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Quick answer: If you like Iain M. Banks's Culture books, read Ancillary Justice, A Memory Called Empire, Revelation Space and The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. All imagine vast, interesting civilisations with advanced technology, witty minds and political puzzles.
Iain M. Banks's Culture is a series of ten books, beginning with Consider Phlebas (1987) and ending with The Hydrogen Sonata (2012), about a post-scarcity society run by artificial minds. They are witty, ambitious and often dark. The books below offer similar widescreen space opera, big ideas and humane storytelling.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consider Phlebas | Iain M. Banks | Adult | the Culture start |
| The Player of Games | Iain M. Banks | Adult | game and empire |
| Use of Weapons | Iain M. Banks | Adult | twisting structure |
| Ancillary Justice | Ann Leckie | Adult | AI and empire |
| A Memory Called Empire | Arkady Martine | Adult | diplomatic intrigue |
| Revelation Space | Alastair Reynolds | Adult | gothic space opera |
| Hyperion | Dan Simmons | Adult | epic pilgrimage |
| Leviathan Wakes | James S. A. Corey | Adult | space mystery |
| A Fire Upon the Deep | Vernor Vinge | Adult | big ideas |
| The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet | Becky Chambers | Adult | found-family space opera |
| Children of Time | Adrian Tchaikovsky | Adult | evolution and first contact |
| The Dispossessed | Ursula K. Le Guin | Adult | utopian novel |
| Red Mars | Kim Stanley Robinson | Adult | colonising Mars |
| The Quantum Thief | Hannu Rajaniemi | Adult | far-future heist |
| Walkaway | Cory Doctorow | Adult | post-scarcity politics |
1. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
A mercenary takes part in a war between the Culture and the Idirans. Wide-ranging and witty.
Best for: the Culture start.
2. The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
A master gamer is sent to play a game that decides an empire. Often the best entry in the series.
Best for: game and empire.
3. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
A mercenary agent's past is revealed in a braided narrative. Complex, dark and brilliant.
Best for: twisting structure.
4. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
A former warship in a human body seeks revenge. Intelligent and original.
Best for: AI and empire.
5. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
An ambassador arrives in a vast empire as her predecessor has died. Elegant and political.
Best for: diplomatic intrigue.
6. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
An archaeologist investigates a dead civilisation. Dark and clever.
Best for: gothic space opera.
7. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Seven pilgrims tell their stories on the way to the Time Tombs. Ambitious and brilliant.
Best for: epic pilgrimage.
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
A detective and a ship's officer find a conspiracy across the solar system. The start of The Expanse.
Best for: space mystery.
9. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
A race to stop a transcendent threat across the galaxy. Inventive and thrilling.
Best for: big ideas.
10. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The crew of a tunnelling ship travels across the galaxy. Warm, hopeful and character-driven.
Best for: found-family space opera.
11. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Humans and uplifted spiders share a world. Inventive and moving.
Best for: evolution and first contact.
12. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A physicist travels between a capitalist world and an anarchist moon. Smart and moving.
Best for: utopian novel.
13. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
The first settlers face science and politics. Detailed and epic.
Best for: colonising Mars.
14. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
A thief escapes prison to carry out a job in a strange city. Dense and dazzling.
Best for: far-future heist.
15. Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
People leave society to live in abandoned places. Idealistic and tense.
Best for: post-scarcity politics.
How to Choose
For more Banks begin with Consider Phlebas or The Player of Games. For political space opera choose Ancillary Justice or A Memory Called Empire. For big ideas pick Hyperion, Children of Time or A Fire Upon the Deep. For warm, character-driven stories read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. For hard science and politics try Red Mars. The Culture books can be read in any order, so pick the one with the summary that appeals. Banks wrote his non-Culture fiction as Iain Banks, and his science fiction as Iain M. Banks, so readers who enjoy one may enjoy the other. The Culture rewards patience. Start with one that appeals, then read in whichever order you like. If you want warmer, gentler space opera, begin with Becky Chambers. If you want political intrigue, Leckie and Martine are the closest. If you want the darkest ideas, Reynolds and Simmons are excellent. Many of these have excellent audiobooks.
Related: The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle: Summary and Key Takeaways · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Culture?
A post-scarcity civilisation run by artificial minds in Banks's science fiction.
How many Culture books are there?
Ten novels, plus stories.
Where should I start?
With The Player of Games or Consider Phlebas.
Do I need to read in order?
No, the books mostly stand alone.
Are they dark?
Often, with humour and violence.
Who wrote them?
Iain M. Banks.
Are the ships really named?
Yes, the ship minds have witty names like Just Read the Instructions.
What should I read next?
Try Ancillary Justice or Hyperion.
Which Culture novel is best for beginners?
The Player of Games is a favourite starting point.
Is the Culture utopian?
It is a post-scarcity society, but the novels explore its darker edges.