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Use of Weapons

Book 3 of the 'Culture' series

Iain M. Banks

Illustrated by Dániel Taylor

First Printing

Part mind-bending thriller, part haunting character study, this third 'Culture' novel twists time and loyalty into a heart-stopping sci-fi epic. A thrilling Folio edition with surreal, cinematic artwork from series artist Dániel Taylor.

US$140.00
US$140.00
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Editor’s Note
  1. Sophia Schoepfer, Editor

Return to the universe of the Culture in book three of the iconic intergalactic series. This multi-layered novel cemented Iain M. Bank's place as one of the titans of modern science fiction.

Featuring dark and cinematic artwork by Dániel Taylor, this illustrated edition is bound in green cloth with striking electric blue details. It is a must-have for any sci-fi aficionado's collection.

Set in Garamond with Scene as display

464 pages

7 full-page colour illustrations

Full bound in blocked cloth

Slipcase bound in blocked texture paper with hidden illustration inside the slipcase

9½˝ x 6¼˝

‘I was really happy that Folio Society reached out to me about continuing the 'Culture' series with my illustrations, as I really became a big fan of Iain M. Banks, especially after finishing Player of Games, and I wanted to know more of the world he imagined. Use of Weapons to me felt a bit darker and quite complicated at first - kind of felt like a puzzle that slowly revealed itself - but it grabbed my attention early on and I just couldn’t put it down! It was also a fun challenge to imagine almost every scene, with the question in your mind “Could this be an illustration in the book?”’
  1. Dániel Taylor, Illustrator

A soldier, a shadow, a weapon with no master. Cheradenine Zakalwe is the Culture’s go-to operative for waging wars and toppling empires. But behind the ruthless efficiency lies a haunted past, riddled with betrayals and ghosts he can never outrun. Told in fractured timelines, Banks’s masterpiece is a puzzle box of memory and consequence, where every battle fought conceals a deeper, more terrible truth. When the final piece falls into place, it’s not war that will break him — but the knowledge of what he’s truly done.

About Iain M. Banks

Iain M. Banks (1954–2013) was a Scottish novelist educated on both the East and West coasts of Scotland. He studied at the University of Stirling, gaining a degree in English with Philosophy and Psychology and, while there, appearing as an extra in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Banks' first novel, The Wasp Factory (1984), was published to widespread controversy. Declared a work of 'unparalleled depravity' by one newspaper, the book made Banks's name as an exceptional new talent and has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Banks saw himself as a science-fiction writer but was encouraged by his then-editor to make a clear distinction between his literary and science-fiction by the simple addition or omission of his middle initial, M (the family name of Menzies). Alternating between these genres, Banks wrote 14 literary novels including The Crow Road (1992), which was adapted for television by the BBC, and ten science-fiction novels. The first of these, Consider Phlebas (1987, Folio 2023), launched the 'Culture' series of space operas for which Banks is best known today. He also wrote short stories, poetry and a travelogue, Raw Spirit (2003). His final novel, The Quarry (2013), was published shortly after his death in 2013.

About Dániel Taylor

Dániel Taylor is an artist and graphic designer from Budapest who has been a full-time professional illustrator since 2015. His work, produced digitally, is inspired by 20th century Surrealism, science-fiction and comic-book art; it has been commissioned by clients including Marvel, Playboy, Disney, Adobe and New Scientist. Dániel has illustrated Consider Phlebas (1987, Folio 2023), The Player of Games (1988, Folio 2024) and Use of Weapons (1990, Folio 2025) and has exhibited his art in London, Paris and Munich.

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