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For CULTURE Vultures Trivia Quiz

The sf novels of Iain M Banks are fascinating for their imagination and for the creation of the future civilisation "The Culture". Try out your knowledge of both the Culture novels and his other sf novels in this easy introductory quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by JeremyB. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
JeremyB

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
122,916

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
488

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Culture's spaceships are controlled by AI "Minds". Identify which of these ships is/are culture vessels. Hint

All of these

Unfortunate Conflict of Interest

Frank Exchange of Views

Ultimate Ship the Second

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Question 2 of 10

2. What is Marain? Hint

a terraformed planet in " The Player of Games"

a fugitive mind in "Consider Phlebas"

a synthesised virus from the Masaq Orbital

a synthetic language of the Culture

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Question 3 of 10

3. In "The Player of Games", what will Jernau Gurgeh, a master game player, become if he succeeds in the 'big game' in the Empire of Azad? Hint

Immortal

Emperor

Invisible

the Richest person in the Galaxy

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Question 4 of 10

4. In "Inversions", the Royal Physician is called which of the following? Hint

DeWar

Quience

Urleyn

Vossil

5. In "Inversions", DeWar tells the story of 'Sechroom and Hiltiti'. Dewar is actually one of these people in former life. The setting for the story is an analogue for the Culture and is called what? Hint

Luxuria

Drezen

Xenophobia

Lavishia

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is the name of the branch of Contact, who may act in morally dubious ways for the greater good of creaturekind (as argued by the Culture)? Hint

The Encroachment

The Sleeper Service

Special Circumstances

Warrior Spies

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of the following is not a character from "Feersum Endjinn"? Hint

Gadfium

Count Alandre Sessine VII

Bascule the Teller

Diziet Sma

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Question 8 of 10

8. In "Use of Weapons", Skaffen-Amtskaw is what exactly? Hint

A Drone

A Knife Missile

A Spaceship

Cheradenine Zakalwe

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which of these Iain M Banks' sf novels is not set in the Culture? Hint

"Look to Windward"

"Against a Dark Background"

"Use of Weapons"

"Excession"

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Question 10 of 10

10. Iain M Banks has also written straight novels under a different name. Which of the following is his 'straight' name? Hint

John B Macallan

Menzies Banks

Iain Menzies

Iain Banks

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Culture's spaceships are controlled by AI "Minds". Identify which of these ships is/are culture vessels.

Answer: All of these

Culture ships name themselves and choose rather tongue-in-cheek or self-deprecating names.

2. What is Marain?

Answer: a synthetic language of the Culture

Not all culture members speak Marain but it is considerably more successful than Esperanto, especially as this is Galaxy-wide rather than just earth-wide!

3. In "The Player of Games", what will Jernau Gurgeh, a master game player, become if he succeeds in the 'big game' in the Empire of Azad?

Answer: Emperor

Jernau is bored and therefore accepts the challenge and the possibility of his own death.

4. In "Inversions", the Royal Physician is called which of the following?

Answer: Vossil

DeWar is a bodyguard to the Protector and a Culture drop-out. Urleyn is the Protector of Tassasen. Vossil is physician to King Quience.

Answer: Lavishia

I made up Luxuria and Xenophobia as places, but Drezen is a distant archipelago from where the Physician is thought to originate.

6. What is the name of the branch of Contact, who may act in morally dubious ways for the greater good of creaturekind (as argued by the Culture)?

Answer: Special Circumstances

The Sleeper Service is another part of the Culture's operations (where people live out their death). Sharrow was a Warrior Spy in the non-culture "Against a Dark Background". The Encroachment is the impending doom (a dust cloud) approaching Serehfa Fastness in non-culture "Feersum Endjinn".

7. Which of the following is not a character from "Feersum Endjinn"?

Answer: Diziet Sma

Diziet Sma is the female protagonist from "Use of Weapons". Gadfium is the female Chief Scientist. Bascule the Teller is the semi-literate youth involved in the quest (hence the phonetic spelling of part of the text). Count Sessine (about to die for the last time) is the ruler who races against time to defuse the conspiracy endangering Earth.

8. In "Use of Weapons", Skaffen-Amtskaw is what exactly?

Answer: A Drone

Drones are intelligent machines. Skaffen-Amtskaw had once saved Diziet Sma's life and believes Zakalwe to be burnt out. Vossil's dagger in "Inversions" is an example of a knife missile.

9. Which of these Iain M Banks' sf novels is not set in the Culture?

Answer: "Against a Dark Background"

"Against a Dark Background" also features a future civilisation but it is not the Culture. "Use of Weapons" deals with intervention by Special Circumstance agents. "Look to Windward" deals with the aftermath of a Culture interventional failure. "Excession" is about Culture Spaceships, controlled by the 'Minds'.

10. Iain M Banks has also written straight novels under a different name. Which of the following is his 'straight' name?

Answer: Iain Banks

Iain Banks added the M for his sf novels. It stands for Menzies, a family name. He considered 'John B Macallan' as it was derived from his favourite whiskies, 'Johnny Walker' and 'Macallans'.

Source: Author JeremyB

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