From a player of games
Iain Banks blew my mind. I read The Wasp Factory as a teenager when it came out in 1984, and I’d simply never encountered anything like it. I devoured it in an afternoon.
Until then my library had consisted pretty much solely of the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy books – brilliant and funny and quietly profound, but essentially lightweight stuff. The most “adult” literature I’d tackled was Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, an agonisingly painful experience that took nearly six months of teeth-gritted determination to plough through, one hideous chapter at a time, waiting for a promised epiphany of knowledge and understanding that never arrived. It single-handedly gave me a dislike of hippies that endures to this day.
The Wasp Factory was a revelation. Dark, disturbing, but funny and ultimately uplifting, it was at once both palpably Scottish and nationless. I hovered outside bookshops waiting for Banks’ subsequent releases – Walking On Glass, The Bridge, Espedair Street. Every one was utterly different from the last, united only by the warm, optimistic spirit of humanity underpinning them. I’m a natural misanthrope, but every time I read one of Iain Banks’ novels I’m turned away from despair towards hope again.
I made sure I took them with me when I left home, and they sit in my bookshelf still, growing more well-thumbed with the years. And when Banks moved into science-fiction, I came along for the ride. His undramatic, matter-of-fact depiction of an enlightened “post-scarcity” galactic Utopia – the Culture – was beautiful and politically thrilling, and as a young videogame obsessive the author’s clear connection with and understanding of the alternative worlds offered by games reached out to me in an incredibly direct and personal way that Douglas Adams’ work hadn’t.
(Also a characteristic of my other favourite Scottish author, the wonderful Chris Brookmyre, who I suspect would cite Banks as a major influence and inspiration.)
A few years later when working as a videogame developer, I paid my own small tribute by naming a level of Cannon Fodder 2 “Feersum Endjinn” after one of his sci-fi novels, though I continued to prefer his “normal” books because I’ve always been more attracted to culture based in something close to reality. I’m a Grand Theft Auto sort of guy, not a World Of Warcraft one, because it’s always felt cowardly and lazy to me to retreat to fantasy worlds where magical superpowers are the answer to all problems, rather than the harder, dirtier, unglamorous work of using humanity’s own abilities.
(That view is also a large part of the reason I believe Scottish independence represents the only practical hope of a better society, rather than desperately clinging to the cold, stiff corpse of the post-war British social-democratic consensus that was battered to within an inch of its life by Margaret Thatcher and then left to die on a trolley in a cold, draughty hospital corridor by Tony Blair.)
But I’m rambling. I’ve never met Iain Banks, but the news this week of his terminal cancer felt like the terrible impending loss of a friend. The writer was a supporter of Scottish independence for all the right reasons, and a line in a recent interview was made almost unbearably poignant in the light of developments.
“You’re a supporter of independence. Do you think it will happen?
Maybe. Within my lifetime, I hope so. I doubt we’ll make it as early as 2014, but you never know.”
I hope so much that this is one of those occasions when doctors get it wrong, and someone given months to live is still walking around years later. (We’re not short of a high-profile recent example in Scotland, after all.) If there’s any sort of justice in the world at all, Iain Banks will live to see the 19th of September 2014, when his country stands up and announces the proud resumption of its place among the nations of the world, and starts on the journey to building its own terrestrial version of the Culture.
But if not, I want to say these words now, in case he should ever stumble across Wings Over Scotland somehow: I can’t thank you enough for the huge part your books played in making me the person I am today (or at least the good bits of him), and for the enjoyment and enlightenment you brought me in doing it. And I promise that even if you’re heartbreakingly not here to see it, I and the other people who write for this site will devote ourselves every day to fighting for the goal you sought, for what I truly believe are the same good, decent and honourable reasons you sought it.
We hope you’re still here to reach it with us. But if not, we’ll do it in your name.
Brilliantly written. I feel the same pain today.
I wrote something along similar lines last night.
As well has his recent support for independence, I think his early success actually helped in the growth of a distinctly Scottish cultural identity, with books about Scottish people, in Scotland, talking in the way us Scots do but being enjoyed by people across the world, that helped in the move towards devolution in the nineties and onwards towards independence now.
I’ll miss his books for the sheer entertainment they brought me, and Iain himself for the engaging personality that came out in his public appearances. And I too hope that he is still with us on the big day next year.
Yep, that line is gut-wrenching. If he must go so soon, it would be nice if he could at least be here to see Scotland preparing to embark on a journey towards the kind of country he would like us to be.
A wee reminder that we can’t afford to throw away the opportunity we’re being given in 2014. Let’s make sure we don’t.
Hear, hear. I’m a fairly keen reader, but a ludicrous percentage of all the total time I’ve ever spent reading anything has been taken up reading and re-reading Iain’s stuff, both with and without the “M”.
I feel a genuine sense of grief today.
Great piece and heartfelt wishes to Iain and his devoted family at this tragic time for them! My own Father wanted an independent Scotland for his whole life but died before that dream is fulfilled. Lets get independence for Scotland so we can at least claim we stood on the shoulders of these giants!
Great piece Rev.
Says it all.
That is indeed a great piece. I confess I have never been a huge Banks fan, but felt that to be a deficiency in myself rather than in him. I heard him speak at the last World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, which was in 2005, and he was excellent.
I got home last night to an email box filling up with sad and even distraught group emails from the SF reading group in England I still belong to. Everyone is deeply shocked, perhaps even more so than over Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. And again, Iain is our contemporary just a Douglas was, so the whole thing also comes as a memento mori.
I fear the oncology vibes I’m getting about this one are a great deal more final in the short term than a diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer. Sadly, I don’t think he’s going to make 2014 barring a miracle, but I’d be ecstatic to be proved wrong. He will be deeply missed.
Bobby Mckail,
I share your pain. My father also wanted to see Scotland independent in his lifetime, but sadly passed away on October last year. My mum is still a no voter, but I’m working on her. She has started asking questions! Personally, it’s an incentive to keep going. We all owe it to our parents and gradnparents and those other giants who helped us reach the place we are at now, but sadly did not live to see the final step.
Once tried to nick the ‘Espedair Street’ sign in Paisley in the early hours of a shambolic Sunday…..the Polis who caught us just let us go…..apparently nae the first and nae the last to have tried.
As you said at times a dark but very funny and always warm writer…..you encounter his charchters in every day life in Scotland.
On a tangent seeing as you mention Brookmyre which one of his books had Gerald Warner type charchter being caught found pleasuring himself in some form of Sex Machine again ?
I posted this lengthier explanation of I Banks support for independence elsewhere on the site yesterday, I reckon this is the thinking that will get us over the line, basically the many don’t knows, undecideds.
link to guardian.co.uk
As for being a ‘misanthrope’, surely the recent fundraiser restored your faith, somewhat, in the human race?
Although I’ve read a few, mainly “M”, Iain Banks books, like Morag I used to see him at Science-Fiction conventions talking to people like a normal person, not just at scheduled talks and panels, but in the corridors, dealers rooms and bars.
His books are good, I think they did help a few good Scots genre authors get taken seriously and,eavesdropping his conversations, he sounds a good bloke. Sad, and so young
I remember the publicity at the time of the 2005 convention saying firmly that Iain Banks would NOT be attending, so please don’t waste your time coming to try to mob him or anything. Then he just showed up like any normal person, and generally mingled like any normal person.
Iain Banks got me reading again. Very sad news and,like others, I truly hope he makes it to see the early days of a Better Nation.
I to fear the worst but hope for the best; human nature after all.
Beautifully written and from the heart Rev.
I spent an evening in a Highland pub with him in the mid 90’s. A Film producer neighbour was doing a piece for BBC school TV on the Wasp Factory, so took him back to Easter Ross and the Nigg Yard where he got the inspiration for that first Novel. He was funny, incisive and open – and as he enjoyed his pint – the perfect pub companion, and I even plucked up the courage to test my personal theory that the name of the ship “Clear air turbulance” in his first Sci Fi book was inspired by the poster for the Ian Gillan band’s 77 tour that used to grace my pals student wall.
It was.
By the end of the night we were both well in our cups, and I walked him back to his B&B, not far from my house. A fine evening.
There was also an “interesting” and slightly disturbing thread in the telegraph yesterday, where his Culture universe was rubbished as typical Scottish Socialist guff.
Very sad.
Beautifully written and heartfeltpiece Rev.
I haven’t read Banks, but have now ordered one of his books for our kindle.
I don’t suppose I’m the only one. And I expect in the light of his tragic news he won’t be bothered about the financial implications of this, but I suppose for an author appreciation of your work is always important, even at a time like this.
Like everyone else I hope he sees 18th Sept 2014.Perhaps he should take the chemo?
“The impending loss of a friend”. Exactly how I feel. Iain isn’t that much older than myself so I feel incredulity as well as impending loss as to how such a vibrant person canb be so swiftly struck down. If we ever needed reminding of carpe diem then this is it. It is difficult to think that we will never have another of his “Culture” novels. As a scientist I always marvel at his sheer inventiveness – “The Hydrogen Sonata” was on my Christmas list and devoured over the holidays. His “normal” novels are also great: “Whit” is my favourite though “Espedair Street” runs it close. I’ve never had the privilege of meeting Mr Banks and I guess I never will now but I have always known that had I met him I would have liked him as a person as well as a writer.
Like all of you I hope he does make it through to next year but it does not sound good. Whenever he is taken from us he will be sorely missed.
Oh Stu, I have tears. Beautiful tribute to an amazing author and brilliant Scotsman.
Thanks for sharing this with all of us here. Perhaps you should share it at Banksophilia.
link to friends.banksophilia.com
These are books that Scots can relate to – I’ve read all of the Iain M Banks books and nearly all of the Iain Banks books.
Even some of the far-flung Sci-Fi characters had Scottish sounding names from time to time… Diziet Sma’ – maybe related to Sma’ Glen near Crieff? which Iain Banks mentioned as a “Great Wee Road” in his Raw Spirit book (a great tale of visiting every whisky distillery in Scotland) and also mentions in Complicity when the character is driving north to his parents run down home.
I’ve only read a couple of his books, although I enjoyed them immensely, the news of his condition though came like a body blow, such is his presence in the minds of many. An internationally successful and respected Scot in his field, something we should all be able to aspire to.
I don’t want to say he’ll be greatly missed, since I don’t want to dwell on such issues; as long as a person draws breath we live in hope that they’ll always draw their next.
I believe though that his impact on the Scots psyche in general though may have been greatly under-estimated and it’s unfortunate that it may only be with this sort of news that a much greater appreciation of his work may be come about.
I haven’t met Iain Banks either, I’ve read a lot of his books though. I think writers you like turn in to something like friends who’ve moved far away, you may not see them but you do know them and are content they are living out their lives safely and successfully.
The Wasp Factory put me onto Iain Banks, I read The Bridge (which provided me with some pretty odd dreams) and Complicity which was a hell of a read, not easy but then sometimes those are the best books. The Player of Games also grabbed my imagination, I like scifi for the new worlds that are be created, (and I do like a bit of book-fueled drooling escape, although never into fantasy; all those made up words confuse me.)
Like James Herbert, when the time comes, it’ll be like losing an old friend.
For now though, I wish him all the best and hope he revels in the time he has left.
A fine testimony, Rev.
I stopped reading fiction around the age of 20 for reasons which I’ve never quite understood. One rare exception was Iain Banks’ ‘Whit’ – a kindly laugh at people’s silliness. He will be a loss.
If it’s any comfort, I’m an old campaigner who was told more than ten years ago that I wouldn’t live to see independence, or even Christmas. Many colleagues in the party commiserated – then died before me. I could reel off many names, people who gave it their all but are no longer with us. For a few of them it was probably their service that cost them their health. I’m still fairly confident I’ll see independence, the only worthwhile memorial to so many, and to Iain Banks.
Aside from the fiction, If ever, you or a friend wish to get a real grasp on a love of Scottish single Malt Whisky, then forget all the ‘expert’ guidebooks, and pick up a copy of ‘Raw Spirit’ by Iain Banks. Not only is this a wonderful exposition on one man’s passion for our national drink, but it also contains one of the finest diatribes against porridge ever written by a Scot.
As the book itself says, it’s all true, even the bits he made up.
The news about Mr Banks, is indeed very sad. He is a great writer, a great Scotch whisky lover and a truly great Scot.
“Thanks for sharing this with all of us here. Perhaps you should share it at Banksophilia.
link to friends.banksophilia.com“
Have added my final two paragraphs to the avalanche of tributes.
I can only echo the thoughts and sentiments from the other commenters. I have never been a great reader of books. Growing up many friends and family followed much of the Rev’s reading progression. I can understand their comments however and share my best wishes for Iain and his family.
Cancer is devastating news to for any family. What his family now have is quality life time together and they will appreciate that time as they understand the likely limitations placed upon them by the advancement of his illness and the time that he has ahead. I wish them well and thank Iain for his contribution to the lives of many others. He is and will remain a man who has blessed many without giving it a second thought.
You sir, are a marvelous human being and many wish to spend a small amount of time saluting you. Thankyou.
whit was also one of my favourites – think i’ll look it out for another read. I didn’t realise that Iain Banks was a fellow independence supporter – hope he makes it to the vote
I can only echo the sadness of other contributors; gut wrenching prospect indeed to lose such a talent at such a relatively young age.
I understand he lives overlooking the Firth of Forth – perhaps it would be a fitting tribute to name the new Forth crossing after one of the country’s literary stars?
@ Galen10,
Good to see you back on wings, how ever sad the reason.
“I can only echo the sadness of other contributors; gut wrenching prospect indeed to lose such a talent at such a relatively young age.
I understand he lives overlooking the Firth of Forth – perhaps it would be a fitting tribute to name the new Forth crossing after one of the country’s literary stars?”
‘The Bridge’?
I remember him at the conventions, he nearly always attended even if he was not GOH that year. Christ I’m about to write about the guy as if he is already gone. Bollocks to that.
He’s a good guy and I’ve been a fan since I read Consider Phlebas. And I laughed heartily when I read David Torrance thought the culture was thatcherite in its philosophy. I know Ian would too if he knew about it.
Awful, frustrating news. he was – is – a great writer regardless of his origins, but to those of us who grew up in the Scotland of the 1980s and 90s, it was like we shared a private language with Iain Banks, like he could see into the heart of us, who we were, what really made us tick – not all the bullshit between that core and the surface. I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Mid-Argyll, about a dozen miles from where Gallanach really ought to be, then went to university in Glasgow and later still left Scotland altogether, so I don’t think there’s any book that rang true to me like The Crow Road. The humour, the darkness, the love – dear God, this man is us, and we are him.
Cancer may well take him, but we’ve got his books, and we’ll have them forever.
Hear, Hear Rev, Hear, Hear!
That we are to lose his wonderful imagination is sair indeed. Another wonderful weaver of tales like Nigel Tranter and Terry Pratchett.
@ Adrian B 1.31PM
Thanks Adrian, a sad day indeed; heard about it yesterday on the way back from new job, hence the drop off in WoS posts – I’m on twitter a bit more these days, but still plan to be on here, maybe just not as much as the past few months!
There’s a moment in ‘Complicity’ where Cameron sits down to play ‘Despot’, and Banks’ description is so wonderful, I’ve been hoping for the past 15 years that the game really existed somewhere. He has that rare power in a writer to make his imagined worlds totally immersive – something which game designers strive for, but which Iain Banks achieves effortlessly in a couple of sentences. I too have wandered mid-Argyll and sat by the quay at Ardrishaig hoping to find that pile of stones which came from all over the world, or climbed over the hill to look at the ‘Sound you can see’.
It’s foolish to make literary predictions, but I don’t think there’s been a writer since Scott or Stevenson who had quite such a grip on the bewildering contradictions of the Scottish psyche. He deserves a monument, if anyone does. In fact, there were suggestions on Twitter that the new Forth Crossing should simply be called The Bridge. Seems fitting.
And, BTW, whenever the BBC infuriates me, I remember that wonderful adaptation of Crow Road, and forgive them (for a time)
Horrible news: he will be much missed.
@ Galen10,
Congratulations on your new job. Its good to recognise a friendly monikeer that hasn’t been around for a few weeks.
Rev Stu,
I read Pirsig’s book at a young age as well and I couldn’t understand what people saw it in. Unlike you I gave up without finishing the book. Years later, and kind of at the end of my tether, I picked it up again and this time around it worked. Pirsig had a genius level IQ but, like so many have found out, it can be a curse rather than a blessing in this world – as you may recall from the book.
If anything the book is even more relevant today when people are cut off from the things they use in on a daily basis through black-box design and tacky technology that alienates the user from what makes up the product. The book deals with values and quality, things which have been reduced to meaningless platitudes today.
Pirsig wasn’t a 1960’s media stereotypical “hippie” either (he was from an older generation) but then again who was a “hippie” and what made them so? Did you have to sign up to a whole list of things like those who describe themselves as “left” and “right” do today?
link to microdutch.org
Terible news about Iain Banks – I too read the Wasp Factory as a teen when it came out and then devoured all his books – infact I could’ve written this – it sounds like my story and I have the same pile of books on my bookcase. Time to re-read TWF again methinks!
Really sad news and I hope he can live as full a life as possible for as long as he has left.
I live in the same village as him and would see him fairly often but hadn’t spotted him about for a while, I suppose this is why. Life is a fleeting thing, it really is.
so, does scotland make wasps then?
so, does scotland make wasps then?
It does, but only as part of the union. After independence, it will make butterflies.
So, does Scotland make wasps then?
Sure does and our local pet shop sells them. There were a couple in the window yesterday.
On a more serious note, Iain is still with us and hopefully has some life left in him yet.
I admire his stoicism and hope that he and his partner have some quality time together.
Thanks Rev. I can hardly think of a science fiction writer of the last 40 years I like better than Iain M Banks (IMvHO – and I’ve read a few). I’ve been a fan since Consider Phlebus (I was going to say it was “unputdownable” – unless you’re David Torrance) and ever since I have marvelled at his imagination and confidence. No wonder he was for independence.
So, does Scotland make wasps then?
Yes indeed, Johann Lamont dines on them on a at least a weekly basis.
Albert Herring haha 🙂
So this dislike of hippies thing Stuart, does that mean I’m allowed not to like collar wearing ghost story peddling nutcases who through history have been up to their necks in slaughter in the name of the “Lord” Have a good think to yourself about just how much of a “Christian” you really are,because as far as I can make out Jesus was thee original and coolest hippie ever!
“Have a good think to yourself about just how much of a “Christian” you really are”
I don’t recall ever claiming to be any sort of Christian.
link to en.wikipedia.org
And just two months later we hear the sad news of his death.
My condolences to his family and friends.
Such a great loss to Scottish literature, and English-speaking literature at large. His special blend of (often black) humour, romance, gore, observation, humanity and compassion made him a very special writer, one of my all-time favourites.
I first became aware of his writing when BBC’s Crow Road was broadcast on Finnish TV. I immediately had to go and get the book, which is so much better than the TV series, as it usually is. After that I read everything by him I could get my hands on. Well, not the science fiction, I’m afraid, but I might give it a go soon.
I had just finished reading Stonemouth and contemplated rereading it immediately because I’d enjoyed it so much, when he announced his imminent death. So sad that the death came so soon, he didn’t even live to see his last novel on the shelves. Or an independent Scotland.
I heard in an email a couple of hours ago. Dreadfully sad. “A few months”, not likely to live more than a year, has turned out to be just over two months.
I hope he managed to do at least some of what he hoped to accomplish in the time he had left. I understand he did see his new book published, after it was rushed out.
Condolences to his family and friends.