Welcome to www.Iain-Banks.net
Welcome to the new-look Iain [M] Banks website. This site contains a wealth of information on the fiction of Iain Banks and the science fiction of Iain M Banks. New content is being added to the site on a regular basis. If there's anything you'd particularly like to see on the site, please contact the site editors and let us know.
Latest Iain [M] Banks Books
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MatterOrbit Books (UK / US)Hardback January 31st 2008 (UK) / February 27th 2008 (US) 978-1841494173 (UK) / 978-0316005364 (US) [paperback release date: February 5th 2009] more info |
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The Steep Approach to GarbadaleAbacus Books (UK)Paperback February 28th 2008 (UK) 978-0349119281 more info |
Latest Iain [M] Banks News
Quick update - a few Banks-esque links
August 11, 2008First up, we've just added a couple of links to reviews of The Steep Approach to Garbadale to the reviews page.
Dave H sent us a link to a Guardian podcast of the recent discussion panel on The Wasp Factory that was chaired by John Mullan.
On the subject of The Wasp Factory, there's a lengthy analysis-piece over at a blog called The Anatomy Lesson, which probably deserves a few comments.
Readers might also be interested in visiting Jon's Soap Box, where you can read (and discuss) a comparison of the world-building techniques of Iain Banks and William Gibson.
And blogger Cobb ponders The Sybaritic Side of The Culture.
Iain Banks FinancialRadio.co.uk audio interview
August 4, 2008Iain Banks has been interviewed by market news and interviews webzine Financial Radio. It appears that the interview was carried out and posted to the website back in April, but was added to YouTube a couple of weeks ago and subsequently discovered by Gary W, who sent in the link (cheers, Gary!)
Here's the link to the original article: www.financialradio.co.uk.
And here are the three YouTube links:
Embedded audio after the jump, click on 'read more' to access.
Iain [M] Banks Q&A session II - more questions, please!
July 24, 2008Iain enjoyed providing answers for the first email Q&A session so much that he's asked us to set up another one right away.
And so, without further ado, we hereby call for all you Banks-fans and readers to send in your next batch of questions for Iain. The same general guidelines as last time will apply once more:
Send your best question (just one per correspondent, please), by email, to orbit@littlebrown.co.uk, with the subject line 'Iain [M] Banks QandA Suggestion'.
The deadline for submissions for this second session is Wednesday August 13th. After that date, the half-dozen or so queries that - in the collective opinion of the team here at Orbit / Abacus - are the most interesting and / or intriguing will be put to Mr Banks for his consideration and contemplation. The resulting answers will then be posted to to the website as soon as Iain has gotten his answers back to us.
Fire away!
Iain Banks email Q&A July 2008
July 21, 2008A few weeks ago, we invited readers of this website and www.orbitbooks.net to submit questions to be put to Iain Banks by email. Once the three-week submission period was over, the selection panel sifted through the submissions and picked half a dozen; Iain mused, pondered, cogitated and then sent back the following responses:
John Mullan on readers’ responses to ‘The Wasp Factory’
July 21, 2008Over at The Guardian Online John Mullan presents a summary of the recent Wasp Factory discussion panel, which was held in London and featured a live panel discussion with Iain Banks on the subject of the many and varied interpretations of and reactions to his debut novel.
The general conclusion was that the book isn't actually as shocking as its reputation tends to suggest. Iain said that it was written as a black comedy and that Complicity was actually written to be far more shocking, but tends to be written up as being far less so. Iain's suggestion was that the shock response to The Wasp Factory created "anti-bodies" that then defeated the shock value of the later novel.
Plenty more of interest from the session, over at books.guardian.co.uk.
Edit Dave H has pointed us in the direction of a podcast recording of the panel session on the Guardian website. Cheers Dave!
Iain Banks on ‘The Wasp Factory’ in The Guardian
July 14, 2008The Guardian has posted Iain's own take on the background to his breakthrough novel The Wasp Factory over at books.guardian.co.uk.
In the article we learn that The Wasp Factory was Iain's sixth completed novel, and that at the time he regarded it as something of a step-backwards from his dream of becoming a published science fiction writer:
"The Wasp Factory represented me admitting partial defeat, heaving a slightly theatrical sigh, stepping reluctantly away from the gaudy, wall-size canvasses of science/space fiction to lay down my oversize set of Rolf Harris paint rollers, pick up a set of brushes thinner than pencils and - jaw set, brows furrowed - lower myself to using a more restricted palette and to producing what felt like a miniature in comparison."
There's plenty more insight into the origins of the book to be gained by reading the rest of the Guardian article.
Reminder: Iain Banks appearing at 2008 Latitude Festival
July 14, 2008Just a quick reminder that Iain Banks will be appearing at this coming weekend's Latitude Festival.
The Literary Arena page has been updated recently and lists Iain as appearing on Saturday, possibly round about lunch-time (ish). So if you're already heading on down to the festival this weekend (Saturday day passes are sold out, so it's probably best not to turn up on spec) and want to see our Mr Banks do his thing (whatever that thing turns out to be) then it looks like Saturday is the day to hang around the Literary Arena. Presumably they'll give you an actual timetable of events when you get there on the day, so you'll know roughly what time to turn up. So that should be okay...
Iain Banks on Radio 4 next week
July 10, 2008Via Dave H of The Banksoniain fanzine, we hear that Iain is listed as a contributor to the programme 'The Disappearing Art of the Mix Tape', which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 11:30 next Thursday, July 17th.
The blurb says: "Broadcaster and journalist David Quantick celebrates the home-produced compilation cassette, a disappearing art form in an age when music can be readily downloaded. Contributors include novelist Iain Banks and poet Simon Armitage."
More information from www.bbc.co.uk.
One from the Archives: Iain [M] Banks’ Write Place
July 7, 2008Originally posted to YouTube (and presumably broadcast) back in March 2008, in this clip from Sky Arts' 'The Book Show', Iain Banks introduces us to his inner sanctum: the eclectic study wherein all that writerly magic takes place...
[Many thanks to Gary W for the heads-up]
Iain Banks’ ‘The Wasp Factory’ to feature in The Guardian
June 26, 2008Over the next four weekends, starting on June 28, John Mullan - professor of English at University College London - will be discussing Iain Banks' The Wasp Factory for the Guardian Book Club. Iain will also write a response piece, which will be published on July 12. We'll bring you links to any online content as we discover it, of course.
Banks-fans and other interested readers can also join the professor and the author for a discussion of the novel on Thursday July 10 at the Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1. Doors open at 6.30 p.m. and entry costs £8. To book a ticket, email book.club@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 7886 9281.
[Thanks to Dave H of 'The Banksoniain' for the heads-up]
‘State of the Art’ radio-play - casting news
June 26, 2008Last week on his blog, Paul Cornell reported that no less a British stage luminary than Anthony Sher KBE will be playing the voice of the GCU Arbitrary in the forthcoming BBC4 radio adaptation of 'State of the Art', which Paul has scripted and Iain Banks is reportedly very pleased with indeed.
More news as Paul reveals it...
[Thanks to Dave H of 'The Banksoniain' for the heads-up]
Iain [M] Banks Q&A session - send us your questions!
June 23, 2008
In a few weeks' time, the one and only Iain [M] Banks will be participating in an email QandA session, which will be conducted via this-here official Iain Banks website. We're therefore looking for a selection of interesting, intelligent questions to put to him.
So if you've got a burning issue that you'd like Iain to address, or if there's something that's intrigued you about his recent work, or a question that's been lurking in the back of your mind ever since you read one of his earliest novels that you'd now like to bring into the light of day, then this is your chance.
Send your best question (just one per correspondent, please), by email, to orbit@littlebrown.co.uk, with the subject line 'Iain [M] Banks QandA Suggestion'. The deadline for submissions for this first session is July 9th. After that date, the half-dozen or so queries that - in the collective opinion of the team here at Orbit / Abacus - are the most interesting and / or intriguing* will be put to Mr Banks for consideration. The resulting answers will then be posted to this very website in due course.
We're hoping that this will be the first of a number of regular Q&A sessions with Iain, so don't worry if you can't think of something fascinating to ask him straight away; why not mull it over a bit and maybe submit it to us for the next round?
*Hint: Questions such as "why did you cut up your passport?" and "why did you sell all your sports cars?" have been answered no end of times elsewhere, we feel. Likewise, "where do you get your ideas?" will be given short-shrift indeed. We're looking for interesting and / or intriguing queries to put to Iain, folks... so fire up those imagination circuits!
Iain Banks appearing at the 2008 Edinburgh Book Festival
June 17, 2008The Edinburgh International Book Festival recently published its 2008 events schedule, so we can now confirm that Iain [M] Banks will be appearing on Wednesday August 13th, from 8.00 to 9.00 p.m. in a session billed as 'The Biggart Bailey Event'.
Tickets are £9 (£7 conc.) and will go on sale from June 20th. We'd love to send you straight to the relevant ticket-booking page, but alas the EIBF website just isn't built that way, but if you head on over to tickets.edbookfest.co.uk and run a search for 'Iain Banks' the details should pop right up.
Worth noting also that Iain's good pal and fellow Orbit author Ken MacLeod will also be taking part in a couple of EIBF events this year; check the website for details.
[Thanks to DaveH of 'The Banksoniain' for the heads-up]
Iain Banks interviewed in ASIM #35
June 17, 2008The latest issue of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine includes an interview with Iain [M] Banks which was conducted in January this year.
David from 'The Banksoniain' tells us the piece "starts off being about Matter, but goes onto more general things, including the first hints that the next SF book is likely to be a 'Culture' one..."
Intriguing stuff. See the ASIM website for more information on ordering a print (AUD$8.95 plus postage) or pdf (AUD$4.95) copy of the latest issue.
Addendum: Simon Petrie of ASIM very kindly sent us a pdf copy of the interview with Iain, so we can confirm that he talks about (among many other things) his addiction to writing science fiction: "The point is, though, that science fiction is the genre that I love… it just lets me exercise the imagination, and that’s the point about science fiction. It's about imagination, it's about ideas, and those are the two things that I absolutely treasure, you don't get in any other genre."
And on that hint as to whether his next SF novel will be a Culture title: "Will it be Culture? I don't entirely know… but having said that, I love writing about the Culture, I just absolutely adore it, I almost have to force myself not to. So, chances are very much that the one after the next one (which is a mainstream) will be the next Culture science fiction novel."
There's also some intriguing thoughts on the origins of The Culture, the degree of artistic extrapolation vs. research in his world-building, the chances of seeing a Culture novel on the big screen (pretty slim), Iain's literary inspirations (a great many) and much more.
Well worth the pdf download admission price alone. Cheers, Simon!
Iain Banks appearing in Gateshead, September ‘08
June 3, 2008David from The Banksoniain has been in touch to let us know that Iain Banks is scheduled to put in an appearance in Gateshead on Friday September 12, as part of Gateshead Libraries' National Year of Reading events programme.
Initial info has been posted at www.asaplive.com, with more details to follow in due course, which we'll post as soon as we have them.
Iain Banks video interview on CNN.com
May 16, 2008During his recent appearance at the Lincoln Book Festival, Iain Banks talked to CNN's Linnie Rawlinson about a wide range of topics and subject areas, including the appeal of science fiction, his sf-nal influences, the social impact of post-scarcity economics in The Culture (and whether he's like to live there) as well as his vision for the future of humanity, including the one Culture-based gift he'd give the human race, if he could...
You can check out the video version (in two parts) over on the CNN website, or if you don't have a broadband connection handy right now, you can read the text version of the interview instead.
Iain Banks appearing at 2008 Islay Book Festival
May 16, 2008It was announced a while ago, but we've recently been sent some additional information on Iain's forthcoming appearance at the 2008 Islay Book Festival, which runs over the weekend of September 6th and 7th at Port Ellen Primary School on Islay.
Iain will be taking questions from the audience during a panel session on Saturday 6th at 10.30 a.m. and will then be talking about his latest novel, Matter at a second session on Sunday 7th at 2.00 p.m.
More information is available on the Islay Book Festival website: www.islaybookfestival.com.
‘Matter’ reviewed for Wired.com’s GeekDad blog
April 29, 2008Over at blog.wired.com/geekdad/, reviewer John Baichtal takes a look at Matter and definitely likes what he sees: "By the time I'd read fifty pages, not only was I hooked, but I was sure Matter was this year's Hugo award winner."
Well, I think that's the sort of sentiment we can all get behind. But wait, there's more:
"The fact that so much of the background info is difficult to parse, and yet the book is so readable, demonstrates Banks' writing skill. The characterization is complex and unexpected, and the setting, despite its complexity, is totally consistent and believable. Banks has a gift for apt phraseology, especially the courtly speech of the principal characters. But it's the subtle touches that make this setting so rich."
Nicely put, Mr Baichtal. Read the full review over at blog.wired.com/geekdad/.
Bloomer, Harrison, McCalmont and Raven on ‘Matter’
April 24, 2008Four of the UK's top genre bloggers / reviewers / commentators - James Bloomer, Niall Harrison, Jonathan MacCalmont and Paul Raven - have been holding a round-robin discussion of the latest Iain Banks Culture novel, Matter.
The team-review starts with a general over view of Iain Banks' place in the respective reviewer's hearts and libraries in Part One, before moving on to the meat of the Matter at hand as they discuss the novel itself in Part Two and then concluding with an analysis of the novel's major thematic elements and central message in Part Three.
Part One - does it Matter to you?
Part Two - mind over Matter
Part Three - the heart of the Matter
Comments are enabled on all three posts (they've been posted across three of the contributors' blogs to maximise the link-love for all, which is a nice touch) so do feel free to join in and let the contributors know what you think of their conclusions.
Gwyneth Jones reviews ‘Matter’ for Strange Horizons
April 16, 2008Award-winning author Gwyneth Jones has penned a long, thoughtful and insightful review of Matter, which has been posted online at Strange Horizons.
Gwyneth draws intriguing parallels between certain plot elements the new Culture novel and a certain ring-themed classic of the fantasy genre and also makes some interesting observations on the nature of Space Opera and the way in which Iain - whose left-wing political views are well known and thoroughly documented - handles the more violent tropes of the sub-genre:
"Space Opera is no longer out of fashion, but what about the other problem, the moral issue? There’s no denying that this sub-genre glorifies war. Worse, it tends to position the reader back at the chateau with the generals, being pragmatic about those casualty figures. ... Banks is certainly aware of the difficulty, and always runs damage limitation alongside the joyous mayhem. This is the difference between Old Space Opera and New Space Opera, after all. It’s about having fun in permanent warfare world, without supporting the Military Industrial Complex in real life: about having liberal, enlightened values and enjoying the odd Death Star Demolition Derby."
Well worth reading the full review over at www.strangehorizons.com, and the associated comments thread is shaping up nicely as well.
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