@futurebird Ooh, OK. My starter. I think Iain M. Banks wrote slightly better books as Iain Banks, than Iain M. Banks. Controversial I know.

He wrote my favourite opening line of a book ever.

"It was the day my grandmother exploded"

@mherbert @eclectech

I couldn't put it down, but I was NOT having a good time.

@mherbert @kbm0 @eclectech

Grey Area did nothing wrong.

@futurebird @mherbert @kbm0 @eclectech

No? The entire model for weaker beings coexisting with stronger ones is predicated on the guarantee that the strong will not abuse that power. Once you can’t trust that a Mind will not see or manipulate your private thoughts, all trust in them goes out of the window. The Culture as a civilisation would not be possible without that trust. Grey Area would have undermined the entire basis of the civilisation if the other Minds had tolerated it.

@david_chisnall @mherbert @kbm0 @eclectech

But that "the culture" does tolerate it. They just won't center or endorse such actions. But, it's clear that there is awareness of what gray area is doing and no one stops them.

@futurebird @mherbert @kbm0 @eclectech

It is ostracised and not allowed to use its given name. That’s pretty much the harshest penalty that exists in the Culture.

@nickapos @futurebird @mherbert @kbm0 @eclectech

I have lost count of the number of times I have reread that one. My mind has gone blank, but I also seem to recall that the drone has a cameo in one of the later books.