The State of the Art

By: Iain M. Banks

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

From New York Times bestselling and modern master of science fiction, Iain M. Banks, The State of the Art is the acclaimed collection of Banks's short fiction.

“Banks is a phenomenon...writing pure science fiction of a peculiarly gnarly energy and elegance.” –William Gibson

This is a striking addition to the body of Culture lore, and adds definition and scale to the previous works by using the Earth of 1977 as contrast. The stories in the collection range from science fiction to horror, dark-coated fantasy to morality tale. All bear the indefinable stamp of Iain Banks's staggering talent.

“Few of us have been exposed to a talent so manifest and of such extraordinary breadth.” –New York Review of Science Fiction

“[Banks] can summon up sense-of-wonder Big Concepts you've never seen before and display them with narration as deft as a conjuror's fingers." –scifi.com

The Culture series:
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
The State of the Art
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata

Critic reviews

“Banks is a phenomenon...writing pure science fiction of a peculiarly gnarly energy and elegance.”—William Gibson

“Banks writes with a sophistication that will surprise anyone unfamiliar with modern science fiction.”—The New York Times

“Banks never lets up in a dizzying array of characters, mind-bending ideas, and dazzling action.”—Booklist

“Few of us have been exposed to a talent so manifest and of such extraordinary breadth.”—New York Review of Science Fiction

“[Banks] can summon up sense-of-wonder Big Concepts you've never seen before and display them with narration as deft as a conjuror's fingers." —scifi.com

"Nobody does it better."—Times (UK)

"Banks writes space opera on the grand scale: he measures time in eons, space in lightyears, tragedies in gigadeaths."—Time

State of the art

Another hit sci fi story. Really appreciated the contrasting viewpoints between the culture society and 1970s earth. I was particularly captured by the description of taj mahal in that the beauty of humanity is in the contrast and the sheer will of humanity to survive and persevere.

not the best of the culture novels.

read the other ones over this this entry in b the series. ok, but eh.

most of the first half of the book is lackluster and unrewarding to sit through.

This style of writing does not seem to be a strength of the author.

Additionally the authors attempt to explore the Culture from the perspective of modern Earth is unfulfilling.

I recommend skipping most of the first half of the book.

I'm only halfway through the book, I am unsure if you should also skip the second half.

some good. some eh!

some stories not very good. probably not my best purchase. other full length books much better

Terrible compared to the preceding books

Disappointing to say the least. Narration is great but storyline is all over the place and not in a good way.