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Use of Weapons (The Culture)
 
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Use of Weapons (The Culture) (Paperback)

by Iain M. Banks (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Price For All Three: £17.90

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Product details

  • Paperback: 434 pages
  • Publisher: Orbit; New edition edition (26 Mar 1992)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 185723135X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1857231359
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 8,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #5 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > B > Banks, Iain M.
    #6 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > B > Banks, Iain

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Product Description

Review
'There is now no British SF writer to whose work I look forward with greater keenness' The Times

Product Description
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 or 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 burnt-out case. But not even its machine intelligence could see the horrors in his past.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Use of Weapons (The Culture)
77% buy the item featured on this page:
Use of Weapons (The Culture) 4.4 out of 5 stars (59)
£6.99
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The Player of Games (The Culture)
7% buy
The Player of Games (The Culture) 4.5 out of 5 stars (38)
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Customer Reviews

59 Reviews
5 star:
 (43)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (59 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The only book that's ever made my hair stand on end, 7 Mar 2003
By M. J. Farncombe "m_farncombe" (Guildford UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
Many other reviews of 'Use of Weapons' will hint at its parallel linear/reverse linear narrative, the nature and occupation of the complex and not-very-nice Mr Zakalwe, the beautifully painted Culture, and the terrific hat joke, but I think they miss the visceral nature of the book.

There's a page thumbed down in my much-read edition that describes the origin and nature of a certain chair - the central metaphor of the book. Even as I write about it, my hackles are starting to rise at the thought of what this character did. And yet I liked him, loved the Culture and are lost in awe at Mr Banks' grasp of his art.

There are very few science fiction books that stand up as good literature - this is certainly one of them. Even though I had nightmares for weeks, thank you Iain, for this and for Consider Phlebas (PS I >hated< 'Canal Dreams').

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Entering the whirlpool ..., 4 Jul 2006
By Beryllium Urchin (Tamanrasset) - See all my reviews
As the first strand of the narrative rushes forwards in the present, the second strand twists backwards, into the past and into the formative episodes of Zakalwe's life. When it reaches the core of his past, you see that the story you thought you'd read has another, and very different, cast to it, like a face-or-vase illusion.
A disturbing, haunting, and fascinating book that demands to be re-read from time to time. Banks has one hell of an imagination.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, exciting, frightening and unexpected, 9 Mar 2006
By Mr. M. Poole "mykepoole" (Kent, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Smashing book. Intricate plotting and characters, and as mind wrenching a piece of misdirection of the audience as I've ever seen. Masterpiece of writing and a must read for every serious science fiction enthusiast!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning
Cheradenine Zakalwe is a (non-Culture-born) agent in Special Circumstances, skilled in steering less-developed planets towards the path that the Culture thinks is best for them... Read more
Published 2 months ago by A. Whitehead

3.0 out of 5 stars Pedestrian
Use of Weapons is a very workmanlike effort, but lacks the fine edge that comes with truly great writing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Childs

5.0 out of 5 stars Just look at the ratings...
Just thought I'd add another 5-star review to this masterpiece. The characterisation is awe-inspiring, the progression on Zakalwe's life is compelling: his relationships, his... Read more
Published 10 months ago by R. Mijic

2.0 out of 5 stars A muddled let-down
I'm going to have to go against the grain of the other reviews here. I am a huge fan of Iain Banks' Culture series, but "Use of Weapons" has been the most disappointing title I've... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Daniel Fearon

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the hard of thinking
Dark, complex, full of twists, featuring unlikeable characters in almost unremittingly bleak circumstances. Great.

Do you like heroes? Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. MacQueen

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourite books
This is one of my favourite books. It is more than simply Science Fiction and is as much a thriller as any other genré. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2007 by Philo Balini

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not the best Culture book
While this is still a very good book, it pales in comparison to some of Banks' other sci-fi books such as Excession and Player of Games. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2006 by Martin Anderson

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waist your money
This is the second (and the last book) by Iain Banks and that I've read and what a load of rubbish it was too. Read more
Published on 5 April 2006

4.0 out of 5 stars The human weapon
Iain (M) Banks third Culture novel in some ways mirrors his previous novel The Player of Games. As with that novel this story is concerned with the Culture’s use of a human... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2006 by dogbarkssome

4.0 out of 5 stars A weapon in the fight against tedium
'Use of Weapons' was thrust under my nose by someone who loved it so much he even took a bath with it. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2005 by Sally-Anne

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