About the Book
A spectacular new novel from the national bestselling author of Matter.
A dazzling feat of the imagination, the new novel from Iain M. Banks, set in our own world and worlds within, confirms his place as a master storyteller and writer of extraordinary vision.
The Philosopher is a torturer, and proud of it. AC is a dealer who became a trader who became a hedge-fund manager. Madame d’Ortolan seems to control nearly everything, while Mrs. Mulverhill the younger hopes to frustrate her. Mr. Oh is a reluctant assassin, amongst many other things. The person in the hospital bed is not entirely sure who they might be, or where, or even when.
What all of these characters have in common is the Concern: an organization committed to protecting the world from outside threats. The world itself, however, is far more complex than we can possible imagine; and the greatest threats do not always come from within.
