Another great Culture novel from Banks, and sadly the last. Appropriately, perhaps, it deals with the Sublime. This is an issue touched on by previous books, but here Banks speculates on the actual process of an entire civ preparing for the 'great enfolding'. Satisfyingly, the prospect of subliming leads to fin de siecle debauchery and corruption. A seemingly advanced civilization is revealed to be petty and peevish, with the overhanging irony that it has spent the past millennium living under a serious misapprehension. A great cosmic / religious misunderstanding that was either the remnant of a practical joke or an elaborate simulation.

Against this background, the Minds engage in their curiously anachronistic IM chat, revealing them to be nerdy and sarcastic, but fundamentally decent. The Minds have a deep rooted interest in tidiness and a quiet life and are prepared to project their awesome military might to achieve it. Many things get blown up in this story, but always with regret.

This book is right up there with 'Consider Phlebus' as I think Banks was at his best when he made the Culture the centre of the story.