One of my favorite Banks's "Culture" novels (Source models: "At the Mountains of Madness" by H. P. Lovecraft and "A Fire Upon the Deep" by Vernor Vinge; along with Consider Phlebas (Source model: The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)and my favorite: "Use of Weapons" (original such that I perceive no source model from any classic SF novels, although I suspect there may be several).
