It begins in the realm of the Real.
It begins with a murder.
And it will not end until the Culture has gone to war with death itself.
'Full of elaborate games... and, above all, a thrilling sense of the limitless scope SF affords an author's imagination' FINANCIAL TIMES
'An engrossing novel of ideas ornamented by fantastically cinematic set-pieces' GUARDIAN
'Banks's ability to combine humour and horror, the cosmic and the human, as he builds an action-packed story on a moral framework, as well as his wonferfully original characters and, of course, the lavish descriptions of weapons and spaceships, makes Surface Detail all you could ask for in a space opera' THE TIMES
'Famed for his profoundly dark and intelligent humour, Iain M. Banks has succeeded in weaving another intricate tale that offers fascinating insight into the human condition' SCIFI NOW