Use of Weapons

Last updated

Use of Weapons
IainMBanksUseofWeapons.jpg
Early Orbit edition cover
Author Iain M. Banks
Audio read by Peter Kenny
LanguageEnglish
Series The Culture
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Orbit
Publication date
September 13, 1990
Publication placeScotland
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Pages352
ISBN 0-356-19160-5
OCLC 59159282
Preceded by The Player of Games  
Followed by The State of the Art  

Use of Weapons is a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 1990. It is the third novel in the Culture series. [1]

Contents

The narrative takes the form of a biography of a man called Cheradenine Zakalwe, who was born outside of the Culture but was recruited into it by Special Circumstances agent Diziet Sma to work as an operative intervening in less advanced civilizations. The novel recounts several of these interventions and Zakalwe's attempts to come to terms with his own past. [1]

Plot summary

The book is made up of two narrative streams, interwoven in alternating chapters. The numbers of the chapters indicate which stream they belong to: one stream is numbered forward in words (One, Two ...), while the other is numbered in reverse with Roman numerals (XIII, XII ...). The story told by the former moves forward chronologically (as the numbers suggest) and tells a self-contained story, while the latter is written in reverse chronology with each chapter successively earlier in Zakalwe's life. [2] Further complicating this structure is a prologue and epilogue set shortly after the events of the main narrative, and many flashbacks within the chapters.

The forward-moving narrative stream deals with the attempts of Diziet Sma and a drone named Skaffen-Amtiskaw (of Special Circumstances, a division of Contact Section) to re-enlist Zakalwe for another job. He must make contact with Beychae, an old colleague, who lives in a politically unstable star cluster, to further the aims of the Culture in the region. The payment that Zakalwe demands is the location of a woman, named Livueta. The backward-moving narrative stream describes earlier jobs that Zakalwe has performed for the Culture, ultimately returning to his pre-Culture childhood with his two sisters (Livueta and Darckense) and a boy his age named Elethiomel whose father has been imprisoned for treason.

As the two streams of the narrative conclude, it emerges that Elethiomel and Zakalwe commanded two opposing armies in a bloody civil war. Elethiomel took Darckense hostage before finally having her killed and her bones and skin made into a chair, to be sent to Zakalwe, who attempted suicide upon receiving it.

After the successful extraction of Beychae, a severely wounded Zakalwe is taken back to his homeworld to see Livueta. She rejects him and reveals that the person called "Cheradenine Zakalwe" is in fact Elethiomel, who had stolen the real Zakalwe's identity after the latter had successfully killed himself during the civil war. Elethiomel suffers an aneurysm and Skaffen-Amtiskaw performs surgery in an attempt to save his life with initially unclear results. The epilogue is a continuation of the prologue; whether the story told by these "bookends" takes place prior to, or after, Zakalwe/Elethiomel suffers an aneurysm, is not immediately obvious until the epilogue, in which the clue that it takes place not long after is "Zakalwe pushing his hand through long hair that isn't there any more …" [3]

History

According to Banks, he wrote a much longer version of the book in 1974, long before any of his books (science fiction or otherwise) were published. [4] The book had an even more complicated structure ("It was impossible to comprehend without thinking in six dimensions") but already introduced the Culture as background for the story of Cheradenine Zakalwe. [4] Realising that his intended structure was a "fatal flaw", not least because it demanded the story's climax appear exactly half-way through, Banks moved on to write Against a Dark Background instead. [5] The book's cryptic acknowledgement credits friend and fellow science fiction author Ken MacLeod with the suggestion "to argue the old warrior out of retirement" (to rewrite the old book) and further credits him with suggesting "the fitness programme" (the new structure). [4] MacLeod makes use of similar structures in his own novels, most notably in The Stone Canal.

Reception

In 1990 Use of Weapons was nominated for a British Science Fiction Association Award. In 1991 it was nominated for an Arthur C. Clarke Award, [6] and in 1993 it won the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis for Foreign Novel. [7] Tor.com reviewed the book favorably in 2017, describing it as "beautiful and inevitable, and the tension is unbearable... There’s so much I love about this I hardly know where to start." [8] The Pequod rated the book a 9.5 (out of 10.0), saying, "This is first-rate science fiction, with unexpected depth as it explores the nature of morality, the effectiveness (and unintended consequences) of political intervention, and even the process of decision-making in the face of uncertainty." [9] In 2012 it was selected for Damien Broderick's book Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010. [10]

Commentary

Use of Weapons was voted the Best sci-fi film never made by the readers of The Register in 2011. [11]

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Banks</span> Scottish writer (1954–2013)

Iain Banks was a Scottish author, writing mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, adding the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies. After the success of The Wasp Factory (1984), he began to write full time. His first science fiction book, Consider Phlebas, appeared in 1987, marking the start of the Culture series. His books have been adapted for theatre, radio, and television. In 2008, The Times named Banks in their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

The Culture is a fictional interstellar post-scarcity civilisation or society created by the Scottish writer Iain Banks and features in a number of his space opera novels and works of short fiction, collectively called the Culture series.

<i>The State of the Art</i> 1991 short story collection by Iain M. Banks

The State of the Art is a short story collection by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 1989. The collection includes some stories originally published under his other byline "Iain Banks", as well as the title novella and others set in Banks's Culture fictional universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Doria Russell</span> American novelist

Mary Doria Russell is an American novelist.

<i>The Sparrow</i> (novel) 1996 novel by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow (1996) is the first novel by author Mary Doria Russell. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, James Tiptree Jr. Award, Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis and the British Science Fiction Association Award. It was followed by a sequel, Children of God, in 1998. The title refers to Gospel of Matthew 10:29–31, which relates that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without God's knowledge thereof.

<i>A Deepness in the Sky</i> 1999 novel by Vernor Vinge

A Deepness in the Sky is a science fiction novel by American writer Vernor Vinge. Published in 1999, the novel is a loose prequel to his earlier novel A Fire Upon the Deep (1992). The title is coined by one of the story's main characters in a debate, in a reference to the hibernating habits of his species and to the vastness of space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurd Lasswitz</span> German author, scientist and philosopher

Kurd Lasswitz was a German author, scientist, and philosopher. He has been called "the father of German science fiction". He sometimes used the pseudonym Velatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurd Laßwitz Award</span> German literary award

The Kurd Laßwitz Award is a science fiction award from Germany. The award is named after the science fiction author Kurd Laßwitz. Only works originally published in German are eligible for nomination in all categories except for the Foreign Work category.

Hans Joachim Alpers was a German writer and editor of science fiction and fantasy. Together with Werner Fuchs and Ulrich Kiesow he founded Fantasy Productions, which became one of the premier German RPG- and board game producers and retailers. He was born in Bremerhaven.

The Culture series is a science fiction series written by Scottish author Iain M. Banks and released from 1987 through to 2012. The stories centre on The Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space society of humanoid aliens, and advanced superintelligent artificial intelligences living in artificial habitats spread across the Milky Way galaxy. The main themes of the series are the dilemmas that an idealistic, more-advanced civilization faces in dealing with smaller, less-advanced civilizations that do not share its ideals, and whose behaviour it sometimes finds barbaric. In some of the stories, action takes place mainly in non-Culture environments, and the leading characters are often on the fringes of the Culture, sometimes acting as agents of Culture in its plans to civilize the galaxy. Each novel is a self-contained story with new characters, although reference is occasionally made to the events of previous novels.

<i>Surface Detail</i> 2010 science fiction novel by Iain M. Banks

Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks is a science fiction novel in his Culture series, first published in the UK on 7 October 2010 and the US on 28 October 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karlheinz Steinmüller</span> German physicist and science fiction author

Karlheinz Steinmüller is a German physicist and science fiction author. Together with his wife Angela Steinmüller he has written science fiction short stories and novels that depict human development on a cosmic scale, grounded in an analysis of social structures and mechanisms. Angela and Karlheinz Steinmüller were not only among the most widely read authors in the GDR, ranking at the top of a 1989 poll of most popular science fiction authors in the GDR, but their works continue to be republished.

Angela Steinmüller is a German mathematician and science fiction author. Together with her husband Karlheinz Steinmüller she has written science fiction short stories and novels that depict human development on a cosmic scale, grounded in an analysis of social structures and mechanisms. Angela and Karlheinz Steinmüller were not only among the most widely read authors in the GDR, ranking at the top of a 1989 poll of most popular science fiction authors in the GDR, but their works continue to be republished.

Deutscher Science Fiction Preis is a German literary award. Together with the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis, it is one of the most prestigious awards for German science fiction literature. The award was established in 1985 by the Science Fiction Club Deutschland, a German Science Fiction society. Each year, the award is given to the best German science fiction short story and the best German novel from the previous year.

Christian Mähr is an Austrian chemist and science fiction writer. His novel Fatous Staub concerns parallel worlds, computers, and the mathematical work of Pierre Fatou. It won the Deutscher Science Fiction Preis and the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis for 1992.

Peter Schattschneider is an Austrian physicist and science-fiction writer, a retired professor at the Institute of Solid State Physics and a staff member of the USTEM special unit of the Vienna University of Technology. His research focuses on electron microscopy, specifically on electron energy loss spectroscopy and the inelastic interactions between electrons and matter. He is also interested in the history of physics, the science in science fiction, and the role of science in society. His group was responsible for the discovery of electron magnetic circular dichroism in 2006.

Karsten Kruschel is a German science fiction writer, essayist and critic, who lives near Leipzig. His best known works are the Deutscher Science Fiction Preis winning novels Vilm and Galdäa. Some of his short stories were nominated for or won the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gisbert Haefs</span> German writer and translator

Gisbert Haefs is a German writer in several genres and translator. He has written historical novels such as Alexander, won both the Deutscher Science Fiction Preis and Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis in science fiction, and placed at the Deutscher Krimi Preis for crime fiction. As a translator he worked on a much criticized effort at translating works of Jorge Luis Borges into German.

<i>The Book of Phoenix</i> 2015 science fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor

The Book of Phoenix is a 2015 science fantasy novel by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. It is a stand alone prequel to Who Fears Death, it won the 2018 Kurd Laßwitz Preis for Best Foreign Fiction Book and was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aiki Mira</span> German science fiction writer

Aiki Mira is a German, non-binary person who publishes science fiction literature under this pseudonym.

References

  1. 1 2 Gerald Jonas (3 May 1992). "Science Fiction". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  2. ↑ John Gribbin (30 November 1991). "Review: Time waits for no author". NewScientist. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  3. ↑ "Iain M Banks Q&A". The Guardian. 11 September 2000. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Nick Gevers. "Cultured futurist Iain M. Banks creates an ornate utopia". Interview. Science Fiction Weekly. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  5. ↑ Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks, 4 August 2012, The Guardian
  6. ↑ "Arthur C.Clarke Award Shortlists". The Arthur C Clarke Award. 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis 1992" (in German). Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis. 1992. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  8. ↑ Vaughn, Carrie (17 January 2017). "Iain M. Banks' Use of Weapons and an Extreme Sense of Wonder". Tor.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "Use of Weapons | The Pequod". the-pequod.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010 — Nonstop Press". Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  11. ↑ Use of Weapons declared best sci-fi film never made, By Lester Haines, 11 May 2011, The Register
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.