A Gift From The Culture
Encyclopedia
A Gift from the Culture, published in 1987, is a short work of space opera
, by the Scottish science fiction
author Iain M. Banks
(minus the "M." when publishing his mainstream work). The story is an early venture into the "complex and unusual and very distant" setting of The Culture
, which Banks would further develop through various of full length novel
s, stories, and his essay
A Few Notes on The Culture.
"A Gift from the Culture is one of Banks' few short stories, and of them, one of the even fewer that give glimpses of the Culture. In this story written more than a decade before the real-world War on Terror
, Banks' protagonist is coerced into committing mass murder
, seeming a bit uncomfortably like Luke Skywalker
as Mohammed Atta
." (p. 298, TSOR)
It was re-published in the Banks anthology, The State of the Art
(1991, ISBN 0-356-19669-0).
of the story. "Vreccile citizen…male, prime race, aged thirty, part-time freelance journalist
…and full-time gambler." Wrobik, however, is also an alien, a Culture ex-pat, "Bahlln-Euchersa Wrobich Vress Schennil dam Flaysse…born female, species mix too complicated to remember, aged sixty-eight, standard, and one time member of the Contact section…. and a renegade."
Kaddus and Cruizell: two large Vreccile flunkies, to whom Wrobik is in arrears
.
Maust: Vreccile, a dancer in one of the Low City’s gay clubs, and Wrobik’s boyfriend.
carrying the planet’s Admiral
will be returning, and Wrobik is to shoot it down, over the city, using a small pistol
which they give him to use. It is only when the gun is placed in his hands, does it become clear that this is another reality: it "comes to life," lights blinking, small screen flickering. The pistol
will function only for those biologically of the Culture, and is the only weapon able to penetrate the starship’s defenses, making the alien Wrobik the perfect candidate for the job.
Eight years ago Wrobik left the high-minded and highly advanced Culture
for the unabashedly corrupt world of the VEC. He describes the Culture as a sterile, self-assured communist-bloc Utopia
, a powerful society with an agenda of hypocritical moral imperialism, backed by Special Circumstances -- "Dirty Tricks in other words."
Almost in the background, the xenophobic
VEC is waging "distant wars against aliens, outworlders, subhumans;" civilian deaths going unnoted in the news reports. There have been demonstrations, one of which continues to give Wrobik nightmare
s - visions of the human military-machine charging forward. There is also the ‘radical’ organization, considered ‘terrorists’ by most, called "Bright Path," which appartently supplied the gangsters with the rare gun. Wrobik would be living in the besieged Outworlder’s Quarters himself, but nobody besides Maust, he thought, knew of his alien identity.
While still in the Culture, Wrobik, then Bahlln-Euchersa (etc.), went through a process of "regendering," changing sex (physically), from female to male. Despite her hopes, her (mental) gender
and sexual orientation
did not morph along with her body. Though still a woman in his own mind, since living in the VEC, Wrobik has accepted the identity that society has bestowed upon him: that of a homosexual
male, and has found happiness with Maust. "I would not be a woman in this society," he states, implying that, despite the homophobic
society
which is shown, this perhaps is the better option.
Wrobik attempts to flee the VEC, in order to avoid his task, which would turn him into not only the murderer of a high official, but possibly hundreds of civilian
s. Overheard news that an ambassador
from the Culture
is to be on the targeted starship as well further dissuades him, and also brings up questions about the true purpose of the attack. Before Wrobik can skip town (or planet), though, Kaddus and Cruizell get hold of Maust and use him as leverage
. Wrobik is forced to stay and carry out his assignment in order to assure his safety.
The story ends with Wrobik completing his mission, the ship fallen and the distant city ablaze with the fire from the explosions. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but maybe now he is the terrorist. We do not know his fate; he pockets the gun, and "[races] down to join all the other poor folk on the run."
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
, by the Scottish science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Iain M. Banks
Iain Banks
Iain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
(minus the "M." when publishing his mainstream work). The story is an early venture into the "complex and unusual and very distant" setting of The Culture
The Culture
The Culture is a fictional interstellar anarchist, socialist, and utopian society created by the Scottish writer Iain M. Banks which features in a number of science fiction novels and works of short fiction by him, collectively called the Culture series....
, which Banks would further develop through various of full length novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, stories, and his essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
A Few Notes on The Culture.
"A Gift from the Culture is one of Banks' few short stories, and of them, one of the even fewer that give glimpses of the Culture. In this story written more than a decade before the real-world War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, Banks' protagonist is coerced into committing mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
, seeming a bit uncomfortably like Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
as Mohammed Atta
Mohammed Atta (Afghan warlord)
Ustad Atta Mohammed Noor is a politician in Afghanistan, serving as the Governor of Balkh Province in the north of country. He was appointed in 2004 by President Hamid Karzai. An ethnic Tajik, he was a high school teacher before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan...
." (p. 298, TSOR)
It was re-published in the Banks anthology, The State of the Art
The State of the Art
The State of the Art is a short story collection by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 1991. The collection includes some stories originally published under his other byline, Iain Banks as well as the title novella and others set in Banks' Culture fictional universe.-Summary:*Road of...
(1991, ISBN 0-356-19669-0).
Characters
Wrobik Sennkil: the protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the story. "Vreccile citizen…male, prime race, aged thirty, part-time freelance journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
…and full-time gambler." Wrobik, however, is also an alien, a Culture ex-pat, "Bahlln-Euchersa Wrobich Vress Schennil dam Flaysse…born female, species mix too complicated to remember, aged sixty-eight, standard, and one time member of the Contact section…. and a renegade."
Kaddus and Cruizell: two large Vreccile flunkies, to whom Wrobik is in arrears
Arrears
Arrears is a legal term for the part of a debt that is overdue after missing one or more required payments. The amount of the arrears is the amount accrued from the date on which the first missed payment was due...
.
Maust: Vreccile, a dancer in one of the Low City’s gay clubs, and Wrobik’s boyfriend.
Plot summary
The story is set in Vreccis Low City, within the Vreccile Economic Community (VEC). From the opening passages, it could easily unfold as a classic noir tale: A rainy night outside a gambling club, Kaddus and Cruizell confront the reluctant but indebted Wrobik with a dead-end deal. In a couple of days a starshipStarship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
carrying the planet’s Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
will be returning, and Wrobik is to shoot it down, over the city, using a small pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
which they give him to use. It is only when the gun is placed in his hands, does it become clear that this is another reality: it "comes to life," lights blinking, small screen flickering. The pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
will function only for those biologically of the Culture, and is the only weapon able to penetrate the starship’s defenses, making the alien Wrobik the perfect candidate for the job.
Eight years ago Wrobik left the high-minded and highly advanced Culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
for the unabashedly corrupt world of the VEC. He describes the Culture as a sterile, self-assured communist-bloc Utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
, a powerful society with an agenda of hypocritical moral imperialism, backed by Special Circumstances -- "Dirty Tricks in other words."
Almost in the background, the xenophobic
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
VEC is waging "distant wars against aliens, outworlders, subhumans;" civilian deaths going unnoted in the news reports. There have been demonstrations, one of which continues to give Wrobik nightmare
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
s - visions of the human military-machine charging forward. There is also the ‘radical’ organization, considered ‘terrorists’ by most, called "Bright Path," which appartently supplied the gangsters with the rare gun. Wrobik would be living in the besieged Outworlder’s Quarters himself, but nobody besides Maust, he thought, knew of his alien identity.
While still in the Culture, Wrobik, then Bahlln-Euchersa (etc.), went through a process of "regendering," changing sex (physically), from female to male. Despite her hopes, her (mental) gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
and sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
did not morph along with her body. Though still a woman in his own mind, since living in the VEC, Wrobik has accepted the identity that society has bestowed upon him: that of a homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
male, and has found happiness with Maust. "I would not be a woman in this society," he states, implying that, despite the homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
which is shown, this perhaps is the better option.
Wrobik attempts to flee the VEC, in order to avoid his task, which would turn him into not only the murderer of a high official, but possibly hundreds of civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s. Overheard news that an ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
from the Culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
is to be on the targeted starship as well further dissuades him, and also brings up questions about the true purpose of the attack. Before Wrobik can skip town (or planet), though, Kaddus and Cruizell get hold of Maust and use him as leverage
Leverage (negotiation)
In negotiation, leverage is the ability to influence the other side to move closer to one's negotiating position.Types of leverage include positive leverage, negative leverage, and normative leverage.-Normative Leverage:...
. Wrobik is forced to stay and carry out his assignment in order to assure his safety.
The story ends with Wrobik completing his mission, the ship fallen and the distant city ablaze with the fire from the explosions. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but maybe now he is the terrorist. We do not know his fate; he pockets the gun, and "[races] down to join all the other poor folk on the run."