The State of the Art

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By (author): "Iain M. Banks"
The State of the Art
ISBN0929480074
ISBN139780929480077
AsinThe State of the Art
CharactersDiziet Sma, Dervley Linter, The Arbitrary, Roghres Shasapt, Tagm Lokri
Original titleThe State of the Art
SeriesCulture #4
This novella chronicles a Culture mission to Earth in the late Seventies, and also serves as a prequel of sorts to Use of Weapons by featuring one of that novel's characters, Diziet Sma. Here, Sma argues for contact with Earth, to try to fix the mess the human species has made of it. Another Culture citizen, Linter, goes native while Li, who is a Star Trek fan, argues that the whole "incontestably neurotic and clinically insane species" should be eradicated with a micro black hole. The ship Arbitrary has ideas, and a sense of humour, of its own.This limited first edition only includes the novella and no extra collections. It had a print of 400 numbered copies and comes in a slip-case signed by both author and cover artist.