Another satisfying Culture novel from Iain Banks. My judgment may be a little impaired after Banks' MATTER, which fell short of expectations in a number of areas. But it was nice to be back in a Culture story with interesting Ships/Minds, old and new tech to be surprised by, and what Banks does best: strange new environments. In this book, the virtual worlds that two of our characters in particular (namely Vatueil and Chel) were exposed to and lived in were the most interesting to me, and I could have read books just as long devoted entirely to each of their stories alone.

Some cynics are calling for the death of the Culture series. I think Banks has proven with Surface Detail that there are still lots of places (if not, dare I say, unlimited options) left in the Culture universe for him to explore and use to enjoy.