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Review title: Self-inspection of the Culture; subtle, thought-provoking...
Product review: One of the indicators that Iain 'M' Banks writes high quality, thought provoking, engaging SF books is the quality of the customer reviews - note the total absense of "This is the *best* SF book ever!" type quotes that are normally associated with the mass of modern SF 'trash'.I found "Excession" to be a fulfilling book because it further explores the author's concept of an benevolent (or is it?) federation - The Culture. I have to agree with a previous review which mentions the Contact Agent(s) plot threads - I found these distracting, almost as if Bank's realised halfway through the book that he couldn't weave them successfully into the main plot; as he does so well in previous books.I'd have to rate 'Excession' behind 'Consider Phlebus', 'Against a Dark Background' and 'Use of Weapons', but its well worth a read if you like Bank's previous works.
