Contact (The Culture)
Encyclopedia
In the science fiction
of Iain M. Banks, Contact is an organization that exists within the anarchist/libertarian socialist civilization known as the Culture
(which forms the basis of several of his novels and shorter works).
resulting from contact with the technologically-advanced Culture (The State of the Art
). Sometimes, where the Culture believes it can help (in some capacity), Contact directly intervenes in other civilizations (Inversions, Look to Windward
). Contact is the most state-like entity within Culture and has the authority or capacity to limit access to information regarding other societies (The Player of Games
). While most Contact activity occurs outside of the Culture, internal functions are hinted at in The Player of Games.
Where these interventions require actions that exceed the moral and knowledge capacity of Contact, a branch of it, known as Special Circumstances
, is involved. Special Circumstances is to Contact what a Secret Service is to a Foreign Office. However it should be kept in mind that though comparisons with today's organizations are useful in describing the role played by Contact and Special Circumstances and at hinting at their prestige and reputation -"dirty tricks" in the case of Special Circumstances - these comparisons should be used only as a guide. This organization comprises some of the very best Contact members, and frequently makes use of third-party agents to accomplish its aims (Use of Weapons
). These agents operate "in the field" to support or suppress elements of other civilizations that the Culture deems important (normally to the citizens of the civilization concerned, but potentially to the Culture itself).
While the Culture novels often take place against the backdrop of dramatically interesting interventions (usually those in which something has not gone to plan), Contact usually operates successfully, and the Culture prides itself in being able to demonstrate this statistically. Its only notable failure chronicled so far (though others are implied to have occurred) was the disastrous attempt to reform the Chelgrian caste system, which resulted in a devastating civil war.
In the context of interactions with comparably advanced civilizations, Contact ordinarily has more of a diplomatic function. However, during the Idiran-Culture War
(Consider Phlebas
), it played the role of the Culture's military arm, and Special Circumstances took the position of military intelligence.
states that Contact has, within the last few centuries, reorganized and established at least three specialist sub-branches akin to Special Circumstances:
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...
of Iain M. Banks, Contact is an organization that exists within the anarchist/libertarian socialist civilization known as 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 forms the basis of several of his novels and shorter works).
Activities
Contact's role within the Culture is to coordinate interactions with other civilizations: equivalent to a Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence combined in this universe. In the case of less-developed civilizations, Contact normally acts to minimise the potential culture shockCulture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
resulting from contact with the technologically-advanced Culture (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...
). Sometimes, where the Culture believes it can help (in some capacity), Contact directly intervenes in other civilizations (Inversions, Look to Windward
Look to Windward
Look to Windward is a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 2000. It is Banks' sixth published novel to feature The Culture.-Plot introduction:...
). Contact is the most state-like entity within Culture and has the authority or capacity to limit access to information regarding other societies (The Player of Games
The Player of Games
The Player of Games is a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 1988. It was the second published Culture novel...
). While most Contact activity occurs outside of the Culture, internal functions are hinted at in The Player of Games.
Where these interventions require actions that exceed the moral and knowledge capacity of Contact, a branch of it, known as Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances, abbreviated SC, is a 'secret service'-type organisation that exists within the fictional anarchist utopian science fiction civilisation known as the Culture. It forms a background and plot device in several novels and shorter works of Iain M...
, is involved. Special Circumstances is to Contact what a Secret Service is to a Foreign Office. However it should be kept in mind that though comparisons with today's organizations are useful in describing the role played by Contact and Special Circumstances and at hinting at their prestige and reputation -"dirty tricks" in the case of Special Circumstances - these comparisons should be used only as a guide. This organization comprises some of the very best Contact members, and frequently makes use of third-party agents to accomplish its aims (Use of Weapons
Use of Weapons
Use of Weapons is a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 1990 as the third novel in the Culture series.-Plot introduction:...
). These agents operate "in the field" to support or suppress elements of other civilizations that the Culture deems important (normally to the citizens of the civilization concerned, but potentially to the Culture itself).
While the Culture novels often take place against the backdrop of dramatically interesting interventions (usually those in which something has not gone to plan), Contact usually operates successfully, and the Culture prides itself in being able to demonstrate this statistically. Its only notable failure chronicled so far (though others are implied to have occurred) was the disastrous attempt to reform the Chelgrian caste system, which resulted in a devastating civil war.
In the context of interactions with comparably advanced civilizations, Contact ordinarily has more of a diplomatic function. However, during the Idiran-Culture War
Idiran-Culture War
The Idiran-Culture War is a major fictional conflict between the Idiran Empire and the Culture in the midst of which Iain M. Banks' science fiction novel Consider Phlebas is set. His later book, Look to Windward, contains many references to the war: particularly the induced supernovae of two stars,...
(Consider Phlebas
Consider Phlebas
Consider Phlebas, first published in 1987, is a space opera novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. Written after a 1984 draft, it is the first to feature the Culture.-Overview:...
), it played the role of the Culture's military arm, and Special Circumstances took the position of military intelligence.
Structure
Surface DetailSurface Detail
Surface Detail by Iain M Banks is a science fiction novel in his popular Culture series, first published in the UK on 7 October 2010 and the US on 28 October 2010. -Plot summary:...
states that Contact has, within the last few centuries, reorganized and established at least three specialist sub-branches akin to Special Circumstances:
- Restoria, nicknamed "Pest Control", has charge of "the management, amelioration and - if necessary - obliteration" of "hegemonizing swarms", technological (or even cultural) entities that exist to convert as much of the universe as possible into more of themselves, as with grey gooGrey gooGrey goo is a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario involving molecular nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating robots consume all matter on Earth while building more of themselves, a scenario known as ecophagy .Self-replicating machines of the macroscopic variety were originally...
. - The Quietudinal Service, or Quietus, is tasked with interacting with virtual Afterlives.
- Numina, tasked with dealing with the Galaxy's Sublimed civilizations