The Culture Series

The Culture series by Iain M. Banks is a collection of science fiction novels that explore the intricacies of a utopian, post-scarcity society.

The Culture is a civilization composed of humanoid aliens, artificially intelligent sentient machines, and other sentient life forms.

It is characterized by its advanced technology, lack of scarcity, and absence of money, leading to a largely hedonistic society.

The series delves into themes such as the ethical dilemmas faced by an advanced civilization when interacting with less advanced societies, personal trauma, and the moral ambiguities of intervention and manipulation.

Each novel is self-contained but contributes to the broader narrative of the Culture's interactions with other civilizations and its internal societal dynamics.