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Consider Phlebas

A space opera of stunning power and awesome imagination from the modern master of SF
Series: Culture
3.85 goodreads logo

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( 98,692 ratings, 5,470 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks, you'll find yourself immersed in a high-stakes conflict between the Idiran Empire and the Culture, a utopian society of humans and machines. The story follows Horza, a shape-shifting agent tasked with a vital mission amidst this cosmic war. Expect thrilling adventures across diverse planets and spaceships, filled with complex characters and smart world-building.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Set against the backdrop of an epic conflict between two advanced civilizations, this book may appeal to you if you enjoy grand space operas filled with thrilling adventures, complex characters, and intricate political and philosophical themes. It's perfect for readers who appreciate a blend of action with deep, thought-provoking undercurrents in speculative fiction.

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A stunning new reissue edition of Consider Phlebas - a space opera of stunning power and awesome imagination, from the modern master of science fiction, Iain M. Banks

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.

'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson

War rages across the galaxy. Billions have died, billions more are doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, face cold-blooded, brutal destruction. The Idirans fight for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles are at stake. There can be no surrender.

Within this cosmic conflict, a crucial battle of wits is waged. Deep within a fabled labyrinth, on a Planet of the Dead forbidden to mortals, lies a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Idirans desperately seek it. It is the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictable mercenaries, human and machine, to actually find it - and with it their own destruction.

Praise for the Culture series:

'Epic in scope, ambitious in its ideas and absorbing in its execution' Independent on Sunday

'Banks has created one of the most enduring and endearing visions of the future' Guardian

'Banks's sci-fi, at its best, is staggeringly inventive, beautifully written, dramatic and often very funny. His stories are packed with ideas, warships with minds very much of their own, alien races, charismatic drones and intergalactic politics' New Scientist

'Jam-packed with extraordinary invention' Scotsman

'Compulsive reading' Sunday Telegraph

The Culture series:

Consider Phlebas

The Player of Games

Use of Weapons

Excession

Inversions

Look to Windward

Matter

Surface Detail

The Hydrogen Sonata

The State of the Art

Other books by Iain M. Banks:

Against a Dark Background

Feersum Endjinn

The Algebraist

Also now available:

The Culture: The Drawings - an extraordinary collection of original illustrations faithfully reproduced from sketchbooks Banks kept in the 1970s and 80s, depicting the ships, habitats, geography, weapons and language of Banks' Culture series of novels in incredible detail.

Series: Culture

View all
  • Consider Phlebas
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson War rages across the galaxy. Billions have died, billions more are doomed. Moons,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • Surface Detail
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' - William Gibson The "War in Heaven", a simulated war game, rages between civilisations. Its...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Hydrogen Sonata
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson The Scavenger species are circling. It is, truly, the End Days for the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Matter
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' β€” William Gibson The intricate structure of a Shellworldβ€”an artificial planet of spheres-within-spheresβ€”is matched only...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • Look To Windward
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' β€” William Gibson It was one of the less glorious incidents of a long-ago war....
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Player Of Games
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' – William Gibson The Culture – a utopian human-machine symbiotic society – has produced many...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Use Of Weapons
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson The man known as Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
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  • The State Of The Art
    The works of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. With breathtaking imagination and extraordinary storytelling, they have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' β€” William Gibson The State of the Art is the only collection of Iain M. Banks's short fiction...
    Paperback
    $2799
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  • Excession
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson Two and a half millennia ago in a remote corner of space, beside...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Inversions
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson In the winter palace, the King's new physician has more enemies than she...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks is celebrated for its creative brilliance and energy. Critics highlight Banks' ability to weave poetry, humour, and complexity into his work, making this and his other books both captivating and multifaceted. The anticipation for Banks' new releases is strong, marking him as a leading figure in British science fiction.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780356521633

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 November 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orbit

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 360g

Pages: 528

About the Author

Iain Banks (1954-2013) came to widespread and 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 and began his celebrated ten-book Culture series. He is acclaimed as one of the most powerful, innovative and exciting writers of his generation.

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  • Against A Dark Background
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    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. With breathtaking imagination and extraordinary storytelling, they have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson Lady Sharrow was once the fearless leader of a combat team in one of the sporadic...
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    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' - William Gibson The "War in Heaven", a simulated war game, rages between civilisations. Its...
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  • The Hydrogen Sonata
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  • The Algebraist
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. With breathtaking imagination and extraordinary storytelling, they have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' – William Gibson It is 4034 AD. Humanity has made it to the stars, but Fassin Taak, a...
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  • The Culture: The Drawings
    WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST ILLUSTRATED AND ART BOOK This extraordinary collection celebrates the dazzling worldbuilding of Iain M. Banks, one of the most important and influential writers in modern science fiction. Faithfully reproduced from notebooks he kept in the 1970s and 80s, these annotated original illustrations depict the ships, habitats, geography, weapons, and language of Banks' Culture...
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    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' β€” William Gibson The intricate structure of a Shellworldβ€”an artificial planet of spheres-within-spheresβ€”is matched only...
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  • Look To Windward
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  • The Player Of Games
    The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre. 'Banks is a phenomenon' – William Gibson The Culture – a utopian human-machine symbiotic society – has produced many...
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