Orbit is delighted to announce the release date for the hugely anticipated book The Culture: The Drawings by Iain M. Banks.

Widely acknowledged as the modern master of science fiction, Iain M. Banks created extensive original drawings detailing the universe of his bestselling and beloved Culture novels. Now these illustrations are being published together for the very first time in a book celebrating Banks’s grand vision.

The Culture: The Drawings will release on 7^th November 2023. This large-format, landscape artbook will faithfully reproduce Iain’s exceptionally intricate drawings in their original format, and at their original scale.

A deluxe limited edition of The Culture: The Drawings, containing the same extraordinary illustrations, will also be available worldwide for purchase exclusively from the Orbit UK store. Beautifully bound in foiled cloth and displayed in a luxurious presentation box, this heirloom edition will be something to treasure.

Orbit UK Publisher Anna Jackson says: “As many fans of Iain M. Banks’ vastly popular Culture series will already know, Iain meticulously designed every element of the Culture’s universe long before the novels were published. The whole of the Culture – from language to nomenclature, from ships to weapons – already existed as intricate sketches, notes, and tables many years before it appeared in any of his fiction. This wealth of material, generously released by the Estate, provides a fascinating insight into the workings of Iain’s extraordinary mind. It will be an essential addition to the collection of any Iain M. Banks fan.”

Further good news for Banks fans is that in late 2024, Orbit is planning to publish the definitive Culture companion book, celebrating the Culture through Iain’s own writing. Curated by Ken MacLeod, it will include all of Iain’s notes, tables and charts relating to the Culture universe. More information about this book will be released in due course.

Find out how to pre-order here, and follow the Iain M. Banks Facebook page here.