You are walking down a provincial high street late at night. Your eyes flicker past the nearest bookstore. There’s a signing on. There are always signings. But this one is different - this one is for Iain M. Banks. Do you A). Call work the next morning and pretend you’re ill, B). Call work next morning and pretend you’re ill, or C). Call work next morning and pretend you’re ill?
Unfortunately, I’m far too honest to pull a sickie, so I did neither of these three options. However, I did not spend the rest of my life kicking myself, for I got the next best thing: an interview with Iain ‘Menzies’ Banks (when asked what the ‘M’ stood for, Banks said ‘Multimedia’!). I just wish I’d a little more time to prepare much more stimulating questions, such as the real reason for Biggles being present on that Culture ship in Consider Phlebas.
Banks was on the road to promote his latest novel, Inversions. It’s two stories combined into one: that of the Doctor, and that of the Bodyguard, DeWar. Both are set on the same planet, but in different realms. The Doctor is physician to King Quience in Hapside. She needs all her wits about her, and more than a few surprises, to keep her head in the royal court. DeWar is bodyguard to the regicide Protector General UrLeyn. DeWar becomes convinced that someone close to UrLeyn is planning to kill him, but who is it?
  Inversions is packaged as one of Banks’ SF novels, but there’s not a great deal of SF within it. But then that’s Iain Banks for you: full of surprises. If ever the writing failed, then Banks could have a successful career in arranging kids’ parties. His imagination is certainly dark enough...
Having said that, there isn’t a lot of violence in Inversions, and the swearing is certainly very tame, so prudes will enjoy the novel too. There’s a lot of fibre to the tale, so prunes may like it also. I caught up with Iain Banks during the first week of the Soccer World Cup, when I was convinced that Scotland were going to beat Brazil, so I asked Iain if he thought that there was a Scottish renaissance going on.

IAIN M. BANKS: Tentatively, yes, especially in literature, though - unless I’m being included out - it isn’t organised in any way.

 

KM:  When did you first realise that you wanted to be a writer?

IAIN M. BANKS:  At the latest, Primary VII. It’s true. Honest. Look, I have documentary evidence.

 

KM:  What sort of fiction did you read as you grew up?

IAIN M.BANKS: Enid Blyton... Biggles stories, SF and Alistair MacLean.

 

KM: Who are your favourite science fiction authors?

IAIN M. BANKS: Brian Aldiss, Bester, Jorge Luis Borges, John Brunner, Arthur C. Clarke, Samuel Delaney, Alasdair Gray, Ursula LeGuin, M. John Harrison, Frank Herbert, Aldous Huxley, Ken MacLeod, Jeff Noon, Kim Stanley Robinson, Dan Simmons, John Sladek, Olaf Stapledon, Vernor Vinge, Kurt Vonnegut, Ian Watson, Gene Wolfe to name but rather a lot (some of the individuals named for single works).

 

I then asked Iain if anyone had bought the film rights to Consider Phlebas, which is one of my favourites.

IAIN M.BANKS: No, the only SF book optioned is The Player of Games, though if that gets made and it works, I get the impression from the producer that Consider Phlebas would probably be the next to be adapted.

 

KM:  Do you ever see yourself writing a happy ending?

IAIN M. BANKS: What do you mean? How dare you! I’ve written lots of happy endings! Wasp Factory,   The Bridge, Crow Road... I could go on.

 

KM: What’s next for Iain Banks?

IAIN M. BANKS: Honestly, I have no idea, apart from that it’ll be a mainstream book because 1998 is an even-numbered year, but I have to think of something before the end of the summer. Watch this space...

 

Read the Authortrek reviews of “The Business” and “Look to Windward”