Consider Phlebas, by Iain M. Banks

Consider Phlebas is the first book in Iain M. Banks's Culture series. It's a fairly loose series; the stories are apparently self contained. 'Apparently'? That, because it's the first Culture book I've read. However, I have read one other of his science fiction books, The Algebraist, also a work of space opera. In some ways it could almost be a Culture book except it wouldn't quite fit. It impressed me as regards his writing and world creation, and since I had another Iain M. Banks Culture book lying around which I'd never read, Look to Windward, I went for that and then saw that it stands quite late on in the collection. I decided to read the first - this one, Consider Phlebas - even if not strictly necessary, figuring that any writer creating an ambitious 'universe' will do a lot of introducing of the features of that universe in the first volume, even if the story itself is fully resolved by the end.

A side note here is that I've never read an Iain Banks book. For those that don't know, Banks began as a 'mainstream' novelist, making quite an impact with books like The Wasp Factory. When he embarked on a parallel career as a science fiction author, he adopted the pen name of Iain M. Banks. I suppose this made it easier for bookshop owners to pose a new Iain Banks book in the front window and then on the centre store shelves, while slotting any Iain M. Banks books into the slightly grubbier room at the back where they ghettoise science fiction, fantasy and horror. But being aware of the twin strands of his writing, I'm naturally curious to sample the quality of his writing, because surely no writer is going to consciously slum it as a writer simply because he or she has switched genres? It's an abiding question for me, having drifted away from science fiction in my younger years at a time when little science fiction demonstrated what they used to call 'literary quality'. But there are many science fiction works today which deserve critical respect. And Iain M. Banks's should, you would think, be amongst them.

The narrative of Consider Phlebas is commendably tight. The principal characters are established straight away, with deft skill, considering that the protagonist is a 'Changer' ie. able to physically transform his appearance. Although the action spans distances we can't comprehend, the setting of every scene is well managed, and we can get our heads around them even though we may be talking about a spaceship the size of a small planet, or a giant orbital ring with a land area many times larger than any rocky planet. The thrust of the narrative is very clear, in that the protagonist Horza has a definite objective. And though as in most space opera the characters all have bizarre names, they're usually abbreviated just as would happen in real life, and you get used to them.

What about the characters? The setting is so alien from anything we know here on Earth*, how easy is it to imagine them, their motivations and behaviour? Well, it's true some of them are very alien. One is supposedly removed from our physical universe and we only observe the results of its actions. But the rest are all given thoroughly detailed, convincing personalities. We sympathise to some degree with most of them. Though there are, necessarily a handful of irredeemable individuals. Just as in real life. But as to our protagonist Horza's principal opponent towards the end, Xoxarle, though unlikeable, Banks renders him well enough to make him understandable. 

Relationships are always a test for books like this. Because, they're (probably) not the point of a science fiction story, but for most living beings they're a major preoccupation of the time they have in existence; and readers tend to wonder if their 'hero' is going to get any at some point. I liked what Banks did here. It was a perfectly natural part of the story, Horza's past and present relationships affected his actions, and the story, without unbalancing it at all. And they fed into the emotional impact of the outcome. 

Yes, as a reader, you find yourself strangely mourning these totally fictional and not entirely human people you've come to know.

It took me some time to get used to Banks's writing. First in The Algebraist, then in Consider Phlebas, I wondered if I'd experienced before another writer so inclined to switch tone so much, from serious to flippant, from detached, clinical description, small scale as well as too great a scale to take in, to thriller style action. It's all there. And it's worth underlining that although Banks describes all kinds of alienness in his universe, he clearly decided to hand wave difficulties with conversation. Different languages certainly exist, and he tells us if it's relevant, that a character can't understand what another says. But Banks is far more interested as we would be in what characters say, their truthfulness, and how they might be using words to influence others. I think he does this really, really well. I should mention for instance that Xoxarle is a three legged giant, but never does he seem more human when near the end he manipulates his captors in order to gain an advantage. 

The Culture? It was a perfect choice, to begin this series by looking at it from the outside. Horza is a spy, you see. There was no glib childhood trauma or somesuch, he simply, profoundly, doesn't agree with the Culture. He's flawed morally, most clearly when he kills someone in his way. They're not complete innocents, but still, it's murder. Anyway, you follow him on his quest and you're pretty much rooting for him at the end. But the Culture is there, represented by a female agent who's well realised herself. Their occasional conversations make one puzzled as time goes on - you wonder why he can't see he's on the 'wrong' side. If it is. Though only depicted at a distance in this book, it does seem as if the Culture may not entirely be a blissful utopia. I suppose I will have to read more Culture books to find out.

On the evidence so far, these are terrific books. Space opera for grown ups.

*- Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten that asterisk. The last portion of the book takes place on a 'Planet of the Dead', Schar's World, a frozen near lifeless place normally barred from outsiders and containing only the artifacts of a long dead civilisation. It isn't Earth; but the way it's described it very much sounds like an Earth experiencing a new ice age. And the civilisation destroyed itself; it had built great structures and machines in preparation for global war, but was wiped out by a plague. Woops.

Another footnote. I read today that an Amazon TV series based on Consider Phlebas was in the works, but has been cancelled, it seems because Iain Banks's estate has backed away from the project. I can get why producers might be interested in the book: a lot of it reads like a thriller, especially at the end, where the viewpoint switches faster and faster between the different participants in the action - all very filmic.