How To Read The Culture Series: A Comprehensive Guide

In this video we're returning to Iain M. Banks' 'The Culture' series, taking a look at some of the ways news readers - or re-readers - can approach the series.
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0:00 - Intro
1:13 - Approach 1: Publication Order
2:56 - Approach 2: Reader Recommendations
4:58 - Approach 3: A Thematic Route
7:22 - Approach 4: Character Focus
9:40 - Approach 5: Technological Concepts
11:31 - Don't Rush!
The Culture series Guide:
"Consider Phlebas"
Characters: Follows the journey of Horza, a Changer who can alter his appearance, during the Culture-Idiran war.
Technology: It introduces the Culture's advanced technology, including sentient drones and artificially intelligent spaceships known as Minds.
Themes: A tale of personal allegiance and the repercussions of war, seen through the eyes of an outsider.
"The Player of Games"
Characters: Centres around Gurgeh, a master game player in the Culture, who is manipulated into participating in an elaborate and deadly game in an alien empire.
Technology: It showcases the Culture's hedonistic lifestyle and their advanced gaming technology.
Themes: The exploration of competition, manipulation, and the deceptive tranquillity within a utopian society.
"Use of Weapons"
Characters: Tells the story of Zakalwe, an agent of the Culture's Special Circumstances, exploring his past and his relationship with the Culture.
Technology: This book emphasises the Culture's use of agents to manipulate less advanced civilizations.
Themes: A deep dive into moral ambiguity, personal trauma, and the lengths an advanced society will go to ensure its ideals.
"The State of the Art"
Characters: A collection of stories, the longest of which focuses on Diziet Sma, a member of the Culture, and her drone companion Skaffen-Amtiskaw's.
Technology: It depicts the Culture's comparative technological superiority.
Themes: A collection that explores the question of whether or not to interfere with other civilisations’ development.
"Excession"
Characters: The Culture's Minds take centre stage as they deal with an 'Excession', a mysterious and potentially dangerous alien artifact.
Technology: This book greatly expands on the personalities and capabilities of the Culture's AI Minds.
Themes: A focus on the inner workings, relationships, and challenges faced by the Culture's AI Minds when confronted with a superior technology.
"Inversions"
Characters: Follows two characters who may or may not be Culture agents on a medieval-level planet.
Technology: This book demonstrates the Culture's policy of subtle, clandestine interference in lower technology societies.
Themes: A subtle examination of the Culture's influence from a less direct perspective, hinting at the effects of interference in other societies.
"Look to Windward"
Characters: Primarily follows Ziller, a composer from a civilization the Culture interfered with, and his Culture mind friend, Quilan.
Technology: The book introduces Chelgrian Puen, a complex biological form of the Culture's AI.
Themes: A thoughtful reflection on guilt, atonement, and the aftermath of interference in other societies.
"Matter"
Characters: Tells the story of Prince Ferbin of the primitive Sarl, living inside an ancient Shellworld, and his quest for justice.
Technology: It contrasts the advanced technology of the Culture with the Sarl's primitive technology.
Themes: An exploration of societal hierarchy, the ethics of interference, and the intersection of personal journeys with political machinations.
"Surface Detail"
Characters: Follows Lededje, a former slave who is 'revented' (resurrected) by the Culture, as she seeks revenge.
Technology: This book delves into the Culture's advanced virtual reality technology, depicting heavens and hells that are experienced as real.
Themes: An in-depth moral debate on the use of virtual realities for punishment, and the struggle for control over these digital afterlives.
"The Hydrogen Sonata"
Characters: Follows Vyr Cossont, a musician chasing a centuries-old secret, in the backdrop of her civilization's impending Sublimation.
Technology: The concept of Sublimation is a testament to the advanced technology and understanding of consciousness in the Culture universe.
Themes: A meditation on the concept of 'subliming' or transcending physical form, and the search for truth as a civilization approaches its end.

[@jamesoliver6700]

The Culture novels are incredibly diverse and thought provoking, well worth the investment of time! Good advice, what ever order you read them - take your time and enjoy!

[@richardfox4803]

I pretty much read them sequentially, because I'm justified and ancient. I'd pretty much recommend doing that, apart from missing out Phlebas initially. The Culture evolves as the series progresses and Banksey pretty much riffs, plays and pontificates with the ideas as the series progresses. Phlebas, although the first published has a view point outside the Culture and I'd recommend reading the short story State of the Art and Player of Games before going to it. This way you get much more of a feel for the Culture, before seeing it from outside. If you are unsure whether the Culture is for you then start with State of the Art; it's short, gives a good deal of explanation of the Culture and is set in 1970s Earth. There is also a BBC play of it on KZbin here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4PPaneVlsx_mLc. Need less to say I have re read them all a number of times. Feersum Endjinn and The Algebraist are not strictly Culture books, but could be seen within the Culture Universe.

[@bubaks2]

Thanks

[@bubaks2]

Wow. Cant express enough how much I love the link you shared. ❤❤❤

[@richardfox4803]

@@bubaks2 BBC Radio 4 at it's best.

[@NeostormXLMAX]

People suspected that against the dark background was the origin of the culture series

[@schiz0phren1c]

@@NeostormXLMAX "The Hydrogen Sonata" and "Against a Dark Background" are consistently in my top 5 Sci Fi books of all time., I love all the books with Zakalwe as a character, but his story makes me sad.

[@seanconant3218]

Got my Culture shirt. Just finished Consider Phlebas. Very much enjoyed it and the culture is very interesting. The book's ending was realistic and satisfying. Looking forward to the next one!

[@martinblunden4689]

A fantastic writer ,both the culture series and his mainstream novels....his early death was a sad loss...the world he creates is so layered and nuanced and morally ambiguous,yet incredible...

[@libertyauto]

This video is a great idea on the options to help a new Banks reader on how to approach the Culture series. I wanted to introduce a friend to the Culture series and just suggested the first book published, "Consider Phlebas". My highly intelligent and well read friend just could not get into it. I was devastated. Out of desperation I then bought him "The Player of Games". And he loved it. I wish this video guide would have been around at the time. I will certainly use it when proselytizing the Culture series in the future.

[@stewenw4120]

Just started to dive in the series with "Consider Phlebas" this year. I thought i start in the order of publishing as i generally do with series i don't know much about. Didn't finish yet but i definitely will be reading more of these books that much i can say.

[@toddtangen6750]

I love the Culture. I tend to be a completionist, so read them in publication order. I recommend that a new reader start with Player of Games because I think it's more approachable than Consider Phlebas. As a military veteran, Use of Weapons is the most important one to me. The structure was a bit odd on first reading, but it's very well done. The story concerns a mercenary soldier and the fighting depicted is exciting but the story is ultimately quite sad. Surface Detail might be my favorite, not least because the ship Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints is hilarious. Well... I don't know if I really have a favorite. They're all my favorite. The Culture series is my favorite.

[@jimmyraybob]

Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints may be my favorite character in the entire series.

[@lisagulick4144]

@@jimmyraybob I dunno...the _Mistake Not..._ is pretty cool. And the _Caconym_ is the ultimate spaceborne "surfer dude," with stellar magnetospheres as "tasty waves." And the stunt pulled by the _Sleeper Service_ to evade its "watcher" made me LMAO!

[@jimmyraybob]

@@lisagulick4144 Plenty of cool throughout the series.

[@lisagulick4144]

@@jimmyraybob 💯

[@gordonkent5371]

Great synopsis Darrel. Love the entire series, personal favourites being Excession, Look to Windward and the often overlooked Inversions.

[@chong2389]

Thank you for your many videos about Iain M. Banks and his Culture series! SF books have been in my life for over 60 years. If I was told that I could only take one book of fiction to a desert island, it would be Consider Phlebas. I purchased it based on an early review in a fanzine. I vividly remember seeing it on the 'new' books rack, picking it up to read the first page. I have always been able to visualize and become immersed in worlds that have been created by gifted authors. I ended up reading the entire Prologue right there and then. The best description of the experience is a cinematic tour-de-force. It was a runaway express train and a synopsis of Culture technology and set the stage for the rest of the novel. Banks was a master at character development and getting his readers to invest in the characters, both living and AI. I found myself wanting more as each chapter was finished. Banks did not disappoint. His writing is so dense with ideas, but never overwhelming, that when I finished the book, I felt, and still feel, that I had read a series. Like all great SF, he instills a sense of wonder and momentum that he managed to carry through all his Culture universe stories. I read them in order because I purchased each one within days, if not on the day it was released. Note: Hachette Audio has published Consider Phlebas as well as some of Banks' other books a audiobooks. The narrator, Peter Kenny, does justice to the book.

[@IRosamelia]

You're really passionate about The Culture. I'm sold 😊

[@SuperNova-py1ec]

Great video. Anything labelled with the Culture or Iain M Banks is must watch. I read them mostly in order though I did start with The Player of Games. I glad I did as it’s one of my favourites. That said Surface Detail and it’s virtual hells was both exciting and terrifying. I also really liked Consider Phelbas . Often regarded as a weak book by others though not sure why. There is so much packed into the book it’s breath taking. The tropical beach chapter with its unusual inhabitants is something I will not forget about for a very long time! 😮

[@major_west]

I read "Player of Games" last year and quite enjoyed it. Going to jump back in to the Culture Series as soon as I finish Dan Simmons "Illium".

[@treefarm3288]

Thanks for the video! I reread Matter last year and gave it to friends. One friend enjoyed it but considered it needed two volumes to cover its scope. I think it's my favourite for the reasons you gave, and because there can be so much in one planet. It's a positive outlook in that way. Even if humanity never got to the stars, we could do a lot within the solar system!

[@bojovic78]

best content! Do one about Dan Simmons' Hyperion cantos

[@IRosamelia]

I've been giggling for the last minute after writing a comment about the traumatic horrific nature of the Shrike (but I misspelled it Shreik) and this silly auto-complete changed it for Shrek. Now I'm wondering how different of a story would Hyperion be if the monster was the latter. 🤣

[@bojovic78]

@@IRosamelia "Da Shroik" as some uk accents would say 😋

[@IRosamelia]

@@bojovic78 LOL 😂

[@Praetorian_Rex]

Great guide! I have The Culture on my TBR but have been unsure about where to start.

[@somerandomnification]

I'm reading the books in order of publication. I'm nearing the end of "Matter" right now. Before I started reading the books, I saw lots of recommendations to NOT start with "Consider Phlebas". I went ahead and read the books in order anyway and I'm here to recommend that you *do not* start with "Consider Phlebas". The only reason I made it all the way through that book was because I had been warned that I should have saved it for later. I recommend starting with "Player of Games" and then "Use of Weapons" followed by any of the other books I've read so far, but leave the first one on the shelf until you've read at least one other - You'll enjoy it a lot more. I'm looking forward to re-reading it after I finish "Hydrogen Sonata" so I can actually enjoy it for the first time. :) Also - I'm reading the series with the rule that I don't read any two Culture books in a row. There's a finite number of these books and I want to stretch the experience out a bit. One day I'll be a guy who doesn't have any more Culture books to read for the first time.

[@bazoo513]

I agree that _The Player of Games_ is the best novel to start. _The State of the Art,_ the only novella in the series, is also a good entry point. I read them all, of course (along with other Banks' works, SciFi or not, including _Raw Spirit,_ the only non-fiction he wrote); my favourites are _Use of Weapons_ among Culture novels, and _The Bridge_ among the rest, but only by slight margin. Generally, while "non-M" works are, IMO, slightly weaker overall, about half of them are as brilliant as the Culture ones. However, i noticed that readers' opinions on them vary much more widely than on the Culture series. Read them all, people.

[@jacquelinegibson7420]

That was really useful, haven't read them yet as my library has, what I thought of as gaps.

[@Squigglydodah]

gonna start this weekend

[@WordsinTime]

Great info! I started with The Player of Games and Use of Weapons and plan to read Consider Phlebas and Excession next.

[@lisagulick4144]

My first Culture novel was _Surface Detail,_ which I found in a second-hand store for only $3 ( hardback!). I fell in love with the Culture immediately. I've been slowly collecting the novels ever since. I do think my favorite so far is _Excession_ - the ITG proves that even Minds don't always get it right! _The Hydrogen Sonata_ shows how humorous the ship Minds can be in their interactions. One thing, though - _The State of the Art_ contains only two Culture stories. The other stories are unrelievedly dark, containing only black humor at best. And even the Culture stories are very sober in tone. Be ready to read something light and funny when you finish _TSotA,_ or you might find yourself feeling depressed. (Discworld works for me!)

[@bazoo513]

What, no _Inversions_ ?!? (Aha, it _is_ mentioned in the notes. Certainly not the one to begin with.) (Also, I would recommend that Culture fans read _The Bridge_ - not a Culture novel (except for some hints near the end), but the spirit will appeal to the same kind of reader.) Come on, people, read _everything_ by The Master, with or without "M.". There _are_ several merely good books there, but Banks' "mainstream" novels are anything but. Take "Scottish mystical realism" _The Crow Road_ (also the template for a brilliant TV mini-series by Gavin Millar).

[@avshiavital8326]

Thank you so much! This guide really helped me!

[@barryvercueil2346]

Excellent video. 😮 honestly I'd like to hear your thoughts on Neal Asher. The Maker series or Polity.

[@DinoCism]

IMO Player of Games is probably the best to start with to get someone excited about the universe and the potential of it. It’s a short, tight narrative that never drags and gives a solid sense of what you can except from the culture and the way they interact with less advanced, more violent societies. Consider Phlebas is also good though as you get to see the Culture from the perspective of their enemies and it has a more sci-fi action type narrative with a unique protagonist. I read Use of Weapons first and while the ending left me with questions the writing and universe had me hooked.

[@ronsilva7394]

Thanks !

[@laughingbeast4481]

Another choice for me is language. Am going to start with Consider Phlebas in English and then if I'll handle it well enough, Matter. If not I'll switch to Czech, fortunately it's being published for the first time these years. Well, not counting abysmal translation of Consider Phlebas published in the 90s.

[@UncleMonk23]

Chronological Order This is the approximate recommended chronological order, since I don't think Banks was paying enormous attention to this when writing the books…For example, Excession (which is set 400 years after Consider Phlebas) has a clear reference to the events of The Player of Games, but the latter novel is set well over 700 years after Consider Phlebas, which is a clear discrepancy. Still, for the curious, the order the books apparently takes place in is as follows: Consider Phlebas (1331 AD) Excession (c. 1867) Matter (c. 1890) The State of the Art (1977) The Player of Games (c. 2085) Use of Weapons (2092) Look to Windward (c. 2170) The Hydrogen Sonata (c. 2375) Surface Detail (c. 2767) Note that The State of the Art refers to the titular novella of the collection, not the other two Culture stories in the book. I could be wrong (not having read them yet), but I believe the other two stories and Inversions lack any information that can be used to reliably date them at all. Note on the Dates Above The appendix to Consider Phlebas gives the date for the beginning of the Idiran War as 1327 AD and the book takes place four years later… The war ends in 1375. Excession takes place 500 years after the war ends. Matter takes place over twenty years after the Sleeper Service vanishes (which happens at the end of Excession). The State of the Art features a Contact group surveying Earth in 1977. One of the same characters turns up in Use of Weapons 115 years after the mission to Earth. One of the ships in The Player of Games is 716 years old and was built at the end of the Idiran War (so near the end it never engaged in combat with the enemy). Look to Windward takes place 803 years after the Twin Novae Battle, one of the final space battles of the Idiran War. The Hydrogen Sonata takes place 1,000 years after the end of the Idiran War in Consider Phlebas. Surface Detail takes place 600 years after the events of Look to Windward but about 1,500 years after the end of the Idiran War; this may be a simple rounding error. According to Consider Phlebas' appendix, the Culture contacts Earth some time around 2100 AD. Earth joins the Culture but never really amounts to much as a member.

[@lisagulick4144]

Huh. Thought there were only two Culture stories in _TSotA,_ but you're right - "Descendant" also takes place in the Culture. Still a pretty dark story, though.

[@Cl0udEater]

Great summaries. I've read 5 books so far, first starting with 1, 2, & 3, then Matter, and latest, Surface Detail. You did sorta just spoil Veppers' involvement in hosting the hells, which is not revealed until later on in the book, but oh well! I'm looking forward to reading the others that i haven't yet!

[@DrBea]

For those who love the Culture Novels, I recommend the Iain Banks novel The Bridge. Contains some precursors to the SF novels.

[@Kr0yanX]

One reccomendation I'd add is NOT to start with excession (My personal favourite). You really benefit from having a good background understanding of the culture to appreciate all the subtle references.

[@SciFiScavenger]

I embarked on a re-read last month, I did give the reading order some thought but in the end just went with publication order. Keeps things simple. Player of Games up next....

[@aishalotter9995]

How to read ? I usually borrow books from the local library so I usually read them as they are available some series by some authors make that a difficult read , but Banks is an exception, all well written and memorable, always important with long series of books is the memorable part !!! I own a paperback copy of consider phlebas which is well read ,torn and tatty but still has a place in my own personal library , which has unfortunately shrunk due to space limitations and having children , maybe it might grow again in the future , here’s hoping anyways ! It’s about the journey, not the destination !!!

[@WickedGoodBooks]

I have owned three books by Banks (two Culture and one other) for years and have only just now gotten into reading them. Already invested and while I think I am going to stick with publication order, for now, I had to ask you if there was a good source for fan art for characters and concepts in this world? I am a big visual reader and love to have fan art or art that is close enough to the source to use as I read along. Any direction would be greatly appreciated!

[@scottrackley4457]

Player of Games should be first I think. Then Consider Phlebas. The rest in order I suppose. They're all great books if you tune in on the dynamics.

[@bubaks2]

Would like to get my hands on them

[@frankmontez6853]

I’ve heard that a swarm a civilization that consumes other planets other civilizations is in one of these books but I’ve never heard of and I’ve read most culture books. Which book is it ?

[@MegaBanannaman]

In publication order IMO

[@trading7000]

I missed having any more culture novels to read I asked GPT4 to write me a new book in the style of Ian M Banks - it was interesting, but still not the same 😞

[@PESHLAD]

You asked a AI to write you a book in the style of Ian m Banks…….. bro just write your own?

[@richardhall5489]

My only suggstion would be don't start with the short story collection "State of the Art". It's far from his best work and doesn't really give a good representation of the rest of the series. I think Excession might be my current favorite.

[@IRosamelia]

wow, you just made me realize Amazon Kindle mislabeled most of the order in the Culture series. They omitted The State of the Art so Excession appears as the fourth book, Inversions as the fifth and so on. 🤔

[@General_reader]

Just tell me, does the series have a complete and satisfactory ending? I hate starting a series just to be disappointed

[@frankie3010]

The series is sort of episodic. It chronicles different events at different times of Culture's existence.

[@gordonkent5371]

It's not really like that. As Darrel's intimated it's more a sublime exercise of imagination of what a galaxy spanning culture might be - with coherence between its sophistication, technology and approach to existence. The series is absolutely first class - Banks was truly genius. There are no weak links. And Darrel has done an excellent job in succinctly outlining the many ways in can be enjoyed and interpreted.

[@richardfox4803]

It's not a series as such, it's stories from a common Universe. Only a couple of characters appear in more than once.

[@toddtangen6750]

It's not a series so much as several contained stories that occur in the same universe.

[@chong2389]

Each book has an arc and a definite ending. It is up to the reader to decide if it is satisfying or not. For me, 'satisfying' is a sense of closure, which each book has. The only way you'll be disappointed is if you approach the books as a traditional series.

[@rikwarren3999]

Great stuff, bring your dictionary.

[@lisagulick4144]

Amen. You will have your vocabulary expanded!

[@f-u-nkyf-u-ntime]

I haven't read the emtire series but i have read the first one. I found it fascinating. The contrast between the Iridans and the culture was stark. What fascinated me about the culture was how it was a reflection of western liberalism but in steroids. It was empty, vacuous and devoid of any meaning or vision. It existed because it could. The iridans at least had a grand vision and purpose. The only reason the culture fought the war was over territory, the culture had no ideological reason to fight because they had no ideology, other than machine worship and hedonism. Again, they fought, and eventually won that war because they could. It was a game, nothing more. I cant wait to get more into the series. Very very good.

[@rickwrites2612]

The continued existence of a post scarcity humanistic hedonism is an excellent reason to fight a war. It's an interesting question in terms of the idea of "the rnd of history" as in, once the utopian vision has been established, do you require further vision? Why isn't it enough to simply protect the continued existence and expanse of a fulfilled vision? Also you toss away "hedonism" as if that cannot be ideological. Yet it always has been. The ancient West (Greeks, Roman's) who did not derive morals/ethics from their religion, but rather from independent secular philosophies, had an entire philosophy and ethics based on hedonism.

[@f-u-nkyf-u-ntime]

@rickwrites2612 Consider this. Every culture on earth, despite innate intelligence and technological advances and independent of each other (pre contact) from Australia to the Arctic circle, has developed an idea of the divine. Evey cultures' vitality and innovation (as much as they were able) coincided with this idea. Even the Greeks and Romans heyday was when they were a tight unified culture motivated by a vision of the divine. They very much believed that their cultures were spiritual. It was the cultures that replaced this spiritual essence with hedonism that became bloated, corrupt, and ultimately collapsed (much like the west today). Hedonism, therefore, is a consequence of indolence and comes hand in hand with corruption and decay. It is, with all its cohorts, the very antithesis of culture, if culture is defined as the collective quest for eventual enlightenment. We see this in the west today. All spiritually inspired cultural icons, high art, high architecture, and high music are being decried and derided, our political system is corrupt beyond words and the grand spiritual vision that drove the west to the heights it achieved has been replaced with hedonism. And as such the west is dying. I don't thing that having whatever material thing you want has strengthened our culture but drastically weakened it. It's a universal lesson. Materialism is death, spirituality is life.

[@ottolehikoinen6193]

Thanks for leaving Inversions out of this. It's definitely not a starting point and does not do well in representing aspects of The Culture. Good book though, can be read after 2-4 others, what ever your order.

[@billmc2419]

Ha. What about FEERSUM ENDJINN. Wass thi fukin problim heer?

[@SuperNova-py1ec]

I noticed it was missing. I guess it’s not a culture book so kept out of the discussion. I found Feersum Endjinn a tough read partly because of the way some of the narrative is presented. I enjoyed elements of it but missed putting the story together.

[@trojanthedog]

NO NO NO. Start with Consider Phlebus!