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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Philcha (talk | contribs) at 11:44, 4 October 2011 (Kaveney: the book's title warns that there will be detailed accounts). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sources

Lead

Surface Detail
AuthorIain M. Banks
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Culture
GenreScience fiction novel
PublisherOrbit Books
Publication date
2010
Publication placeGreat Britain
Media typePrint (Hardback[1] & Paperback)
Pages627 pages[1]
ISBN[[Special:BookSources/978-1-84149-895-9%7F%27%22%60UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU%60%22%27%7F |978-1-84149-895-9[1]]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
Preceded by Matter'[1] 

Plot

Among a member of a human-like species, Lededje Y'breq wears a full-body tattoo which brands her as a slave of the powerful tycoon Veppers, who frequently rapes her and, when she tries to escapes, kills her.[2] Neither knew that an eccentric Culture ship had implanted into Lededje brain a "neural lace", which at the woman's death sent a copy of her memories to the General Systems Vehicle Sense Amid Madness, Wit Amidst Follow.

Similar personality copying techniques allows the soldier Vateuil to fight in a variety of environments, including a mainly energy being which moves between layer and fractures of ice.[2]

The rulers of an elephant-like species maintain a Hell with which they punish for ever those whose conduct the ruler dislike. Prin and Chay volunteer to sent copies of their souls into this Hell, hoping to return and expose the atrocities, but only Prin is able to escape.[2]

There has for a long time a battle between high-tech civilisation about whether Hells should be maintained or destroy.[2]


Themes

Naomi Alderman says that Bank's fictional Hells are based on the Hell houses in which some Christian fundamentalists try to terrify those whose behaviour is not approved.[2]


Alderman says the book make clear the conflicts of objectives, for example whether the needs of Lededje or Chay should be sacrificed in order make certain that the Hells are destroyed.[2]

Reviews

Alderman says the most vivid character is the Culture's Abominator-class warship Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints, which gleefully destroys an enemy fleet instantly.[2]

Alderman says the descriptions of some characters, such as the Special Circumstance agent Yime Nsokyi, as less vivid.[2]

Alderman says, "The novel's real power lies in the absorbing questions it poses about the value of the real, as opposed to the virtual, about who or what is expendable, and whether a society is better held together by threats or by promises."[2]

Roz Kaveney says the book shows in detail the technologies and politics, which mainly will of interest to long-term followers of the series.[3]


Production

References

  1. ^ a b c d Banks, Iain M. (2010). Surface Detail. Great Britain: Orbit Books. p. 627. ISBN 978-1-84149-895-9.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Alderman, Naomi (Saturday 23 October 2010). "Surface Detail by Iain M Banks – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Kaveney, Roz (Friday, 15 October 2010). "Surface Detail, By Iain M Banks". The Indepentent. Retrieved 4 October 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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