Phil's Reviews > Use of Weapons

The Use of Weapons is one of my favorite Culture novels and rereading it after a decade or so only cemented that opinion. The story features one Cheradenine Zakalwe, an agent of Culture's 'special circumstances' division. The Culture is the loose amalgamation of 'humans' governed by Minds, or A.I.s, whose members live in a peaceful, hedonistic post-scarcity environment largely on massive orbitals or on gigantic spaceships. Taking a page from older space opera like E.E. 'Doc' Smith, most of the aliens that populate the galaxy are humans, or I should say, close proximity to humans. As the Culture expands, it often encounters such aliens.

The Culture offers much to these societies-- anti-aging treatments, incredibly high living standards for everyone, superior technology, etc.-- but not every society embraces the Culture, for joining it implies the replacement of social hierarchy with egalitarianism. Yes, it is the stubborn refusal of the elites that often causes these societies to 'hold out', or even more often, induces civil war. The Culture only offers, never takes, but still, it does interfere in these 'hold outs' via the use of Special Circumstances agents.

Zakalwe was born on one of 'uncontacted' worlds; the son of a rich, influential family, along with his two sisters and another boy who was raised with them. Use of Weapons takes a little to get into, due to Bank's use of repeated flashbacks on Zakalwe's career. The overall plot concerns his handler Diziet Sma and her Drone Skaffen-Amtiskaw, to find Zakalwe and set him on another mission in a distant star cluster. Yet, more than half of the book concern prior events in Zakalwe's life, from boyhood to the present. Zakalwe fits a certain niche for the Culture; he is skilled at rather primitive warfare (say, circa WWII) and an excellent general, so most of his missions involve traveling to a planet to guide one side of an ongoing war.

Banks is known for his meanderings along the way and that is here for sure, but this is much more focused than, say, Consider Phlebas, and the meanderings often concentrate on key existentialist questions and (you guessed it) the use of weapons. Zakalwe is damaged, having risked his live over and over for a cause he is not certain he can believe in. Is the Culture really superior? Should it be intervening in countless societies based on the logic of the Minds? Yes, the end goal is an egalitarian society of plenty, but what are the costs of getting there?

Most excellent fictional works on war contain a strong 'anti-war' sentiment, as wars involve 'commoners' killing one another for some lofty goal, or for the aggrandizement of their leaders, or whatever. War is always a choice (as Banks notes), even if your nation is invaded. Yet, it is a costly choice, leaving lives and families in tatters, along with the dead and maimed soldiers. Such ideas are clearly expressed here as Banks takes us from one fruitless war to another via Zakalwe's flashbacks.

Although this novel takes a bit of work by the reader, especially at first, it just gets better and better as it continues, and, unlike some authors, Banks really knows how to end a novel! While Banks does give us glimpses of the amazing tech of the Culture, most of this story takes place on alien worlds of (largely) 20th century tech. Again, that is Zakalwe's niche. I like Bank's politics and those come through here as well, although not blatantly; in other words, this is not a morality play. Yes, many of the societies possess decedent elites who are willing to forego the benefits of the Culture to maintain their petty fiefdoms and power; I see this as a social commentary for sure. Great stuff from a master of the craft! 4.5 stars, rounding up!!