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Space

Rereading the best science fiction writers of all time: Iain M. Banks

At his best, Iain M. Banks could be extraordinarily stylish, inventive and downright funny. So how does his genre-redefining science fiction stand up to the test of time? Emily H. Wilson rereads the greats

By Emily Wilson

15 January 2025

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 16: Portrait of Iain M. Banks being interviewed by SFX Magazine/Future via Getty Images on June 16, 2010. (Photo by Joseph Branston/SFX Magazine/Future via Getty Images)

Iain M. Banks wrote a succession of best-selling science fiction stories

Joseph Branston/SFX Magazine/Future via Getty Images

The Culture series
Iain M. Banks (Orbit Books)

Iain M. Banks died more than 11 years ago, but remains a titan of modern science fiction. He wrote “literary” works under the name Iain Banks, but added the “M” for his 14 sci-fi offerings, which are known for an audacious, ground-breaking take on the space opera that transformed the genre.

If you have never read any of these books but love “hard” sci-fi, is it worth diving in now?

Short answer: yes. Longer answer:…

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