Look to Windward (Culture, #7)

by Iain M. Banks

snow falling with no wind to accompany it seemed to defy nature; it was like watching a screen with the sound off, it was like being deaf. That was it.

‘All naturally evolved sentient life is restless. At some scale or stage.’

hate romantics, Quilan. They do not really know themselves, but what is worse they do not really want to know themselves - or, ultimately, anybody else - because they think that will take the mystery out of life. They are fools.

wherever you live you can accept that something has to be minding the infrastructure, but it shouldn’t run your life as well.

It’s how people behave when they’re faced with death that shows you what they’re really like,