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…
IDK if you think the culture is a utopia you read different books then I did.
It’s a utopia in almost the same way the world of Brave New World is a utopia… Only if you look skin deep. Any deeper look it’s either same shit different day or perhaps even a distopian where human like species are effectively pets or zoo animals for AI.
I did NOT read the culture as something good.
Found the Horza.
It’s certainly an idea Banks addresses. Even most of the protagonists are those who have seen the life in the Culture and looked for something with meaning beyond existing in bliss, but I also think that The Culture is certainly the best option of those presented in the series.
If nothing else they’re so rabidly anarchist (in the non scare tactic use of the word) that anyone who does not like The Culture just, you know, leaves, and they aren’t even judged for it.
deleted by creator