Iain Banks

Iain Menzies Banks writes mainstream novels as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks. He was born on February 16, 1954 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland; the son of an officer in the Admiralty and a mother who was once a professional ice skater. Banks studied English and Philosophy at the University of Stirling. Married in 1992, he lives currently in North Queensferry, a town on the north side of the Firth of Forth near the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge. His next book will be a mainstream one and is due for publication in September 2006.

Politics

As with his friend Ken MacLeod (another Scottish writer of technical and social science fiction) a strong awareness of left-wing history shows in his writings. The argument that an economy of abundance renders anarchy and adhocracy viable (or even inevitable) attracts many as an interesting potential experiment, were it ever to become testable.

Related Topics:
Ken MacLeod - Left-wing - Economy of abundance - Anarchy - Adhocracy

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In late 2004 Banks was a prominent member of a group of left-leaning British politicians and media figures who campaigned to have Prime Minister Tony Blair impeached following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. In protest he cut up his passport and posted it to 10 Downing Street.

Related Topics:
Tony Blair - 2003 Invasion of Iraq - 10 Downing Street

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Banks is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society.

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