I haven’t read all of Iain M. Banks The Culture series, but I highly recommend Use of Weapons. I’ve read it three times, and it gets better each time.
It’s not a bad introduction to The Culture, but please feel free to recommend another novel to start with, or your favourite. I’ve read this, Look to Windward, Consider Phlebas, and The Player of Games. As I recall, Look to Windward has some good descriptions of a large Culture ship.
I’d also love to hear your favourite ship name.
Edit: I see I added The to the title…
Ha! Just finished Player of Games yesterday and bought Use of Weapons. Trying to decide whether to continue with Culture or mix things up and start with the first Wheel of Time book.
Either way I’ll get to it, and the rest, because the first two I thought were excellent reads and I really like Banks’ writing.