The Culture Books podcast

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Come explore the dizzying space opera of Iain M. Banks' culture novels. Buy a book and then read along with us as we explore them chapter by chapter!

Sheridan and John


    • Apr 17, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 35m AVG DURATION
    • 47 EPISODES
    • 3 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from The Culture Books podcast

    Use of Weapons, 28, Remembrance, Fourteen

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 42:57


    We find out who Zakalwe really is...

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    Use of Weapons, 26, Remembrance, I

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 51:21


    Possibly the most infamous chapter in science fiction history. Zakalwe receives a present.

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    Use of Weapons, 26, Remembrance, Thirteen

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 23:03


    Zakalwe has a breakdown followed by an even more terrible day, but we get the standout quote of the book.

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    Use of Weapons, 25, Remembrance, II

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 39:32


    Zakalwe takes the slow road to the stars, and almost doesn't make it.

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    Use of Weapons, 24, Remembrance, Twelve

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 35:33


    Finally we get to see Zakalwe doing what he does best; soldiering.

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    Use of Weapons, 23, Remembrance, III

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 30:44


    Zakalwe goes to the snow!

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    Use of Weapons, 22, Remembrance, Eleven

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2024 35:55


    Zakalwe ruins a lot of nice people's holidays like the total jerk he is.

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    Use of Weapons, 21, Remembrance, IV

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 50:11


    Zakalwe takes us on a tour of life on a Culture GSV!

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    Use of Weapons, 20, Remembrance, Ten

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 24:06


    Zakalwe throws away his weapon, has a philosphical discussion, and fixes for a fight

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    Use of Weapons, 19, An Outing, V

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2024 36:26


    This is Zakalwe's brain on drugs!

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    Use of Weapons, 18, An Outing, Nine

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2024 36:52


    Zakalwe gets in a lot of fights, but his love of the old plasma rifle finally pays off!

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    Use of Weapons, 17, An Outing, VI

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2024 22:34


    Zakalwe tries his hand at writing poetry in an idyllic rural setting, but it's not as nice as he'd hoped.

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    Use of Weapons, 16, An Outing, Eight

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 34:28


    Zakalwe plays James Bond again, Diziet gets distracted, and our hero goes to an interesting party which he does not enjoy.

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    Use of Weapons, 15, An Outing, VII

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2024 33:54


    As a flashback from the worst day of Zakalwe's life we get the origin story!

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    Use of Weapons, 14, An Outing, Seven

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2024 26:38


    Agent Zakalwe makes a big splash while trying to play the part of James Bond.

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    Use of Weapons, 13, An Outing, VIII

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2024 40:09


    Zakalwe gets stuck in a storm, takes a long hard look at himself, argues with an idiot, and sees some very strange things.

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    Use of Weapons, 12, An Outing, Six

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 31:05


    Zakalwe spends a lot of time being rude to GSV minds, but does receive a lovely gift!

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    Use of Weapons, 11, An Outing, IX

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 25:39


    Zakalwe falls in love, and dreams about the ghost of the real Zakalwe.

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    Use of Weapons, 10, The Good Soldier, Five

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2023 20:09


    Zakalwe seems suspiciously happy to run away from his problems, but they have a nice time at the beach.

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    Use of Weapons, 9, The Good Soldier, X

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2023 21:17


    We find out what happened to Zakalwe on Fohls. It was not nice.

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    Use of Weapons, 8, The Good Soldier, Four

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2023 31:14


    Sma and Skaffen recover from a party and go for an island cruise.  Meanwhile The Culture goes nuclear around them!

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    Use of Weapons, 7, The Good Soldier, XI

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2023 25:23


    Zakalwe goes to the beach, and we ask, is he a Gary Stu?

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    Use of Weapons, 6, The Good Soldier, Three

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 27:28


    Skaffen and Sma go to a party on the Xenophobe and have a fight....

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    Use of Weapons, 5, The Good Soldier, XII

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2023 17:13


    Zakalwe has a less pleasant visit to a castle and we ask if any aristocrat can be a good aristocrat?

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    Use of Weapons, 4, The Good Soldier, Two

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2023 20:59


    Diziet gets out of bed and the Culture goes to the wild west to see just how scary a drone can be! 

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    Use of Weapons, 3, The Good Soldier, XIII

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 27:41


    In which we briefly meet an Ethnarch, and get a good look at just how stone cold cool this Zakalwe cat can be!

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    Use of Weapons, 2, The Good Soldier, One

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2023 39:18


    We meet Diziet Sma and spend a lot of time on how exactly she likes to bone. And The Culture seems to be putting a lot more resources into this caper than we've seen before...

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    Use of Weapons, 1, Slight Mechanical Destruction, and Prologue

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2023 27:13


    We start The Big One for Banks fans, a great whiskey is reviewed, and the scene is set for a wild ride with fortunately short chapters!

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    The Player of Games, 4, The Passed Pawn

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 27:11


    We wrap up Elon Musk's favourite book with a short chapter that ties up a couple of loose ends and really gets into non-binary love.

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    The Player of Games, 3, Machina Ex Machina

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2023 85:11


    With apologies for the delay we are back with the third chapter of The Player of Games where we get to see just what rat bastards The Culture can be when they get going.

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    The Player of Games, 2, Imperium

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2023 73:02


    Getting deep and dirty into The Player of Games and really wondering what Elon Musk gets into in this tale of cruelty and perversion. Chapter 2, Imperium asks a lot of questions and we do our best to answer them.

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    The Player of Games, 1, Culture Plate

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 44:38


    The Player of Games begins as we talk about the first chapter of this remarkable book and consider what games are really being played.

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    Consider Phlebas, 14, Consider Phlebas, and all the other bits

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2022 48:10


    We come to an end of the journey for the first of The Culture books. Fear not we shall return soon for The Player of Games.

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    Consider Phlebas, 13, The Command System: Terminus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2022 41:27


    It's a big episode with a big body count! But finally we finish up in these goddamn tunnels! 

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    Consider Phlebas, 12, The Command System: Engines

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2022 40:46


    We get to learn a lot more about Idirans, and trains, in a chapter that spends a lot of time setting up the finale!

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    Consider Phlebas, 11, The Command System: Stations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2022 41:53


    The drone makes some jokes, the Idirans are mean, and Yalson has a big surprise!

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    Consider Phlebas, 10, The Command System: Batholith

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 46:54


    The KFC ventures deep under Schar's World, while through Fal's musings we learn the history of the Culture.

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    Consider Phlebas, 9, Schar's World

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2022 27:27


    The KFC on the CAT finally makes it to Schar's World and Horza's misspent youth catches up with him.

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    Consider Phlebas, 8, The Ends of Invention

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2022 47:28


    A madcap escape, the arsenal of the end of the universe, a plucky drone, and the immense drag of being a galactic warlord with a young dude hitting on you.

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    Consider Phlebas, 7, A Game of Damage

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 47:47


    How much damage can a game do? We finally see the game up close and very personal, Horza and Kraiklyn settle their scores, and the scale and glory of a General Systems Vehicle is revealed.

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    Consider Phlebas, 6, The Eaters

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2022 37:19


    Horza goes to a very bad place... some might say he's lucky to escape...

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    Consider Phlebas, 5, Megaship

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2022 33:57


    In the staggering vastness of the Vavatch Orbital Kraiklyn's Free Company try their hands at maritime salvage. But what is this Damage game Kraiklyn's really thinking about?

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    Consider Phlebas, 4, The Temple of Light

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 40:21


    Things go as you might expect for Kraiklyn's Free Company in combat. And we finally get a look at the Culture on its own turf.

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    Consider Phlebas, 3, Clear Air Turbulence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 25:16


    Horza, floating in deep space, is found, and fights for his life. Is this an allegory for patriarchal capitalism? And who is Yalson?

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    Consider Phlebas, 2, The Hand of God 137

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2022 52:06


    In this chapter we get to know the Idirans, big conversations are had, and Horza steps outside for a long walk!

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    Consider Phlebas, 1, Sorpen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2022 15:42


    In which we meet Horza, get our first glimpse of the culture, form views about the Gerontocracy of Sorpen, and become acquainted with Idirans. A short chapter, but a key one for getting this story on the road.

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    Prelude - Consider Phlebas and welcome

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2022 17:15


    Welcome to the start of The Culture Books Club, a read-along exploration of Iain M. Banks Culture novels. In this episode some special guests give us a taste of things to come and we try and unpack the dizzying first few pages of the book that started it all; "Consider Phlebas". Special thanks to The War Nerd himself, Gary Brecher AKA John Dolan, and Mel Bicket of the Podmoot - Enteresting Tales from Tolkien podcast. 

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