Consider Phlebas, First Edition (15 results)

Paperback. first edition. very good - fine, spine crease paperback,

Paperback. first edition. unread paperback, near fine.

Hardcover. Condition: Near fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very good. First Edition. The first American edition of the author's first novel, which marked the start of the Culture series, consisting of eight further novels. The space opera revolves around the IdiranCulture War, and Banks (1954-2013) plays on that theme by presenting various microcosms of that conflict. Octavo. Original blue cloth binding, with gilt-stamped titling. A crisp, unread copy. The dust jacket is clean, with light toning along the spine and folds, and a mild crease to the front flap. Better than very good.

hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. First UK edition, published by Macmillan, 1987. Hardcover in jacket, price intact on jacket flap. Foxing, particularly to page edges and end pages. Interior not so affected. Text is unmarked. Toning to pages, as is common with these UK editions. Binding strong. Slight slant to spine. Very good minus with a couple flaws. Presents well in fresh Mylar. Additional photos available upon request. All of our books are carefully wrapped and shipped in a box.

Hard Cover. Condition: F. Dust Jacket Condition: F-. First Edition. F/F-. 8vo. original yellow boards (paperstock a trifle tanned, else clean & bright throughout) in dustwrapper (faintly rubbed); pp. (viii (last blank)), 472 (last blank). A fine copy of the first 'The Culture' novel, uncommon and in demand.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine-. Stated First American Edition. Flatsigned by Banks on the title page. Book in Fine condition. Jacket Near Fine with a 3/8" vertical tear from top front panel near hinge. Sporatic minor edge wear to jacket. Protected with a Brodart sleeve. First printing. Signed by Author(s).

Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good binding. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+ dust jacket. Octavo. [8], 471, [1] pp. First U.S. edition, first printing. In publisher's boards with dust jacket. Binding has light shelfwear but has a slight forward lean; contents are clean; a solid copy in a very sharp dust jacket with just a bit of sunning to the spine; price intact on the front flap. A nice copy of the American first edition of the first novel in Bank's Culture series; and his first published work of science fiction.

Hardback. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First UK edition. First edition copy ofConsider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. True first UK hardback edition / first printing (MacMillan 1987). This is the first Culture novel and is rare as a first printing. Very Good book with a neat gift inscription on the first end paper. No other writing or marks. Bottom and top of spine a little soft. Very Good jacket with a little shelf rubbing. Bright colours.

Hardcover. Condition: Very good. Dust Jacket Condition: Near fine. First edition. First edition, first impression. Signed by the author on title-page. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket. The first of Banks' Culture novels, Consider Phlebas launched the 'Culture' series of space operas for which he is best known today, in sci-fi circles at least, not least for the integration of sentient machines with humans and other organic lifeforms. Slight tanning to edges of text-block; boards and dust-jacket very good+. Signed. Book.

Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. UK Uncorrected Proof. Softcover. Fine in pink wrappers. Signed and dated in the year of publication by the author on the title page. The author has also added the letter " M" to his printed name. First Book of the Culture Series. Signed by Author(s).

First American Edition. First Printing. Octavo (21.5cm); dark blue paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [viii],[2],3-471,[1]pp. Crown gently nudged, else Fine in a Fine, unclipped dustjacket (priced $18.95). Sharp copy of the first volume in Banks's ten-volume Culture series. "Horza, an alien shape changer and one of the most feared spies and assassins in the galaxy, is hired by another alien race, the Idirans, to further their religious crusade against the Culture, a technologically advanced , liberal-minded human civilization" (Barron, Anatomy of Wonder II-72).

First edition, signed limited issue, number 2 of 178 copies signed by the author and with a slipcase. This was Banks's first science fiction book and the first book in his Culture series, works which "combine extravagant, high-tech invention with real human drama" (Walter). Damien Walter, "30 Years of Culture", The Guardian, 6 February 2017. Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket and slipcase, as issued. A fine copy.

First edition of the author's first science fiction book, signed by him incorporating the publisher's imprint on the title page. This is the first book in Banks's Culture series, works which "combine extravagant, high-tech invention with real human drama" (Walter). Damien Walter, "30 Years of Culture", The Guardian, 6 February 2017. Octavo. Original yellow cloth, spine lettered in black. With dust jacket. Spine ends just bumped, a few spots to edges of lightly toned book block; jacket bright and unclipped: a near-fine copy in fine jacket.

A set of first edition, first printings, published by Macmillan London Limited / Orbit between 1987 and 2012. Complete set of the Scottish author's ten-volume Culture series. All books are in near fine to fine condition in their original dust wrappers. Aside from volumes 4, 6, 9 and 10 are inscribed. Exceptionally scarce set signed. The Culture series by Iain M. Banks is a thought-provoking collection of science fiction novels set in a utopian, post-scarcity interstellar society known as the Culture. In this advanced civilisation, humans, artificial intelligences (AIs), and various species coexist peacefully, with technology providing abundance and near-immortality. The Culture is governed by benevolent AI Minds, and its citizens enjoy vast freedoms, often choosing their own lifestyles without fear of poverty, illness, or war. However, the series often explores the darker complexities of such an ideal society when it encounters other civilisations that are less advanced or more oppressive. Themes of morality, politics, war, and the limits of intervention are central to the novels, as the Culture frequently grapples with its role in shaping the fates of others.

First Editions. First Impressions. Ten octavo volumes (22.5-24.5cm); yellow, navy blue, and black paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in black, bronze, gilt, silver, and white on spines; dustjackets; [viii],[2],3-471,[1]; [viii],[2],3-309,[3]; [xii],[2],3-371,[5],3; [x],182; [viii],[3],4-451,[5]; [vi],[7],8-336,[10]; [x],357,[1]; [xii],593,[3]; [viii],627,[5]; [viii],517,[3]pp. Surface Detail and Excession are Very Good+; remaining volumes are Near Fine or better a few with some of the usual tanning to text edges, Use of Weapons and Inversions with some faint foxing to upper text edges; The Player of Games is a review copy, with the publisher's typed slip laid in. Each volume in the correct, unclipped dustjacket, and all Near Fine or better but for three volumes (Use of Weapons with some minor wrinkling at lower inch of spine panel, Excession with a faint, shallow dampstain to base of spine [noticeable only on verso], and Surface Detail with some moderate shelfwear overall Very Good+). Complete set of the Scottish author's sprawling ten-volume Culture series. "The books focus on the titular Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space society that is humanoid in nature but did not originate on Earth. The stories revolve around how the Culture wields their enormous political and technological power to shape the evolution of societies across the universe. The Culture society is made up of humanoids, aliens, and very advanced artificial intelligence living in 'man-made' habitats spread across the galaxy. The main theme of the novels is the dilemmas that an idealistic hyperpower faces in dealing with civilizations that do not share its ideals, and whose behavior the Culture feels it is in the greater interest of the universe to change" ("The Culture: An Introduction." Blog post: The Quill to Live, May 17, 2021). A challenging set to complete, seldom offered in commerce. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder II-72, 73, 75.