Dweller (Banks)
Encyclopedia
Dwellers are a fictional species
featured in The Algebraist
, a science fiction
novel by Iain M. Banks.
As described in the novel, Dwellers are extremely long lived inhabitants of gas giant
planets (like Jupiter
, although that particular planet is described in the book as not having enough water for them).
Their long lifespan (individuals live for billions of years, the species has existed for ten billion) has made them anarchic and wise. They use the idea of kudos
to define their sense of value within a society, and will trade or bet kudos like money. They claim that they have existed since the "First Diaspora", roughly two and a half billion years after the creation of the universe.
Dwellers are male for 99% of the lifespan, turning briefly female in order to have children. Dwellers do not care for their children after birth; the children are often taken into slavery or hunted down as game.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
featured in The Algebraist
The Algebraist
The Algebraist, a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first appeared in print in 2004. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2005....
, a 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...
novel by Iain M. Banks.
As described in the novel, Dwellers are extremely long lived inhabitants of gas giant
Gas giant
A gas giant is a large planet that is not primarily composed of rock or other solid matter. There are four gas giants in the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...
planets (like Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, although that particular planet is described in the book as not having enough water for them).
Anatomy
Immature Dwellers are described as anorexic manta rays and stay in this form for about a century. Adult Dwellers are described as consisting of two discs, similar to a yo-yo, with various appendages at edges and hubs including two long spindle arms. They are large in adulthood, with small examples being about five meters in diameter and larger examples ranging up to ten meters. They are neutrally buoyant in a gas giant's atmosphere, and move by rotation of their disks, called "roting".Their long lifespan (individuals live for billions of years, the species has existed for ten billion) has made them anarchic and wise. They use the idea of kudos
Kudos
Kudos is an English word meaning acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement.Kudos may also refer to:* KUDOS, a vocational-counseling computer program* Kudos , a chocolate-covered cereal bar...
to define their sense of value within a society, and will trade or bet kudos like money. They claim that they have existed since the "First Diaspora", roughly two and a half billion years after the creation of the universe.
Dwellers are male for 99% of the lifespan, turning briefly female in order to have children. Dwellers do not care for their children after birth; the children are often taken into slavery or hunted down as game.