Surface detail by Iain Banks

Another culture novel and as with all the others when reading it I feel that this is the best in the series.

I read this book on a mobile phone, HTC Desire HD. When I started, I did not think that I would enjoy the experience of not having a paper book in my hands, but I have to say, it was not as bad as I thought it would be and what tipped the balance to ebooks for me is that I do not have to carry a book with me at all times, and when one is coming close to an end I do not have to carry 2 books :-) I now have 11 books queued up on my phone.

In this novel we get more glimpses of the virtual worlds that exist within the Culture universe. A simulated war game is taking place to abolish virtual hells that some of the civilisations use to keep their citizens in line as well as really punish people practically for ever. And of course in the real world, a number of civilisations are maneuvering for power and influence.

As always the most fun characters are the ship minds and their behaviour. Hero in this is the Falling Outside The Normal Moral Constraints.

The Independent noted that this was a poor book to introduce new readers to The Culture, but "far from the worst introduction to Banks's series."
Alastair Mabbott of The Herald describes the story as having "murder, revenge, pursuit and subterfuge taking place against a backdrop of escalating tension [that] stands up very well, and makes the prospect of further books in the Culture series somewhat less imposing."
UK book review site The Bookbag remarked that "...what sets this book apart is the quality of the writing and the depth of the author's imagination.