[giraffe_lady]

This is a consistent complaint I have about that whole series. Banks clearly enjoys writing action sequences, and is very good at it, and they are a poor fit for the stories of the series. They're tonally out of place with the setting, throw off the pacing, and require extravagant plot contortions to allow for them.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

Booo! Banks loves writing action sequences and some of us love to read them. If you want to read "brainy" sci-fi you can always someone else like, like... Olaf Stapledon? Or Alfred Bester?

But the Culutre has drones armed with knife missiles armed with micromissiles armed with miniature jedi ninjas with chainswords shooting death rays from their eyes. So there.