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Whit

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 2,724 ratings · 71 reviews

Isis Whit is no ordinary teenager. An innocent in the ways of the world, an ingenue when it comes to fashion, she does however rejoice in some neat healing powers, a way with animals and the exalted status of Elect of God of the Luskentyrian Sect. Part of the 1995 Scottish Book Fortnight promotion.

Hardcover, 455 pages

Published January 29th 1995 by Little Brown and Company (first published 1995)

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The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Best Author-Created Religions

13th out of 55 books — 56 voters

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Best Novels Set in 20th-century Britain

123rd out of 235 books — 92 voters

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Mar 13, 2009 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: well-i-think-its-funny, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts

I'm a sucker for fictional religions, and Banks is brilliant at inventing them. Luskentyrianism is his best effort yet. If the thing you liked most in Cat's Cradle was Bokononism, you may well enjoy this book too. The charming young heroine, Isis, is the Elect of God, and terribly matter-of-fact about it; it's remarkable how quickly you get used to almost anything at all, and find it normal. (Someone's got to be the Elect of God. Why not me?) I particularly enjoyed the scene where she got all in...more

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Mar 27, 2009 Sonia Gomes rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Sonia by: Phill Chappel from London

Shelves: oh-so-hilarious, very-good

'Whit' is one of the funniest books that I have read, I think being an Indian helped me to really get all the funny parts.
The founder of the cult is Scottish, he has been rescued by two Indian women. These ladies have a holy of hollies which is something called slonjish or something like that (read the book sometime ago) a tiny bit of paste, hardened and brownish. Nobody can touch it or even look at it. As I was thinking about this slonjish I realized that it was an old remedy called Sloans Lil...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Cheryl in CC NV rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Not quite sure how it's science fiction, but it certainly was fascinating. Explores religion, cults, technology, drug use, sex in lots of varieties, and more. Never condemns those who have faith nor those who don't, never venerates those who are promiscuous nore those who are prudish... makes you think about your values and choices, possibly even your self-identity.

I will look for more by this author, but what I've found so far indicates that some of his work is more suitable for those read...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Hayden rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://haydenwritesthings.wordpress.c...

I bought my copy of Iain Banks’ Whit at my local market for 25p, and I’m very glad I bought it.

As soon as I saw it I knew it was something special. I’ve worked at that market for around six years (SIX YEARS!) now and, until Whit, hadpurchased only one other item. I read the back and it didn’t really appeal to me:

‘A little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. Innocent in the ways of the world, an ingenue when it comes to pop and fashion, the Elect of Go...more http://haydenwritesthings.wordpress.c...

I bought my copy of Iain Banks’ Whit at my local market for 25p, and I’m very glad I bought it.

As soon as I saw it I knew it was something special. I’ve worked at that market for around six years (SIX YEARS!) now and, until Whit, hadpurchased only one other item. I read the back and it didn’t really appeal to me:

‘A little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. Innocent in the ways of the world, an ingenue when it comes to pop and fashion, the Elect of God of a small but committed Stirlingshire religious cult: Isis Whit is no ordinary teenager. When her cousin Morag – Guest of Honour at the Luskentyrian’s four- yearly Festival of Love – disappears after renouncing her faith, Isis is marked out to venture among the Unsaved and bring the apostate back into the fold. But the road to Babylondon (as Sister Angela puts it) is a treacherous one, particularly when Isis discovers that Morag appears to have embraced the ways of the Unsaved with spectacular abandon. Truth and falsehood; kinship and betrayal; ‘herbal’ cigarettes and compact discs – Whit is an exploration of the techno-ridden barrenness of modern Britain from a unique perspective.’

Religion? Cults? A travel story with teenagers? It didn’t sound anything like the other Banks’ books I’d read. I was concerned, perhaps Whit was one of those difficult follow-ups that had tried to achieve so much, but, instead, had fallen into disrepute. Banks’ last fiction/novel before Whit had been Complicity - a text I borrowed from a lecturer and read twice or more in a very short space of time. I became more concerned.

Then, about a week ago I opened the front cover nervously, hoping that Banks’ jump into teen-travel had been an intelligent one.

I was not disappointed.

The beginning was pretty heavy; lots of name dropping and biographies, the familiar who’s-who and where’s-where, but the nature of Luskentyrian living excited the otherwise boring banalities of a standard opening (sorry, are we playing chess?). Then it all starts opening out. People start moving around, things start happening and we find ourselves shifting beyond the home in Stirlingshire. We experience Isis’ treks through the long grasses outside her home, catching brief angles and edges of Unsaved houses over the treetops, then the dilapidated bridge, the gurgling river running towards Edinburgh and then the city itself. Here we have the big culture clashes – of the country vs city, of spiritualism vs consumerism, of mechanisation vs nature – which made me as uneasy as excited. All to often, when authors attempt to wrestle with these themes, we find the balance of the narrative slipping away from the storyline; becoming needlessly meditative. The main character will have a heavy day (or something) and sink into bed lamenting their move away from home, or wishing to embrace that which is new and exciting. It often becomes so cold and unfeeling – completely shoehorned in so the author can feel happy that they’ve tackled a ‘key theme’ and got their opinion in there somewhere. Banks, however, manages to escape that (I didn’t expect any less) pulling off Isis’ cultural naivety extremely well. It’s very convincing, to the extent that it makes you rethink why things are how they are, and how odd modern society can be seen when viewed from an outside perspective. It was charming (I hate that word), very charming (grrr), and the comedic scenarios were also very (don’t say it) comedic (rubbish).

I’d like to say that I didn’t know where the plot was going (in many of Banks’ other novels, I had no idea), but in Whit I could feel the most of the twists and turns before they actually came about. That’s not to say that I didn’t find them surprising when they did appear (because they still were), and I’m not saying that I could predict all of the twists and turns, but it certainly wasn’t as crazy as some of Banks’ other fiction/novels. This may be great for some, but not so great for others.

The whole thing has a great pace to it and Banks seems to know just when we need to move forward. This movement – or travelling – is a great strength of the novel. We find Isis hopping trains and hitch-hiking in a manner that screams Kerouac but with a new-age/cultist twist. It feels fresh, exciting and dirty all at the same time, and it never got old for me. It was like I was there, living it and she lived it – and it felt so real despite the situation being so bizarre…

Anyway, it’s a good book – go read it. There’s sex, pornography, coming-of-age, cityscapes, religion, cultism, train-hopping, weird hand gestures, foot cleaning and lots of other cool stuff.

Over and out.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Alan Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, what the hell can you say about this one? It's even more original than his "Wasp factory" (though perhaps not quite so confronting), funnier than anything he ever wrote, yet with the ability to make you weep, and a heroine you can't help but fall in love with. Something really special here.

The story concerns a young girl called Isis Whit, a member of an (imaginary) cult called the Luskentyrians. Like all religions, the Luskentyrians regard themselves as the "Elect of God" and show this in a...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Fatma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't think I've ever misjudged a book so badly in my life - I had completely different expectations when I started off. I was expecting a raging tirade concerning the folly of religion, the blindness of the human race, the contradictions between cold hard logic and warm fuzzy faith. I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was definitely a level of satire here, a warm touch which I noticed is common to Scottish writers, and something which I definitely have a great appreciation for.

The story fo...more I don't think I've ever misjudged a book so badly in my life - I had completely different expectations when I started off. I was expecting a raging tirade concerning the folly of religion, the blindness of the human race, the contradictions between cold hard logic and warm fuzzy faith. I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was definitely a level of satire here, a warm touch which I noticed is common to Scottish writers, and something which I definitely have a great appreciation for.

The story follows an obscure (and fictional I'm sure) religious cult set in rural Scotland, called the Luskentyrians. Isis Whit is the Elect of God, and she has the divine ability to heal the wounded, and ostensibly to bring animals back from the dead. One of her beloved cousins Morag (weird names abound in this book! Love it.) sends a vague letter renouncing her faith, and Isis goes on a journey to seek her out and bring her back on the straight and narrow. Unlikely events unfold, and her seemingly perfect and sheltered universe slowly reveals its true colors as secrets and mysteries begin to surface.

It could very well be that Iain Banks is an atheist, and like I said there is a relatively clear bit of mockery aimed at religion, but it's not done in a jarring way that I find distasteful. His tone is very subtle, and the way he makes his point about the oftentimes extreme gullibility of humans in the face of the God question was well done, I would say. (Disclosure: I'm Muslim, but if I wanted to get criticised about religion, I'd rather it would be by Banks than someone like Dawkins. Just saying!)

Aside from that, the story had a compelling plot, I was interested in all the characters from the very first page. I generally don't really like ingenue characters, but Isis is a pretty 'tough cookie' as her grandmother would say.

Some things which dampened it a bit were that I felt like Isis' journey was a bit too easy for her. She definitely goes through some trials and tribulations throughout, in fact her entire foundation of belief is thoroughly tested, but it seemed as though she found the solutions far too quickly and Banks was quick to get everything resolved nice and neatly and with as little pain as possible to the characters he loved (I'm assuming). There were some characters I was expecting to hear about at the end, as well, but they sort of only came up when their presence was needed, like a deus ex machina several times over, played their necessary part, and then kind of disappeared into the Scottish mist.

Other than that, it was a thoroughly entertaining read, I had that feeling of not wanting to put the book down. It was an intelligent, fun book to read during my short holiday, and I am definitely looking forward to the other books I have of his on my TBR. (less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Pippa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Once again Iain Banks shows just how versatile he can be with his writing. This is unlike any others I have read by him, and whilst I enjoyed it, I felt the ending let down the rest of the novel.

Isis is a member of a cult founded in Scotland by her Grandfather. Whilst alcohol, drugs and free love are encouraged (naturally within reason), technology and the outside world are shunned. So when Isis is sent forth to find and bring home her cousin for the upcoming Festival of Love there is inevitably...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Vivienne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, black-comedy, picaresque, reading-group-selection, religion, satire

An unexpected delight. I had really no idea what this was going to be like when it was voted in by one of my reading groups at a meeting that I was unable to attend due to a snowstorm.

I'll admit I had mixed feelings as I have wanted to read Iain (M.) Banks and even invested in a couple of his 'Culture' SF series but just hadn't got around to it and wasn't sure how I'd respond to his non-SF work.

I expected his writing would be 'difficult' and was pleasantly surprised by how accessible this novel...more

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Apr 16, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Blessed Very Reverend Gaia-Marie Isis Saraswati Minerva Mirza Whit of Luskentyre, Beloved Elect of God III (familiarly called "Isis" or even "Is"), 19-year-old granddaughter and designated spiritual heir of Salvador Whit, patriarch of the Luskentyrians, journeys from the cult's compound in Scotland to London in search of her cousin Margot, last reported embarking on a career as a performer on the baryton. The story of the Luskentyrian faith is told in flashbacks along the way, and Isis meets...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Mars rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story of the Chosen One of the order of Luskentyrians.
It's similar to The Crow Road in some ways, but it's chronologically consistent, sticks to a single POV, and actually has a consistent plot rather than things just happening one after another. Not the best book I've ever read, but definitely worth picking up if you see it on the cheap.

Also answers the long-standing question on the kosher-ness of kangaroos:
'My pal,' Zeb said. 'Ozzie. Had some. Said. Like. Great. Best meat. Ever tasted. Lea...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a phenomenally good read. Based around an obscure religious sect in Stirlingshire, we follow the character Isis (Elect of God) on a journey through the Order's past, combined with a quest to find a lapsed member and return her to the fold. I quickly warmed to the character of Isis, a nineteen year-old with enviable courage and a somewhat unworldly but interesting moral compass. I was moved by her predicaments and dilemmas, and endeared to her by her way of dealing with them. The story c...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Henry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Just like Ishiguro's 'The Remains of the Day' and Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' the humor of this tale stems from the fact that the protagonist really doesn't understand what's going on in the world around her. Isis Whit is the heiress to an entire religion, the Luskentyrians, founded by her rogue of a grandfather and confined to a closed commune in Stirlingshire. Anyone who has had anything to do with somewhat alternative lifestyles (I did -- I went to a Rudo...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Ace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Its hard to describe this - with Banks, one would expect a screed against religion, but really this isn't - in fact, its oddly sympathetic to the idea of belief and the communities that can be fostered around that. Isis (full name: the Blessed Very Reverend Gaia-Marie Isis Saraswati Minerva Mirza Whit of Luskentyre, Beloved Elect of God III) is an admirable character, especially as a fish out of water in Babylondon, but doesn't lose herself through trials and tribulations that would shake most o...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Sarah B. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: given-away

Reading this as a straightforward adventure (instead of a satire, which was suggested on the back cover but always makes me think I should be hearing sarcasm in the entire text) helped me to enjoy this book once I got past the first few chapters. I liked the main character, Isis, in all her stubborn, naive, resilient, asexual charm. Having been too squeamish to make it through The Wasp Factory, I was somehow surprised to find Banks was so good at portraying a believable 18-year-old woman. I thou...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Gregory rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this, but less, I think, than I might have because of the large amount of religious trappings entailed, and a fictional sect to boot. Overall, I thought the story was well done, and I was engaged by it, but I can't help feeling that some of my enjoyment was drained away by all of the religiosity. Sometimes it seemed to falter and grind on descriptions of the religion, and it was difficult for me to work up a lot of empathy, some for her predicament, I was engaged by that, for the main ch...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in April 2004.

One of the methods satirists use to poke fun at the way we live is to write a novel from the point of view of an outsider of some kind. This is particularly suited to use in the science fiction genre, where an outsider can be literally alien and so question even what may seem to be even the most fundamental of human values. In Whit, Banks doesn't go so far as this, but uses as his outsider a member of a cult who grew up in a commune in Scotland...more Originally published on my blog here in April 2004.

One of the methods satirists use to poke fun at the way we live is to write a novel from the point of view of an outsider of some kind. This is particularly suited to use in the science fiction genre, where an outsider can be literally alien and so question even what may seem to be even the most fundamental of human values. In Whit, Banks doesn't go so far as this, but uses as his outsider a member of a cult who grew up in a commune in Scotland where modern technology - phone, TV, computer - is banned, making her seem completely out of touch with modern British society and giving her an outlook sceptical of the assumptions we tend to live by unquestioningly.

The central character of Whit is Isis, granddaughter of the founder of the Luskentyrans and considered God's Elect by the Cult by virtue of her 29 February birth date. The commune receive a letter from Isis' cousin Morag, who (they think) has gone out into the world to realise here musical potential and become an "internationally renowned baryton soloist" (a baryton is a Baroque instrument rather like a cello). The letter says that instead of being the focus of the Luskentyran May festival she won't be attending at all, having found true faith elsewhere. The decision is made to send Isis out into the world so that she can find Morag and persuade her to return. All is not quite as it seems; Morag, for example, is not a famous musician but is renowned in quite a different field - she is a hardcore porn star.

Isis and the Luskentyrans are portrayed extremely sympathetically; this is not the sort of stereotypical cult which brainwashes followers into following every whim of the leader which tends to be brought to mind by the word "cult". (And note that this was probably particularly true at the time Banks was writing - just after the Waco siege in 1993.) Their self-sufficient way of life doesn't require much money, the land itself being a legacy from an early follower. Banks has thought through their theology quite carefully, and it actually seems to me to hold together more convincingly than some of the absurdities believed by real life cults. Those who live in the commune are at least generally happy, and this is the main point of the satire, that all the technology that we are unable to live without and the leisure time it has brought us has not made us any happier.

Whit is one of Banks' most enjoyable novels; funny, accessible and yet having something to say. It, The Crow Road, and The Business are a trio of his novels with many similarities, including being an ideal way to introduce this important modern writer to those who are yet to catch on to his genius.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the story of Isis Whit, a teenager who has lived all of her life on a self sufficient farm near Stirling. Isis narrates her story, but she is no ordinary girl, because Isis is an Elect of God, a position held by those born on the 29th February in the Luskentarian sect, founded by her grandfather. Isis is devout, following all of the teachings to the letter, living simply without adornment or any technological labour saving devices, in the community at High Easter Ofference, their farm.
An...more This is the story of Isis Whit, a teenager who has lived all of her life on a self sufficient farm near Stirling. Isis narrates her story, but she is no ordinary girl, because Isis is an Elect of God, a position held by those born on the 29th February in the Luskentarian sect, founded by her grandfather. Isis is devout, following all of the teachings to the letter, living simply without adornment or any technological labour saving devices, in the community at High Easter Ofference, their farm.
An important 4 yearly event is coming up for the Saved at the farm, the Festival of Love, a free loving event to begat new Elect of God the following year, God willing. There is a problem though. Morag, Isis's cousin and guest of honour as an accomplished musician at the festival, has renounced her faith and gone awol. Isis is sent forth amongst the Unsaved to find Morag and return her to the community.
This book is a satirical look at the world through the eyes of someone who has lived apart from it, by a different set of codes. An observation of modern Britain by someone naive to its workings and ways. When Isis finally catches up with Morag, it seems that she has embraced the ways of the Unsaved with gusto, and Isis has a lot to learn about herself, life outside the farm, and also some truths about her own faith.
Although very easy to read, I found this book difficult to get into. I liked the sound of it, the fish out of water themes, the kooky sect, the impending comedy. I found little of it tickled my funny bone though (other than a plane ride and a cup of tea), and the over stereotyped characters got on my nerves (the hippies were like Neil from The Young Ones, the wayward grandmother like Joan Rivers). Isis herself had little potential for development, and I knew I was plodding on out of a determination to finish it. It did however get going about 2/3 into the book, in a surprising way, when Isis returns to the farm, and the plot took off and became interesting for almost the first time. It was then that I steamed through the rest of the book.
I don't think this book was the best Iain Banks for me to start with, and I have read mixed reviews about it on the web. I do have another by this author and I will give it a go, maybe in a while. It hasn't put me off, I didn't hate this one, I just found the first chunk of it laborious and it was a shame that it didn't hold you until near the end.
(less)

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Dec 21, 2009 Terence rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Maybe a 4-star. I'm still digesting.

Review to come.

The review has arrived:

If we could give stars to individual characters, I’d give Isis, the narrator of Iain Banks’ novel, five, which is why I’m revising my initial rating of the book as a whole to four stars.

The novel begins in the religious community of High Easter Offerance, the base of the Luskentyrians, a sort-of-Amish-like sect that has rejected much of modern civilization. The community is ruled by Salvador, its founder, and Isis is his g...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Jay Mansfield rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Over the last 15 years or so, Iain Banks has proved himself time and again to be one of my favourite novelists. I put off reading this offering, first published the year before I started reading his works until recently. That might have been a good thing, as this is one of his better efforts. Not as self-consciously outré as some as his other books, the plot follows the adventures of the engaging protagonist Isis Whit as she emerges from a Stirlingshire-based religious cult to track down a missi...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. It was very funny, but also exciting because you just couldn't guess what the outcome would be. The heroine, Isis, is wonderful creation. Brought up to be the future leader of an obscure cult, she is used to a form of adoration but is nonetheless resourceful and brave. A very satisfying read that came to an end far too quickly for me. It's hard to imagine what could happen in a sequel, but if one came out I'd buy it on publication day.

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Apr 03, 2012 John rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm still trying to work out what i think of Iain Banks, loved Dead Space and Complicity, thought Canal Dreams was good, although in the end a bit unrealistic, Cellist turns Ripley...not sure bout that, and then Whit, it was OK, but long for a plot twist that got me nowhere really, and thinking at the end, well there you go. His writing is great, but just thought this was a short story that overstayed its welcome

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Apr 10, 2009 Alex Farran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Isis has spent all her life in a small, fairly benign cult - a cross between the amish and a hippy commune. This is the story of her journey into the wider world in search of her cousin. As her quest continues she discovers that many of the certainties she holds dear are not what they appear to be. Through her eyes we see our own society in a different light and examine questions of faith, community and power.

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Aug 16, 2009 Vineet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

Iain Banks is phenomenonal, and I got the chance to meet him in person in Ediunburgh in '97 - and yes, I do have a signed first edition copy of Whit.

This one is so different from his other books - very humourous, in fact comic at most times. The trials andf tribulations of Isis Whit, from Scotland to England and back, is quite a page turner - and never what you expect.

The blend of Scottish and Oriental cultures makes for striking and comic reading too. Haggis samosas, anyone?

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Aug 17, 2009 Trak rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, fiction, religion

This book started out quite droll for me and I struggled to get into the book. By about halfway I knew where the book and the main character Isis was heading and I was constantly reminded of Animal Farm.
It was an enjoyable book and the first I have ever read of Iain Banks and I may read another of his but I am not sure.
The book was predictable for me, enjoyable and funny in parts but was just not on the mark.

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Dec 28, 2012 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic read. Iain Banks has always delighted me with his originality and this story is no exception. Set in the 1990s it follows the story of Isis as she goes through what I can best describe as a voyage of discovery as she leaves the safety of the cut off from the world cult she has grown up in. Mixing sad realisations with hilarious new experiences like sharing a joint in a London squat the story kept me turning the pages late into the night, waking with the book in my hands.

Def...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Charlie Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant. How ignorance is bliss, and how difficult it is to accept other people's perspectives, and lose innocence. It is also a great depiction of how strange behaviour is seen as being sweet when displayed by a youngster, but utterly mad when displayed by an adult. It's ingenious and hilarious

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Jun 03, 2009 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Highly enjoyable. Only the third of Banks's non scifi books I have read. His concerns get rather predictable, but they are interesting & relatable to, so no mind. His cult was fun, his characters lively, and with a cornily reassuring ending.

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Aug 10, 2011 Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the book that that turned me to Iain Banks, the cover just looked cool sitting on the library shelf. This is possibly one of the best books I have EVER read, along with The Wasp Factory.

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Jul 29, 2011 Michael Kerwin added it · review of another edition

this took me 10 times as long to get through as any other Banks book I have read, however I did enjoy the main character, and unlike most Banks books, not everybody died at the end :-)

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Apr 29, 2012 Roger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Only listed to this as an audio book (read by Peter Capaldi, whom I had not heard of before!!). You know I think that Mr Banks MIGHT not be religious!

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About Iain Banks

This author also publishes science fiction under the pseudonym Iain M. Banks.

Banks's father was an officer in the Admiralty and his mother was once a professional ice skater. Iain Banks was educated at the University of Stirling where he studied English Literature, Philosophy and Psychology. He moved to London and lived in the south of England until 1988 when he returned to Scotland, living in Edi...more This author also publishes science fiction under the pseudonym Iain M. Banks.

Banks's father was an officer in the Admiralty and his mother was once a professional ice skater. Iain Banks was educated at the University of Stirling where he studied English Literature, Philosophy and Psychology. He moved to London and lived in the south of England until 1988 when he returned to Scotland, living in Edinburgh and then Fife.

Banks met his wife Annie in London, before the release of his first book. They married in Hawaii in 1982. However, he announced in early 2007 that, after 25 years together, they had separated. He currently lives in North Queensferry, a town on the north side of the Firth of Forth near the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.

As with his friend Ken MacLeod (another Scottish writer of technical and social science fiction) a strong awareness of left-wing history shows in his writings. The argument that an economy of abundance renders anarchy and adhocracy viable (or even inevitable) attracts many as an interesting potential experiment, were it ever to become testable. He was a signatory to the Declaration of Calton Hill, which calls for Scottish independence.

In late 2004, Banks was a prominent member of a group of British politicians and media figures who campaigned to have Prime Minister Tony Blair impeached following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In protest he cut up his passport and posted it to 10 Downing Street. In an interview in Socialist Review he claimed he did this after he "abandoned the idea of crashing my Land Rover through the gates of Fife dockyard, after spotting the guys armed with machine guns." He relates his concerns about the invasion of Iraq in his book Raw Spirit, and the principal protagonist (Alban McGill) in the novel The Steep Approach to Garbadale confronts another character with arguments in a similar vein.

Interviewed on Mark Lawson's BBC Four series, first broadcast in the UK on 14 November 2006, Banks explained why his novels are published under two different names. His parents wished to name him Iain Menzies Banks but his father made a mistake when registering the birth and he was officially registered as Iain Banks. Despite this he continued to use his unofficial middle name and it was as Iain M. Banks that he submitted The Wasp Factory for publication. However, his editor asked if he would mind dropping the 'M' as it appeared "too fussy". The editor was also concerned about possible confusion with Rosie M. Banks, a minor character in some of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves novels who is a romantic novelist. After his first three mainstream novels his publishers agreed to publish his first SF novel, Consider Phlebas. To distinguish between the mainstream and SF novels, Banks suggested the return of the 'M', although at one stage he considered John B. Macallan as his SF pseudonym, the name deriving from his favourite whiskies: Johnnie Walker Black Label and The Macallan single malt.

His latest book is a science fiction (SF) novel in the Culture series, called The Hydrogen Sonata, published in 2012.(less)

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“there is both fear and comfort to be drawn from devils--the fear speaks for itself, the comfort comes from being able to absolve oneself of responsibility for one's actions.” — 1 person liked it

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