(IBM), Greenock, Scotland, expediter-analyzer, 1978 solicitor's clerk in London, England, 1980–84. Nondestructive testing technician in Glasgow, Scotland, 1977 International Business Machines Corp. Agent-c/o Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 4 Little Essex St., London WC2R 3LF, England.ĬAREER: Writer. Hobbies and other interests: 'Hillwalking, eating and drinking, and talking to friends.'ĪDDRESSES: Home-31 South Bridge, Flat 3, Edinburgh EH1 1LL, Scotland. Education: University of Stirling, B.A., 1975. Despite everything, he was probably happiest in the Culture - he was able to do the only thing he could do, and know that he probably wasn't making things worse, and was able to work with the only person who valued him for this - until she got to know him a bit too well.PERSONAL: Born February 16, 1954, in Fife, Scotland son of Thomas Menzies (an admiralty officer) and Euphemia (an ice skating instructor maiden name, Thomson) Banks. He can't ever atone, but has to always try.

And when he tries to do anything that isn't about fighting and killing, he just can't. It's amazing that even after that scene (which I had to admit I saw coming), E/Z is still sympathetic - he grew up unable to understand certain things, and became a terrible, inhuman person, willing to use anything as a weapon. It doesn't matter what happens to him after that scene the main reason he kept on being called back, I thought, was that Sma wanted him back as the best man for the job in hand, and once she couldn't face ever dealing with him again, the Culture was happy enough to cut him loose and let him wander about trying to atone, or getting himself killed, whichever happened first. Sma, horrified and disgusted at having worked so closely with E/Z for so long, goes and finds a replacement from a war somewhere who isn't a horribly broken sociopathic mass murderer. I got the impression that after the scene with the revelation of Elethiomel/Zakalwe's identity (which only came as a surprise to Sma - I think the Minds and Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew, and had factored it into his deployment), it's suggested that he quits the Culture (as he's wanted to all along for a while now) and maybe goes and tries to do the same sort of thing on his own, or maybe he doesn't.

Ian banks use of weapons