Iain M. Banks Reading Order
4 series · 63 books · Born 1954-02-16
Iain M. Banks was a Scottish author who published groundbreaking science fiction alongside literary fiction under separate names from 1987 until his death in 2013. He is best known for the Culture series, a far-reaching exploration of artificial intelligence and post-scarcity civilization that established him as one of Britain's most significant speculative fiction writers. Banks wrote across multiple genres with distinctive imagination and philosophical depth, earning recognition as one of the greatest British writers of the post-war era.
Anthologies Series
Likely Complete7 books (1989–2021)
Start with Arrows Of Eros, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.
Start this series with Arrows Of Eros
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Culture Series
Likely Complete11 books (1987–2023)
Start with Consider Phlebas, the first of 11 books in the Culture series.
Start this series with Consider Phlebas
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Shoreline of Infinity Science Fiction Magazine Series
Ongoing41 books (2015–2026)
Start with Shoreline of Infinity 1(By: Noel Chidwick), the first of 41 books in the Shoreline of Infinity Science Fiction Magazine series.
Start this series with Shoreline of Infinity 1(By: Noel Chidwick)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
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| 4 | Shoreline of Infinity 4(By: Ken MacLeod,Holly Schofield,Tricia Sullivan,Gary Gibson,Ruth E.J. Booth,Shelly Bryant,Robert Neilson,Paul Holmes,Noel Chidwick,Andrew J. Wilson,Caroline Grebbell,Michael Stroh,Clive Tern,Lewis Grassic Gibbon,Benjamin Dodds,Sára Júlia,J. Leslie Mitchell) |
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| 10 | Shoreline of Infinity 8½(With: Jane Yolen,Charles Stross,Ken MacLeod,Adam Roberts,Nalo Hopkinson,Jo Walton,Marge Simon,Gary Gibson,Ada Palmer,Ruth E.J. Booth,ThomasClark,Noel Chidwick,Pippa Goldschmidt,Andrew J. Wilson,Caroline Grebbell,Benjamin Dodds,Iain Maloney,Des Raspin,Katie Gray,Mark Toner,Shelley Bryant,Grahame Barrasford Young,Russell Jones) |
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Standalone Novels Series
Complete4 books (1993–2009)
Start with Against a Dark Background, the first of 4 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Against a Dark Background
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Iain M. Banks written?
- Iain M. Banks has written 63 books across 4 series. Their published works span from 1987 to 2026.
- What is the first book in each Iain M. Banks series?
- Here are the first books in Iain M. Banks's series: Anthologies: Arrows Of Eros; Culture: Consider Phlebas; Shoreline of Infinity Science Fiction Magazine: Shoreline of Infinity 1(By: Noel Chidwick).
- What order should I read Iain M. Banks's books?
- We recommend reading Iain M. Banks's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Iain M. Banks still writing new books?
- Yes, Iain M. Banks has 1 ongoing series: Shoreline of Infinity Science Fiction Magazine.