Staff Pick
Matter continues Iain Banks's humorous, thrilling, and complex universe, the Culture, where interstellar ships are the smartest and funniest characters of them all. Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
In a world renowned even within a galaxy full of wonders, a crime within a war. For one brother it means a desperate flight, and a search for the one maybe two people who could clear his name. For his brother it means a life lived under constant threat of treachery and murder. And for their sister, even without knowing the full truth, it means returning to a place she'd thought abandoned forever.
Only the sister is not what she once was; Djan Seriy Anaplian has changed almost beyond recognition to become an agent of the Culture's Special Circumstances section, charged with high-level interference in civilisations throughout the greater galaxy.
Concealing her new identity and her particular set of abilities might be a dangerous strategy, however. In the world to which Anaplian returns, nothing is quite as it seems; and determining the appropriate level of interference in someone else's war is never a simple matter.
Matter is a novel of dazzling wit and serious purpose. An extraordinary feat of storytelling and breathtaking invention on a grand scale, it is a tour de force from a writer who has turned science fiction on its head.
Review
"Told with Banks' usual nihilistic humor and flair for outlandish description, this is a novel that will grab you by the shorthairs, scream at you about realpolitik, and then smack you on the head with a laser blast. And of course, you'll love every minute of it." i09.com
Review
"Writing with a flowing and optimistic style and with much humor, the author portrays a fully imagined utopian future..." Library Journal
Review
"In summary, the book shows Banks' clear skills as an SF writer and many of the trademarks much beloved by Banks' fans. It clearly, despite my minor gripes, does not suck. Was it worth it? Yes." SFFWorld.com
Review
"Unexpectedly savage, emotionally powerful and impossible to forget." Lisa Tuttle, The Times (U.K.)
Review
"Matter is as engrossing as you'd expect a Banks book to be." Starburst
Synopsis
The Culture is a far-future society of seemingly limitless resources and infinite technological possibilities. Yet the Culture is far from perfect, and it is still subject to brutal wars, political upheaval and intrusions from beyond the edges of known space. With extraordinary imaginative scope and storytelling prowess, Iain M. Banks' new Culture novel will be one of the most highly anticipated SF novels of the year.
About the Author
Iain Banks came to controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. Consider Phlebas, his first science fiction novel, was published under the name Iain M. Banks in 1987. He is now widely acclaimed as one of the most powerful, innovative, and exciting writers of his generation. Iain Banks lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Find out more about Iain M. Banks at www.iainbanks.net.