Consider Phlebas

Iain M. Banks’s Consider Phlebas is a 1987 science fiction novel that delves into the complexities of war and identity through the journey of Bora Horza Gobuchul during the conflict between the Culture and the Idirans. The novel is the first installment of Banks’s “Culture Series,” which includes 10 books and other notable works such as The Player of Games (1988) and Use of Weapons (1990). Banks is acclaimed for his contributions to science fiction and is recognized for his ability to intertwine intricate narratives with serious thematic explorations.

This guide references the 2009 Orbit e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of cannibalism, sexual harassment, sexual assault, torture, body horror, suicide, and mental health crises. In addition, the source text uses outdated and offensive terms for mental health conditions, which are replicated in this guide only in direct quotes.

Plot Summary

Two interstellar empires are at war. The Culture is an advanced communist society that prizes machines and engineering. The Idirans are a tripedal, biologically immortal species that is on a religious crusade to conquer and enlighten other civilizations.

Four years into this war, a Culture factory creates a new Mind—an enormous AI construct that is vital to Culture society—and places it on an unnamed spaceship.