatever the genre. Read him * BOOK PEOPLE * At last SF as it should be written!… If you aren't as yet familiar with these works I urge you to become so at your earliest opportunity. * CRITICAL WAVE *