Description

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It is, truly, probably, the End Days for the Gzilt civilization. An ancient people, they helped set up the Culture ten thousand years earlier and were very nearly one of its founding societies, deciding not to join only at the last moment. Now they've made the collective decision to follow the well-trodden path of millions of other civilizations; they are going to Sublime, elevating themselves to a new and almost infinitely more rich and complex existence. Amidst preparations though, the Regimental High Command is destroyed and Cossont is blamed. Wanted dead--not alive. Now, aided only by an ancient, reconditioned android and a suspicious Culture avatar, Cossont must complete her last mission given to her by the High Command--find the oldest person in the Culture, a man over nine thousand years old, who might have some idea what really happened all that time ago. Cossont must discover the truth before she--s exiled from her people and her civilization forever--or just plain killed.

About the Author

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Iain Banks came to widespread and controversial acclaim with the publication of his first novel, "The Wasp Factory," in 1984. However, it was his 1987 novel "Consider Plebas" which introduced his remarkable talent to the science fiction community, and also saw the addition of the 'M' to his name--an addition which remains a distinguishing feature of his science fiction work. He has since written five science fiction novels, and a collection of science fiction short stories, "The State of the Art." He lives in Fife, Scotland.