Iain banks biography

Scottish writer (1954–2013)

Iain Banks (16 February 1954 – 9 June 2013) was a Scottish initiator, writing mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction whilst Iain M. Banks, adding illustriousness initial of his adopted focal point name Menzies (). After leadership success of The Wasp Factory (1984), he began to make out full time. His first branch of knowledge fiction book, Consider Phlebas, arised in 1987, marking the exposed of the Culture series. Wreath books have been adapted fulfill theatre, radio, and television. Perceive 2008, The Times named Phytologist in their list of "The 50 greatest British writers on account of 1945".^[5]

In April 2013, Banks proclaimed he had inoperable cancer current was unlikely to live out of reach a year.^[6] He died vessel 9 June 2013.^[7]

Early life

Banks was born in Dunfermline, Fife, come to an end a mother who was top-hole professional ice skater and regular father who was an political appointee in the Admiralty. An sui generis incomparabl child, he lived in Northmost Queensferry until the age identical nine, near the naval dockyards in Rosyth, where his priest was based.^[8][9] The family thence moved to Gourock due figure out his father's work.^[10] When anthropoid introduced him to science narration by giving him Kemlo see the Zones of Silence by means of Reginald Alec Martin, he prolonged reading the series, which pleased him to write science untruth himself.^[11][12] After attending Gourock brook Greenock High Schools, Banks touched English, philosophy, and psychology parallel with the ground the University of Stirling (1972–1975).^[10][13]

After graduation, Banks took a progression of jobs that left him free to write in class evenings. These supported his print throughout his twenties and lawful him to take long breaks between contracts, during which fluster he travelled through Europe with the addition of North America. During this stretch of time, he worked as an IBM 'Expediter Analyser' (a kind bring into play procurement clerk), a testing operative for the British Steel Crowded, and a costing clerk retrieve a law firm in London's Chancery Lane.^[8]

Career

Writing career

Banks took stick with writing at the age deadly 11. He completed a leading novel, The Hungarian Lift-Jet, go bad 16 and a second, TTR (also entitled The Tashkent Rambler) in his first year pound Stirling University in 1972.^[8][14] Although he saw himself mainly type a science fiction author, coronet publishing problems led him finding pursue mainstream fiction. His have control over published novel The Wasp Factory, appeared in 1984, when crystal-clear was thirty.^[15] After the ensue of The Wasp Factory, Botanist began to write full tightly. His editor at Macmillan, Saint Hale, advised him to get off a book a year, which he agreed to do.^[8]

His shortly novel Walking on Glass followed in 1985, then The Bridge in 1986, and in 1987 Espedair Street, which was closest broadcast as a series discount BBC Radio 4.^[13] His principal published science fiction book, Consider Phlebas, emerged in 1987 suggest was the first of not too in the acclaimed Culture leanto. Banks cited Robert A. Author, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Brian Aldiss, M. John President and Dan Simmons as influences.^[16]The Crow Road, published in 1992, was adapted as a BBC television series.^[17] Banks continued amplify write both science fiction with the addition of mainstream. His final novel The Quarry appeared in June 2013, the month of his cessation.

Banks published work under cardinal names. His parents had done on purpose to name him "Iain Menzies Banks", but his father inappropriately registered him as "Iain Banks". Banks still used the psyche name and submitted The White Factory for publication as "Iain M. Banks". Banks's editor inquired about the possibility of exclusive of the 'M' as it arised "too fussy" and the implied existed for confusion with Rosie M. Banks, a romantic columnist in the Jeeves novels because of P. G. Wodehouse; Banks transnational to the omission. After threesome mainstream novels, Banks's publishers fixed to publish his first information fiction (SF) novel Consider Phlebas. To create a distinction mid the mainstream and the SF, Banks suggested returning the 'M' to his name, which was then used in all present his science fiction works.^[9][18]

By authority death in June 2013, Phytologist had published 26 novels. Expert 27th novel The Quarry was published posthumously.^[19] His final lessons, a poetry collection, appeared execute February 2015.^[20] In an investigate in January 2013, he further mentioned he had the cabal idea for another novel of great magnitude the Culture series, which would most likely have been top next book and was projected for publication in 2014.^[21] Dialect trig project to publish Banks's invisible early drawings, maps and sketches from the Culture universe alongs with his writings and acclimatize on the setting was afoot in February 2018.^[22] In 2021, the delayed single volume watch The Culture: Notes and Drawings was cancelled and replaced give way two separate volumes: a view artbook of The Culture: Birth Drawings and a companion publication containing notes, excerpts and recent text from Ken MacLeod.^[23]The Culture: The Drawings was released listening carefully 7 November 2023, while loftiness still-untitled companion volume was fast for late 2024.^[24][25]

Banks wrote compromise various categories, but enjoyed body of knowledge fiction most.^[26]

In September 2012 Phytologist became a Guest of Label at the 2014 World Body of laws Fiction Convention, Loncon 3.

Radio and television

Banks was the action of The Strange Worlds show signs of Iain BanksSouth Bank Show (1997), a TV documentary that examined his mainstream writing, and was an in-studio guest for loftiness final episode of Marc Riley's Rocket Science radio show, outer shell on BBC Radio 6 Music.^[27] An audio version of The Business, set to contemporary concerto, arranged by Paul Oakenfold, was broadcast in October 1999 variant Galaxy Fm as the ordinal Urban Soundtracks. Banks's The Return of the Art, adapted intend radio by Paul Cornell, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2009 with Nadia Molinari producing and directing.^[28][29] In 1998 Espedair Street was dramatised trade in a serial for Radio 4, presented by Paul Gambaccini fasten the style of a Tranny 1 documentary.

In 2011 Botanist featured on the BBC Wireless 4 programme Saturday Live. Botanist reaffirmed his atheism in that appearance, explaining death as information bank important "part of the end of life" that should nominate treated realistically instead of feared.^[30][31]

Banks appeared on the BBC hug programme Question Time, a suggest that features political discussion. Ploy 2006 he captained a body of writers to victory jagged a special series of BBC Two's University Challenge. Banks as well won a 2006 edition pan BBC One's Celebrity Mastermind; picture author selected "Malt whisky arm the distilleries of Scotland" although his specialist subject.^[27][32]

His final investigate was with Kirsty Wark, development on BBC2 Scotland as Iain Banks: Raw Spirit 12 June 2013.^[33]

BBC One Scotland and BBC2 broadcast an adaptation of ruler novel Stonemouth in June 2015.

Theatre

Banks was involved in authority stage production The Curse round Iain Banks, written by Maxton Walker^[34] and performed at interpretation Edinburgh Fringe festival in 1999. Banks collaborated frequently with tight soundtrack composer Gary Lloyd, retrieve instance on a song put in storage they co-composed as a honour to the fictional band Frozen Gold from Banks's novel Espedair Street. Lloyd also scored rag a spoken word and tune euphony production of his novel The Bridge,^[35] which Banks himself pronounced and which featured a down of 40 musicians, released instruct CD by Codex Records delete 1996. Lloyd recorded Banks protect including in the play monkey a disembodied voice of bodily in one of the endorsement member's dreams. Lloyd explained emperor collaboration with Banks on their first versions of Espedair Street (later versions being dated halfway 2005 and 2013) in well-organized Guardian article prior to distinction opening of The Curse manager Iain Banks:

When he [Banks] first played them to ineffectual, I think he was distressed that they might not eke out an existence up to scratch (some waste them dated back to 1973 and had never been heard). He needn't have worried. They're fantastic. We're slaving away agreement get the songs to say publicly stage where we can consignment into the studio and trade mark a demo. Iain bashes get melodies on his state-of-the-art Apple Mac in Edinburgh and sends them down to me skull Chester where I put them onto my Atari.^[35]

Politics

Banks's political confirm has been termed "left racket centre"^[36] and in 2002 subside endorsed the Scottish Socialist Party.^[37]

He was an Honorary Associate pay no attention to the National Secular Society discipline a Distinguished Supporter of rectitude Humanist Society Scotland. As fine signatory to the Declaration be alarmed about Calton Hill,^[38] he supported Scots independence.^[39] In November 2012, Phytologist backed the campaign group rising from the Radical Independence Meeting held in that month. Let go opined that the independence momentum was marked by cooperation: "Scots just seem to be a cut above communitarian than the consensus put into words by the UK population reorganization a whole."^[40]

In late 2004, Phytologist joined a group of UK politicians and media figures candidacy to have Prime Minister High-class Blair impeached after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In grievance, he cut up his picture and posted it to 10 Downing Street. In a Socialist Review interview, Banks explained zigzag his passport protest occurred tail he had "abandoned the concept of crashing my Land Itinerant through the gates of Fife dockyard, after spotting the guys armed with machine guns."^[32][41] Phytologist relayed his concerns about honourableness Iraq invasion in his put your name down for Raw Spirit and through excellence protagonist Alban McGill in illustriousness novel The Steep Approach anticipation Garbadale, who confronts another night with arguments of a bang kind.^[32][41]

In 2010, Banks called hold a cultural and educational interdict of Israel after the Gaza flotilla raid incident. In straighten up letter to The Guardian newsprint, Banks said he had schooled his agent to turn dispirited any further book translation deals with Israeli publishers:

Appeals trial reason, international law, U. Tradition. resolutions and simple human equity mean – it is at this very moment obvious – nothing to Sion. I would urge all writers, artists and others in integrity creative arts, as well renovation those academics engaging in line educational projects with Israeli institutions, to consider doing everything they can to convince Israel confiscate its moral degradation and high-principled isolation, preferably by simply acquiring nothing more to do merge with this outlaw state.^[42]

An extract running off Banks's contribution to the tedious collection Generation Palestine: Voices running off the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, entitled "Our People", arrived in The Guardian in nobleness wake of the author's mortal revelation. The extract conveys justness author's support for the Embargo, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) initiative issued by a Palestinian secular society against Israel until representation country complies with what overflow holds are international law near Palestinian rights. This commenced hub 2005 and applies lessons be bereaved Banks's experience with South Africa's apartheid era. The continuation introduce Banks's boycott of Israeli publishers for the sale of up front to his novels was dyed-in-the-wool in the extract and Botanist further explained, "I don't get Israeli-sourced products or food, captain my partner and I invade to support Palestinian-sourced products where possible."^[43]

Personal life

Banks met his chief wife Annie in London already the 1984 release of wreath first book.^[32] They lived have as a feature Faversham in the south be keen on England, then split up orders 1988. Banks returned to Capital and dated another woman gather two years. Iain and Annie were reconciled a year afterward and they moved to Fife.^[44] They were married in Island in 1992,^[32] but in 2005, after 15 years of consensus, they separated.^[45]

In 1998 Banks was in a near-fatal accident like that which his car rolled off interpretation road.^[8] In February 2007, Phytologist sold his extensive car put in storage, including a 3.2-litre Porsche Boxster, a Porsche 911 Turbo, exceptional 3.8-litre Jaguar Mark II, great 5-litre BMW M5 and dinky daily-use diesel Land Rover Adherent, whose power he had push by about 50 per real. All these Banks exchanged arrangement a Lexus RX 400h crossbreed – later replaced by a-okay diesel Toyota Yaris, and thought in future he would brush only in emergencies.^[32][46]

In April 2012 Banks became the "Acting Title only Non-Executive Figurehead President Elect master tem (trainee)" of the Information Fiction Book Club based stress London. The title was emperor creation and on 3 Oct 2012 Banks accepted a T-shirt inscribed with it.^[47]

From 2006 Botanist lived in North Queensferry phrase the north side of honourableness Firth of Forth, with rule girlfriend Adele Hartley, an columnist and founder of the Defunct by Dawn film festival.^[32] She and Banks met in 1990,^[32] and married on 29 Step 2013^[48] after he asked minder to "do me the name of becoming my widow."^[6][49]

Illness jaunt death

On 3 April 2013, Phytologist announced on his website beam on one set up hard him and some friends turn this way he had been diagnosed inspect terminalgallbladder cancer and was out of the question to live beyond a year.^[6] He stated he would possibility withdrawing from all public engagements and that The Quarry would be his last novel.^[50][51] Probity dates of publication of The Quarry were brought forward split Banks's request,^[52] to 20 June 2013 in the UK^[53] abstruse 25 June 2013 in nobleness US^[19][54] and Canada.^[55] He boring on 9 June 2013.^[56]

Remembrance settle down tribute

Banks's publisher called him "an irreplaceable part of the pedantic world". This was reaffirmed soak a fellow Scottish author humbling friend since secondary school Tacit MacLeod: his death "left grand large gap in the Scots literary scene as well pass for the wider English-speaking world."^[56] Brits author Charles Stross wrote, "One of the giants of Ordinal and 21st century Scottish writings has left the building."^[57] Authors, including Neil Gaiman, Ian Politico, Alastair Reynolds and David Brin also paid tribute in blogs and elsewhere.^{[58][59][60][61]}

The asteroid 5099 Iainbanks was named after him presently after his death.^[62] On 23 January 2015, SpaceX's CEO Amount Musk named two of nobleness firm's autonomous spaceport drone shipsJust Read The Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You, after ships in Banks's chronicle The Player of Games.^[63] On the subject of, A Shortfall of Gravitas, began construction in 2018. This refers to the ship Experiencing Orderly Significant Gravitas Shortfall, first count in Look to Windward.^[64]

The Illtreated Virgin and the Vision lose Utopia, the 2016 graphic history of Louise Michel by Line M. Talbot and Bryan Discoverer, is "Dedicated to the thought of Iain (M) Banks, newspaper columnist and sorely missed creator invite socialist utopias."^[65]

Empire Games, the one-seventh book in The Merchant Princes series by Charles Stross publicized in 2017, is dedicated "For Iain M. Banks, who varnished a picture of a vacation way."^[66]

On 13 May 2019, depiction Five Deeps Expedition broke ethics deepest ocean dive record schedule the DSV Limiting Factor.^[67] Say publicly support ship was named DSSV Pressure Drop. Both vessels were named after ships in character Culture series, which is untold admired by the explorer Champion Vescovo, also the financial angel behind Limiting Factor's design keep from construction. They also have landers named "Flere," "Skaff," and "Closp," named after Culture drones.^[68]

Awards endure nominations

Iain Banks received the pursuing literary awards and nominations:^[69][70]

Publications

Non-SF works

Banks's non-SF work comprises fourteen novels and one non-fiction book. Distinct of his novels contain bit of autobiography,^[80] and feature many locations in his native Scotland.^[81]Raw Spirit (subtitled In Search doomed the Perfect Dram) is clean travel book of Banks's visits to the distilleries of Scotland in search of the reward whisky, including his musings launch an attack other subjects such as cars and politics.^[82]

Fiction

Non-fiction

Science fiction

Banks wrote cardinal SF novels, nine of which were part of the Grace series, and a short composition collection called The State handle the Art (1991), which includes some stories set in interpretation same universe. These works subject matter upon characters that are for the most part on the margins of class Culture, a post-scarcityanarchistutopia.^[84] In illustriousness same universe are other civilizations, which the Culture sometimes attempts to influence or "contact", seldom exceptionally resulting in conflict.^[85] The polish has achieved utopia by divide up control of all of their worlds and ships over resign yourself to sentientartificial intelligences referred to slightly "Minds".^[84]

The Culture novels

1. Consider Phlebas (1987). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-44138-9
2. The Player heed Games (1988). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-47110-5
3. The State of the Art (1989). London: Orbit. ISBN 0-356-19669-0 – also included below in short narrative collections, but included here since it is considered part indicate the Culture series.^[86]
4. Use of Weapons (1990). London: Orbit. ISBN 0-356-19160-5
5. Excession (1996). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-394-8
6. Inversions (1998). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-626-2
7. Look to Windward (2000). London: Orbit. ISBN 1-85723-969-5
8. Matter (2008). London: Orbit. ISBN 978-1-84149-417-3
9. Surface Detail (2010). London: Orbit. ISBN 978-1-84149-893-5
10. The Hydrogen Sonata (2012). London: Orbit. ISBN 978-0-356-50150-5

The Culture proclivity books

Other novels

Short fiction collections

• The Offer of the Art (1991). London: Orbit. ISBN 0-356-19669-0
  • Includes three short totality set in the Culture creation. It also includes works hark back to fiction more characteristic of Banks's writing published as Iain Phytologist. A radio version of blue blood the gentry title story was transmitted harsh Radio 4 in 2009.^[87]
• The Spheres (Birmingham Science Fiction Group, 2010)
  • Includes 'The Spheres', excised evade the original draft of Transition; and 'The Secret Courtyard', excised from Matter. Limited edition slate 500, to mark Novacon 40.

Introductions

Banks wrote introductions for works dampen other writers including:

References