Next Culture novel to appear next year.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Ghetto edit: I should probably state that my interest lies beyond purchasing the books for myself, but also in ordering them for my local bookstore and spreading the awareness of good novels and authors. For example, my store didn't carry any of the Eisenhorn Omnibus or Vernor Vinge's Fire Upon the deep, so I ordered them in. We've sold more than 6 or 7 of each in the last year because it's easy to recommend a book that stores actually carry and to sell it. With Banks this is impossible.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I can only assume it is Inversions, because as bad as the US covers are for books compared to UK or EU ones, they're never that out-of-touch with the subject matter.

Technically, Inversions isn't a Culture novel in the classical sense. It'd be like a spin-off, like Droids or Ewoks was for SW. Set in the universe, but not following the usual stories or types of character.

[Big Orange]

I'm reading Inversions now - there are already subtle clues about DeWar and Dr. Vosill hailing from the Culture - I don't think Inversions is anymore a spin-off than Use of Weapons except in UoW the role of the Culture is much more obvious. But I hope Matter doesn't concentrate so much on the Culture investigating, influencing or destroying countless lesser civilizations across the Milky Way because that's getting old and I would love much more light shed on the Culture's contemporaries in the galaxy.

[Sriad]

Yea, it's Inversions. My copy has that version of the cover.

[Big Orange]

That book cover looks more fantasy themed rather than sci-fi and looks a little cheesy, although the recent UK/EU cover looks a little bland:

[andrewgpaul]

That book cover looks more fantasy themed rather than sci-fi and looks a little cheesy,

To be fair, unless you've read another Culture novel, Inversions is a fantasy novel