Banks, Ian M.
LOOK TO WINDWARD
Ian M. Banks
Pocket Books 2000
Pb 483 pages
ISBN# 0-7434-2192-2
"I fully intend to spend the rest of my existence here as Masaq' Hub for as long as I'm needed or until I'm no longer welcome, forever keeping an eye to windward for approaching storms and just generally protecting this quaint circle of fragile little bodies and the vulnerable little brains they house from whatever harm a big dumb mechanical universe or any consciously malevolent force might happen or wish to visit upon them, specifically because I know how appallingly easy they are to destroy. I will give my life to save theirs, if it should ever come to that. And give it gladly, happily, too, knowing that the trade was entirely worth the debt I incurred eight hundred years ago, back in Arm One-Six." --so says Masaq' Orbital's Hub Mind. LOOK TO WINDWARD is one of Banks' most bizarre Culture novels. This one is a mystery with strange twists. Hub Mind, used to be General System's Vehicle Lasting Damage, participated in the Idiran War years ago and took heavy damage at the Battle of the Twin Novae. Now it watches over the humans and other life forms on the Orbital of Masaq', enjoying life with them.
Life on an Orbital is fun, especially for those of the hedonistic Culture. Besides having fun, however, those of the Culture also like to "help" the lesser races, those not as evolved as themselves. This time they interfere without first considering the ramifications of their involvement on a caste-based civilization. The result is civil war for the Chelgrians.
Chelgrian Major Quilan nearly died in that civil war, but even worse, he lost his beloved wife in one of the final battles. Now he's on assignment to Masaq' Orbital to supposedly try and convince another Chelgrian in exile there to come back to his people. That's the cover story, anyway. Major Quilan does not know his real assignment when he begins because his superiors have hidden it deep within his mind where they hope the Culture Minds won't find it. Inside his head, Major Quilan carries a mechanical "soul-keeper" that houses not his own soul but that of another, a copy of a long-dead admiral's personality. Together they venture into Culture territory on a horrendous mission.
And way out in space is an anomaly known as an airsphere where live the mega fauna behemothaur whose life-expectations are so long they cannot be measured. We have a Culture citizen here who has changed his shape to simian, combined with "the use of some Culture technology, though no field-based science, which mega fauna had a never entirely specific objection to--(which) had seemed a sensible adaptation stratagem for the airsphere." This citizen is distracted from his studies of the behemothaur, however, by emergent news that he must get to the Culture that is far distant.
This is a sad story, once the mystery is solved, one that focuses on the theme of suicide. Why would intelligent beings fall to such despair? --especially when life can be so precious. LOOK TO WINDWARD is for the mature audience, for those who can not only handle Banks' heavy theme and expansive vocabulary, but those who can also delight in the balance Banks creates with the beauty and humor of all that surrounds us.
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