I was interested at Paul’s comment that Banks is turning his attention to the ‘edges’ of the Culture in Matter; when has he done anything else? Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games, Use of Weapons, Excession, Inversions, Look to Windward, they all deal with situations and/or threats external to the majority of Culture, and involve liaising with other societies/intelligences. A good thing too, considering how dull reading about the perfect lives of average Culture citizens would be!