One of the simplest of the Culture novels and also a semi-sequel to Consider Phlebas, Look to Windward is one of the more purely entertaining books of the series. This is not to say it doesn’t carry Banks’s usual array of ideas, only that its are delivered here more cinematically than is customary within the other Culture novels. In this way it is a sequel to Phlebas in more than just content—these two books share a pace, tone, and heaviness, dare I say darkness, that you won’t find elsewhere in the series.

There’s a bit of history, a bit of cat-and-mouse, some action and mystery, big ideas, treachery and trust, aliens made believable, and a slew of other reasons to read this book.

Recommended.