[revjx]

There's conflicting advice on where to start with Iain M Banks' Culture novels, but I would personally start with the first - Consider Phlebas - and read the rest in order.

If you like Consider Phlebas, you'll almost certainly love the rest. It's a strange start to the series, not least because it presents the Culture as the antagonists quite explicitly, but it's good for introducing some of the technology. The series as a whole is my favourite series of books, it's remarkable.