Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Continuing working my way through (rereading) Ian M. Banks.
I have a growing thought that the Culture series would have been (even) better if about the last two chapters of most books had been cut out or reworked to leave things more ambiguous. Many of the books have an epilogue or two that outright states'yep, this was a deliberate intervention & the Culture knew all along' .
Agreed. To the point where you should probably spoiler-tag that last sentence. The catch is that those epilogues have completely different valence depending on the book.
So far, I’ve read Phlebas and Windward, Player, and Use. I’ve got copies of a couple later ones, and I’m consciously avoiding Excession.
My working theory is that the novels can be divided by whether Banks was using the Culture as a stand-in for American imperialism or American hegemony. The epilogues in “imperialism” books are awkward because it’s not like they were hiding their message. The ones in “hegemony” books work a little better, since theyat least try to function as a twist . All in all, though, I have to agree that the epilogues don’t usually add much.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link