Use of Weapons cover art

Use of Weapons

Culture Series, Book 3

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About this listen

 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 the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action.

Though the woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and aided his stratospheric rise, she did not know him as well as she thought.

The drone Ska­ffen-Amtiskaw thought it knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman's life by massacring her attackers, and it believed the man to be a burnt-out wreck - but not even its superlative machine-intelligence could see the horrors in his past.

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.©1990 Iain M. Banks (P)2012 Hachette Digital Science Fiction Space Opera Fiction
All stars
Most relevant

Where does Use of Weapons rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'd put it in the upper third. I read other reviews claiming it to be Mr Banks' finest culture book but, although the story is good, maybe I expected too much.

What other book might you compare Use of Weapons to, and why?

Due to it being sci-fi in nature, it's hard to compare to other books. Naturally, it can be compared to other culture books but, if anything, I think it could easily be the kind of thing I'd have seen from Douglas Adams if he committed himself to serious science fiction rather than humorous.

Have you listened to any of Peter Kenny’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Peter Kenny is superb, as usual. A smooth, steady reading speed combined with well realised characterisation of the character's voices.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't think the book in itself was particularly moving really. There are aspects that could be considered as emotional but not moving.

Any additional comments?

The story is written in a form where half the book is written in reverse order and the other half is written chronologically. These chapters (or parts) and interlaced alternately. So we'd have Chapter 1, Part 13, Chapter 2, Part 12, etc. This is probably quite effective in print but can be quite distracting in audio form possibly leading to my not rating the book as highly as others.

Not as good as I was led to believe but not bad at

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The first thing you need to know before listening is that this book consists of 2 timelines, one running forward in time, the other in reverse. Both timelines revolve around the same main character, the reverse timeline delving deeper & deeper into his past.

Each chapter alternates between the timelines - but the prologue & epilogue take place after both timelines!

Knowing this in advance I was obviously a bit dubious about how easy the story would be follow, but it's actually fine and not at all difficult to follow, a sign of the great writing and flawless narration by Kenny. This complexity adds to the reward at the end of the book - basically the ending is astounding, a genuine corker.

Compared to Banks other books it's quite dark and restrained, not a lot of space-opera-style romping about in spaceships - most of the plots take place on various planetary war-zones.

On one level it's an enjoyable sci-fi action thriller, but it's really a deep study of the nature of man and how the culture uses its tools of manipulation. You could read this many times and always discover more stuff here.

Recommended and well worth the effort.






Deep & Complex - well worth the effort

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narrator was brilliant. story was confusing at times but ive come to expect that from Banks. everything wraps up perfectly in the end. recommended!!

Engrossing

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Would be nice if someone could unravel this novel so both parts flow in the same direction. Like all culture novels though can be read again and again. I only wish there were more.

Backward & forwards complexity, but stil very good

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Love the narrator, and thus far have loved every Culture series book! Can't wait to start the next one :)

Another thrilling book with amazing narration

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