Excession

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Excession (English original title Excession ) is a 1996 science fiction novel by Iain M. Banks . The novel was first published in German in 1997 as a hardcover under the title Die Spur der toten Sonne , only the paperback edition from 2002 was called Exzession . Excession is the fourth novel that Banks published in his culture cycle . The text was translated by Irene Bonhorst.

subjects

Excession raises a number of here and now problems for discussion. The central theme is the encounter between an existing civilization and a more highly developed one. This applies both to the contact of culture with the excession and to the relationship between culture and the affronters (a civilization in the sixth stage of development). The asymmetrical balance of power is always threatening to come to a head in a “ clash of civilizations ”.

In addition, different life concepts and philosophies of life both of individuals and entire galactic civilizations are described. The small but essential differences between the Elench and the culture and the enormous differences between these two and the Affront are reflected in the different approaches to similar problems.

In addition to new philosophies, practical life concepts within an age of longevity are also discussed. The average cultural individual is between three and four hundred years old, which inevitably results in other, unusual forms of relationships. The possibility of mentally induced sex change including the reproductive option is one of them. Within culture , this is accepted as a positive result of perfected genetic engineering and genetic manipulation . In contrast to this is the hierarchical social structure of affront , which is organized within relationships of violence . Their application of genetics serves to reinforce negative conditioning oriented towards fear and terror , from which the prevailing nomenclature alone draws a profit.

As in many of Banks' other novels, privacy and public issues play a key role. The basic motto in culture is: nothing is secret or private, except memories and thoughts. So much for theory, but practice creates an attractive area of ​​tension.

Last but not least, it is also about a conspiracy , about confusing intrigues and about applied diplomacy within the culture as a whole, of brains against and with one another and in a difficult relationship to, as lower classified, but aggressive civilizations. Broken down to the individual level, love and its confusions also use such strategies. There they express themselves as pride , jealousy , manipulation and pure despair.

Formal structure

The German paperback edition of the Excession has 655 pages and is divided into a foreword, an afterword and 12 chapters. There is a table of contents. Only the foreword and afterword are written from a singular perspective. The individual chapters are subdivided into sub-chapters, distinguished by Roman numerals , each of which brings with it a change of perspective. The interstellar communication between different ship brains alternates with the actual experiences of different human protagonists .

action

The response of culture to an out-of-context problem forms the narrative matrix of excession . The excession is a perfect black body , 50 kilometers in diameter, which suddenly materializes in the so-called upper leaf vortex of the galaxy, a rather inanimate region. The excession demonstrates a level of technical development that far exceeds the capabilities of other galactic civilizations. Your first contact with a ship belonging to the researcher Elench appears aggressive and ends with the immediate takeover of the research ship. Thereafter, the excession remains passive until, shortly before its final disappearance, its immense, destructive potential is hinted at, but without actually realizing it.

Two central narrative threads run through the novel. The first includes the events surrounding the excession and the conspiracy against the affront , where the brain substrates ( artificial intelligences ) of the culture ships predominate . The second covers the humane perspective and is about the tragic triangular relationship between Byr Genar-Hofoen , Dajeil Gelian and the ASF Sleeper Service . Both strands are interwoven through the manipulative entanglement of the human protagonists in a conspiracy - initiated by a group of brains at the expense of the affronter .

The following list of important figures and groups may give an overview of the complex events. In conclusion, I can only be assured that everything will come to a conciliatory and satisfactory end to the reader.

Relevant species, personalities and culture ships

Species:

The culture , see culture cycle

Elench , panhuman, equiv-technical civilization split off from culture, characterized by an extremely defensive philosophy. Before the Elench change someone else , they prefer to change themselves.

Affronting , aggressive, expansive, octopoid species with extremely bad behavior, repressive social system based on genetic manipulation and progressive fear conditioning.

People:

Byr Genar-Hofoen , ambassador of culture at the Affront , cannot help but a certain sympathy and admiration for his rowdy hosts, had a dramatic relationship with Dajeil Gelian 40 years ago and, in the end, has his personality transferred into an affront body.

Major Fivetide , high affronter military and the ambassador Genar-Hofoen were mostly on friendly terms.

Scopell Afranqui , the personality of Genar-Hofoen's residential module during his mission with the affronters and not really inclined to him, dies of self-destruction after the affront declares war on culture

Amorphia , androgynous avatar of the Sleeper Service.

Dajeil Gelian , exobiologist , former member of Kontakt, now lives on the Sleeper Service , has been pregnant for 40 years with the child of Byr Genar-Hofoen , whom she tried to murder after an affair . Eventually gives birth to the child at the end of the novel.

Ulver Seich , direct descendant of one of the founding families of the residential asteroid Phagofels , brilliant, freshly elected university graduate, also elected the most sensual student for three years in a row and correspondingly conceited, not to say bitchy, lets the Churt Lyne drone send her on an ominous mission In order to qualify for the special circumstances (BG = the secret service of culture), ends up in Genar-Hofoen's bed , in the end acts as a catalyst to get the communication going between him and his ex-lover.

Zzreyn Tramow , commander of the Gutschiff Problemkind , discovered the first excession 2500 years ago, currently being stored disembodied on the ASF Sleeper Service.

Leffid Ispanteli , winged, humanoid resident of Habitat Stuf , discovers the emergency marking of the drone Sisela Ytheleus on the affront cruiser Angry Intention .

Gestra Ishmethit , one of the few behaviorally disturbed inhabitants of culture, loves solitude and has therefore been on guard on the depot asteroid poverty for 70 years , the affronter is killed in the attack , receives a new body after the end of the war and then lives with Dajeil and hers Child on the sleeper service .

Drones :

Sisela Ytheleus 1/2 , surviving part of a twin combat drone of the Elencher research ship Peace Brings Much . Barely and badly damaged, escapes the overwhelming onslaught of the excession. Accidentally discovered and destroyed by an Affronter warship, but marks the attacker with an Elencher distress signal.

Churt Lyne , probably part of the Special Giveaways (BG) lives in the Phagofels community, a friend of the Seich family for almost 1000 years , seduces Ulver Seich on her unplanned trip.

Ships:

Classifications : ASF = General System Vehicle, AKE = General Contact Unit, ESF = Restricted System Vehicle, BAE = Limited Attack Unit, FS = Research Vessel , SAE = Rapid Attack Unit,

Members of the Interesting Times Gang * (excerpt):

AKE Miraculous Paths of Fate , ASF Moral Gaps , ASF Without a Permanent Residence , ASF Anticipation of the Arrival of a New Lover , AKE Tactical Grace , ESF Serious Callers Only , Eccentrics Shoot You Later , ASF Limivorus , HSE Full Refund , AKE Different Tanning.

(* The name goes back to the old Chinese curse “ May you live in interesting times ”. From here on it is abbreviated as IZB.)

ASF Sleeper Service , formerly ASF Silent Trust , very eccentric, feels particularly responsible for Dajeil Gelian due to interference in the past, recreates famous battle paintings with the bodies of those who are stored with her, their outdoor areas have been redesigned into living space for gas giant residents. Member of the IZB, her warlike appearance brings the turning point in the excession scenario, at the end of the novel she makes her way to the neighboring galaxy Leo II .

ASF Yawning Angel , minder for the eccentric Sleeper Service , left behind without a chance when things get serious.

AKE Grauzone , a specialist in tracking down, documenting and sometimes punishing genocides , occasionally reads the thoughts of the perpetrators or victims for this purpose, which is why their numerous opponents call her the “meat fucker”, transports Ulver Seich and Genar-Hofoen to the Sleeper Service , is possibly destroyed at the end of the novel or accompanies the excession on its journey to the wherever.

AKE problem child , credit ship class, discovered the first excession 2500 years before now, a sun 50 times older than the universe, encircled by a completely impenetrable black body 50 kilometers in diameter. Both artifacts , however, disappeared without a trace shortly after their discovery. The problem child then left the culture and joined the afterlife cult. Your trace is lost in the vastness of the universe.

ASF Not Invented Here , event coordinator of the excession scenario, member of the IZB but also part of the conspiracy against the affront , which ends in suicide.

AKF Steel Sheen , a member of the IZB but also part of the conspiracy against the affront , faces its judges.

BAE opinion adjusters , the warship depot reveals the culture, poverty , to the affronters , member of the IZB but also part of the conspiracy against the affront , ends by suicide.

FS Friede Bringt Much , member of the Stargazer clan, part of the fifth fleet of the researcher Elench , was the first to discover the excession, was suddenly attacked by it and lost its integrity.

SAE Free exchange of views , very fast patrol boat transports Ulver Seich to Habitat Stuf

Phagofels , seventy kilometers long, hollowed out asteroid, home to 150 million people, has been traveling leisurely for many thousands of years, as a kind of cultural ambassador, between the star systems.

Asteroid poverty , hollowed out, guarded, houses a secret naval camp of culture , 384 gangster-class attack units fall, through betrayal, into the hands of affront .

Position in the culture cycle

In Excession, culture grants for the first time a more detailed view of its artificial intelligences, i.e. ship's brains and drones, which have the same civil status in culture as humans and other sentient biological forms of life. The book provides a deeper insight into the thoughts and actions of those beings who organize the production , distribution and communication of this highly developed civilization. In particular, the encounter with so-called eccentric ships gives the reader an interesting look at norms and values ​​of culture . These eccentrics , i.e. the gray area and the Sleeper Service (which, however, turns out to have only simulated their eccentricity) often act beyond the moral boundaries that their fellows consider binding.

In Excession, Iain Banks tells us a lot about the everyday life of a cultural individual, his living conditions and development opportunities. The real strength of his imagination shows, as so often, in the description of alien cultures . The scenes from the life of the affronters are an impressive testimony to human imagination .

Awards

  • 1996 - BSFA Award for the best science fiction novel of the year.
  • 1998 - Kurd-Laßwitz-Prize for the best foreign science fiction novel of the year.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ISBN 3-453-12909-1
  2. ↑ ISBN 3-453-19679-1

literature