I've been hearing a lot of critical raves about this author lately, he's a Brit who writes "philosophical" hard science fiction, particularly a novel cycle about future humanity's relationship with a utopian Galaxy-wide multi-species organic/machine civilization called the Culture. The Culture is very advanced, benign, anarchic, yet highly bureaucratic and takes its version of the Prime Directive very seriously, but still feels obligated to meddle occasionally (with varying degrees of success) in other cultures to prevent gross abuses and injustices.

Of course, being not only alien to us, but its component parts alien to each other, it's concepts of morality and non-interference often differ substantially from ours. Still, they mean well, at least by their own standards. The galaxy inhabited by the Culture contains many sentient species of highly varied advancement and technological achievement, with positions on the ethical spectrum varying from saintly to demonic. The Culture is one of the oldest and most highly developed, but there are others even more advanced, so much that they don't care about, or aren't even aware of, the Culture, its client states, and its rivals or allies. I got the impression Mr Banks was a sort of Larry Niven or Vernor Vinge for grown-ups.

I've read some good things about Banks, so when a friend sent me a copy of his book Matter, I definitely looked forward to getting into it. I was very disappointed. With the exception of two totally astonishing passages (I can't begin to explain why without actually quoting them word for word--they're that good) the book simply did not live up to its press.

Still, it won't be the first time an otherwise good writer fails in one book, and I'm willing to give him another chance. Are any of you guys familiar with his work, and if so, can you recommend another one of his books I might try?

Banks also writes mainstream fiction, where he signs himself without a middle initial.