Iain M. Banks, Prolific Science Fiction Writer

Iain Banks, the Scottish author who wrote mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, died at the age of 59.

Ian Banks began his writing career with the publication of his 1984 novel The Wasp Factory. He went on to write full time, and his first science fiction book, Consider Phlebas, was published in 1987. This marked the start of the Culture series, a series of 10 books that were among Banks’ most popular works.

In 2008, The Times named Banks in their list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”. In April 2013, Banks announced he had inoperable cancer and was unlikely to live beyond a year. He died on 9 June 2013.

Banks’ novels have been adapted for theatre, radio and television. His work was characterized by a willingness to experiment with style and form, and he frequently tackled controversial subjects with a satirical edge. He will be remembered as a prolific and accomplished writer whose work was beloved by readers around the world.

Fiction

• The Wasp Factory (1984). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-36380-9
• Walking on Glass (1985). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-37986-1
• The Bridge (1986). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-41285-0
• Espedair Street (1987). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-44916-9. Adapted for BBC radio in 1998 (directed by Dave Batchelor).
• Canal Dreams (1989). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-51768-7
• The Crow Road (1992). London: Scribners. ISBN 0-356-20652-1. Adapted for BBC TV in 1996 (directed by Gavin Millar).
• Complicity (1993). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 0-316-90688-3. Filmed in 2000 (directed by Gavin Millar); retitled Retribution for its US DVD/video release.
• Whit (1995). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 0-316-91436-3
• A Song of Stone (1997). London: Abacus. ISBN 0-316-64016-6
• The Business (1999). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 0-316-64844-2.
• Dead Air (2002). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 0-316-86054-9
• The Steep Approach to Garbadale (2007). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-0-316-73105-8
• Stonemouth (2012). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-1-4087-0250-5. Adapted for BBC TV for broadcast in 2015 (directed by Charles Martin.)[79]
• The Quarry (2013). London: Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-1-4087-0394-6

Banks’ novels were characterized by a willingness to experiment with style and form, and he frequently tackled controversial subjects with a satirical edge. He won multiple awards for his work throughout his career, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the British Science Fiction Award and the Kurd Lasswitz Award.

Non-fiction

• Raw Spirit (2003). London: Century. ISBN 1-84413-195-5 – a travelogue of Scotland and its whisky distilleries.
• Poems (with Ken MacLeod) (2015). London: Little, Brown Group. ISBN 978-1-4087-0587-2

Iain M. Banks was born in Scotland in 1954. He studied English literature at the University of Stirling before going on to work as a bookseller, journalist and bartender. His first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984 to critical acclaim. This success allowed him to write full time from then on.

Banks’ first science fiction book, Consider Phlebas, came out in 1987 and marked the start of the Culture series. This series followed the adventures of an advanced civilization called “The Culture”. The series was immensely popular and spanned 10 books in total. In 2008, The Times named Banks in their list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”.

In April 2013, Banks announced he had inoperable cancer and was unlikely to live beyond a year. He died on 9 June 2013 at the age of 59. His death is a great loss to the literary world, but his legacy will live on through his body of work.