Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
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(Paperback - Reprint)
- Pub. Date: July 2008
- 512pp
- Sales Rank: 38,179
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: July 2008
- Publisher: Orbit/Yen
- Format: Paperback, 512pp
- Sales Rank: 38,179
- ISBN-13: 9780316030571
- ISBN: 0316030570
- Edition Description: Reprint
Synopsis
The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks and military action.
The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought.
The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman's life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a lost cause. But not even its machine could see the horrors in his past.
Ferociously intelligent, both witty and horrific, USE OF WEAPONS is a masterpiece of science fiction.
Biography
Iain Banks came to controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. Consider Phlebas, his first science fiction novel, was published under the name Iain M. Banks in 1987. He is now widely acclaimed as one of the most powerful, innovative and exciting writers of his generation. Iain Banks lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Customer Reviews
Avoid this book if you don't like gratuitous crueltyby Anonymous
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March 15, 2009: Banks can write very good books but they are marred by gratuitous cruelty. I have taken out pages of graphic torture in my copies and it does not alter the plot in any way. Banks must have been told by some editor that his books wouldn't sell unless they had this type of add-on. It just ruins a good book, and leads one to think Banks is too easily led. I hope he has the strength to write book of his own without needless add-ons of cruelty.
Futuristic mercenary working for a powerful benevolent raceby Anonymous
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November 19, 2003: I was first introduced to Iain Banks by reading his book 'Consider Phlebas'. Of the space science fiction genre, I found his detail and depth of imagery astounding. I recommend that book to sci-fi fans. 'Use of Weapons' could be simply described as being about a futuristic mercenary doing deeds for a powerful benevolent race. But this is not a simple book. Two story lines interweave in alternating chapters. The first is traditional, moving forward in time, following one plot line. The other goes backward in time, each chapter number counting backward as well, and touches on past events that increasingly explain events and people being followed in the upward counting chapters. This manner of story telling certainly requires a great attention to detail by the reader, but the reward at the end is worth it, as we finally discover what really is going on. After finishing the book I found myself re-reading many sections, rediscovering many things I had missed. I will be looking for what seems to be a sequel, 'States of War'.
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