The Machine Minds in Iain M. Banks’s Culture Series
The Machine Minds in Iain M. Banks’s Culture Series

Summary/Abstract: Within the scope of this essay I am analyzing the cognitive similarities between the humans and AIs in Iain M. Banks’s chosen Culture novels: Excession, Look to Windward, and Surface Detail. In my discussion, I am combining references to cognitive studies with the analysis of Banks’s works. I argue that even though the organic and technological minds presented in Banks’s writings differ greatly, there are multiple convergences between them. According to the results of my study, these commonalities include: highly developed emotionality, dependency on the shape and functions of the body, extensive use of language, and the propensity for creating narratives. These shared characteristics allow for mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence of different entities within the society of the Culture.

• Details
• Contents