I haven’t read all of Iain M. Banks The Culture series, but I highly recommend Use of Weapons. I’ve read it three times, and it gets better each time.
It’s not a bad introduction to The Culture, but please feel free to recommend another novel to start with, or your favourite. I’ve read this, Look to Windward, Consider Phlebas, and The Player of Games. As I recall, Look to Windward has some good descriptions of a large Culture ship.
I’d also love to hear your favourite ship name.
Edit: I see I added The to the title…
I think my all time favourite is Excession, most re-read one anyways.
In general, I love all the ship names, as they hint at the ship’s personality. My favourites however are the OU/offensive unit ones like “Frank Exchange of Views” and such.
“Falling Outside The Normal Moral Constraints” is another in that vein I liked
Another vote for Excession. I miss Iain M Banks.
I think I’m with you, Excession was the first book that made the Culture series universe feel “big” with lots of characters, factions, races, etc all getting involved. I thought Matter and Surface Detail were really good for the same reasons.
The ship/mind name with the most emotional attachment is bound to be Bora Horza Gobuchul, though. Oh boy, that book was a rollercoaster!
Consider Phlebas if anyone needs it.
Awesome story, and having the first culture novel centre on a character that hates everything about the culture is amazing.
“it’s my party and I’ll sing if I want to”
Excession got me to buy a Kindle. I was so into the book that I then binge-read it on a tiny iPhone 3G screen overnight instead of waiting for the Kindle. I of course read it again on the Kindle when it arrived the day after…