Diziet Sma
Encyclopedia
Rasd-Codurersa Diziet Embless Sma da' Marenhide, or Diziet Sma, is a fictional character
. She is a citizen of The Culture
in the novel Use of Weapons
, the novella The State of the Art
, and is hinted at in the novel Surface Detail
by Iain M. Banks. She works for Special Circumstances
, a division of Contact
.
Sma's fictional lifetime overlaps the present day of the storyteller. In the novella The State of the Art
, Diziet Sma visits our Earth in the year 1977. She is depicted as almost, but not quite, human in form; she has to have cosmetic surgery for the period of her visit in order to blend in with humanity. ("I got a couple of extra toes, a joint removed from each finger and a rather generalized ear, nose and cheekbone job. The ship insisted on teaching me to walk differently as well")
During the events of the Use of Weapons she functioned as a handler
and primary contact for Cheradenine Zakalwe after rapid reassignment because she had worked with him before in the same capacity.
The close of Surface Detail
suggests that she remains in contact with Zakalwe long after the events of Use of Weapons.
Sma considers Skaffen-Amtiskaw excessively violent, "self-important" and "[having] exaggerated concern for my physical safety, if not my peace of mind". It is also noted to have a rather strange sense of humor; it once gave Zakalwe a hat as a "get well" gift after Zakalwe had been decapitated
(he lived).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
. She is a citizen 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....
in the novel 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:...
, the novella 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...
, and is hinted at in the novel Surface Detail
Surface 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:...
by Iain M. Banks. She works for 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...
, a division of Contact
Contact (The Culture)
In the science fiction of Iain M. Banks, Contact is an organization that exists within the anarchist/libertarian socialist civilization known as the Culture .- Activities :...
.
Sma's fictional lifetime overlaps the present day of the storyteller. In the novella 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...
, Diziet Sma visits our Earth in the year 1977. She is depicted as almost, but not quite, human in form; she has to have cosmetic surgery for the period of her visit in order to blend in with humanity. ("I got a couple of extra toes, a joint removed from each finger and a rather generalized ear, nose and cheekbone job. The ship insisted on teaching me to walk differently as well")
During the events of the Use of Weapons she functioned as a handler
Agent handling
In intelligence organizations, agent handling is the management of agents, principal agents, and agent networks by intelligence officers typically known as case officers.-Human intelligence:...
and primary contact for Cheradenine Zakalwe after rapid reassignment because she had worked with him before in the same capacity.
The close of Surface Detail
Surface 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:...
suggests that she remains in contact with Zakalwe long after the events of Use of Weapons.
Skaffen-Amtiskaw
During much of her career, including the events in Use of Weapons but after The State of the Art, Sma has been assigned a combat-oriented drone named Skaffen-Amtiskaw ("Fohristi-whirl Skaffen-Amtiskaw Handrahen Dran Easpyou", note that drone naming conventions in Culture differ from the human naming ones and establish drone's construction purpose, capabilities, armaments (if any) etc.).Sma considers Skaffen-Amtiskaw excessively violent, "self-important" and "[having] exaggerated concern for my physical safety, if not my peace of mind". It is also noted to have a rather strange sense of humor; it once gave Zakalwe a hat as a "get well" gift after Zakalwe had been decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
(he lived).
External links
- A Few Notes on The Culture by Iain M Banks