Surface Detail
By Iain M. Banks
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0316123402
Plot Summary:
Lededje Y’breq is an Intagliated, a person engineered to naturally develop complex and beautiful tattoos over and within her entire body. Perversely, such decoration is a sign of shame within Lededje’s culture, a mark of a family debt that could not be repaid. Lededje is little more than an ornament, in theory a precious and protected position, in practice little more than a slave to the wealthy tycoon who betrayed her father before she was born and had her turned into an Intagliated to commemorate the event. She is killed while attempting to escape her master one time too many. But when the Culture gets involved, death is only the beginning.
Prin is a Pavulean, a member of a non-human, somewhat elephant-like species, and he is in Hell. It is a place of unending and horrific torment, where vast numbers of Pavuleans are tortured in infinitely inventive ways for what looks to be all eternity. That Hell is a virtual construct deliberately created by Pavulean civilization itself only makes things worse.
Determined to expose the truth of Hell and force his people to confront it, Prin manages to escape to tell his tale, but must leave his mate behind to do it.
Joiler Veppers is Lededje’s former master. As arrogant as he is wealthy, he seeks only more wealth and power. And if he has to inject himself into the War in Heaven to get it, he will.
Vatueil is a solder of the War in Heaven. Living and dying in world after world, he fights for the destruction of the various virtual Hells. Started as a result of the conflict between those civilizations that create virtual Hells and those who seek to eliminate the practice, by mutual agreement, the War has been fought entirely within the virtuality. Until now.
OA Relevance: Moderate to high
Banks’ Culture shares a number of similarities with the OA setting, including superhuman AI and advanced biotechnologies although it is slightly less hard science oriented. Most of Banks’ stories could take place in the OA universe with minimal tweaking.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
Banks is a talented writer who has grown in his craft over time, and Surface Detail finds him at the peak of his game. I found it engaging and detailed, with well-drawn characters while also having a plot that moved along at a satisfying pace.
Overall Rating: Very Good
A solid example of the space opera genre that is both engaging and interesting, and which manages to tackle venerable themes in ways that make it all feel fresh and new. Recommended.
More about the author, Todd Drashner, here.