Characters, Species and Places in the Culture universe by Iain M. Banks

CP | PoG | UoW | tSotA | aGftC | Exc | Inv | LtW | Matter | SD | tHS

This is a work in progress. In particular, the entries for the later books in the series are still incomplete. It is based on earlier material here.

Note that this list does not include the names of Culture and other ships in the series. See this useful list of ship names instead.


Consider Phlebas: book cover

Consider Phlebas

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Changer
  • Idiran Empire
  • Medjel
  • Dra’Azon
  • Homomdan
  • Chuy-hirtsi (Chapter 2, 5, 12)
  • Ishlorsinami (Chapter 7)
  • Rogothuyr (Chapter 7)
  • Rairch (Suitmakers)
  • Hronish (Chapter 4)
  • Aoish (Chapter 7)
  • Mondlidician
Places
  • Sullen Gulf (Volume)
    • Glittercliff
  • Vavatch (Orbital)
  • Olmedreca?? (Megaship)
  • Evanauth (City)
  • Schar’s World (Planet of the Death)
  • Sorpen (Planet)
    • Easna-Yowon (Settlement)
    • De'aychanbie (Settlement)
    • Izilere (Settlement)
    • Vinch (Settlement)
    • Ylbar (Settlement)
  • Marjoin (Planet or Moon): Temple of Light
  • Heibohre (Asteroid: Changer)
  • Sladden (Planet)
  • Idir (Idiran Homeworld)
  • Million-Star Anarchy of Soveleh
  • Ozeleh
Main Characters
  • Bora Horza Gobuchul (Humanoid: Changer): Operative of the Idiran Empire
  • Juboal-Rabaroansa Perosteck Alseyn Balveda dam T'seif (Pan-Human: Culture): Special Circumstances
  • Kraiklyn: Captain of the Clear Air Turbulence
Other Characters
  • Stafl-Preonsa Fal Shilde 'Ngeestra dam Crose (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Jase (Drone: Culture)
  • Unaha-Closp (Drone)
  • Xoralundra (Idiran)
  • Xoxarle (Idiran)
  • Quayanorl Gidborux Stoghrle III (Idiran)
  • Sro Kierachell Zorant (Changer)
  • Egratin (Citizen of Sorpen): outworld minister
  • Amahain-Frolk (Citizen of Sorpen): security minister
  • Kraiklyn’s Free Company
    • Aviger
    • Bratsilakins One, Two and Three
    • Dorolow
    • Gow
    • Kee-Alsorofus
    • Lamm
    • Lenipobra
    • Mipp
    • Neisin
    • Rava Gamdol
    • Tzbalik Odraye
    • Jandraligeli (Mondlidician)
    • Yalson
    • Wubslin
    • Zallin
  • Player on the Eve of Destruction
    • Wilgre
    • Tengayet Doy-Suut
    • Neeporlax
    • Ghalssel
  • Sarble the Eye: Reporter
  • Fwi-Song (Human: Eater)
  • Tsealsir (Shuttle Mind: Culture)
  • Orab

The Player of Games: book cover

The Player of Games

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • The Empire of Azad
  • Uhnyrchal
Places
  • Chiark (Orbital)
    • Ikroh
  • Empire of Azad
    • Eä (Azad Home Planet)
    • Echronedal (Azad Planet)
Languages
  • Marain (Culture)
  • Eachic (Azad)
Main Characters
  • Chiark Gevantsa Jernau Morat Gurgeh dam Hassease (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Dastaveb Chamlis Amalk-ney Ep-Handra Thedreiskre Ostlehoorp (Drone: Culture)
  • Sprant Flere-Imsaho Wu-Handrahen Xato Trabiti (Drone: Culture)
    Special Circumstances Drone
  • Trebel Flere-Imsaho Ep-Handra Lorgin Estral
    “library drone with diplomatic training”
  • Mawhrin-Skel (Drone: Culture)
Other Characters
  • Nicosar (Azad): Emperor
  • Professor Boruelal (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Yay Meristinoux (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Loash Armasco-Iap Wu-Handrahen Xato Koum (Drone: Culture)
  • Krowo
  • Hamin
  • Shohobohaum Za

Use of Weapons: book cover

Use of Weapons

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Unnamed society (from which Zakalwe originates)
Places
  • Staberinde
Main Characters
  • Cheradenine Zakalwe (Human): Culture Operative
  • Rasd-Coduresa Diziet Embless Sma da’Marenhide (Pan-Human: Culture)
    Special Circumstances Agent
  • Fohristi-whirl Skaffen-Amtiskaw Handrahen Dran Easpyou (Drone: Culture)
    Special Circumstances
Other Characters
  • Soldrin Beychae (Human): Scholar
  • Livueta Zakalwe (Human)
  • Darckense Zakalwe (Human) Darkcense ?
  • Elethiomel (Human)
  • Shias Engin (Human): Poet
  • Dr. Stapangarderslinaiterray (Human)

The State of the Art: book cover

The State of the Art

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • (Earth) Human
Places
  • Earth
Characters
  • GCU Arbitary (General Contact Unit Mind: Culture)
  • Rasd-Coduresa Diziet Embless Sma da’Marenhide (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Fohristi-whirl Skaffen-Amtiskaw Handrahen Dran Easpyou (Drone: Culture)
  • Dervley Linter (Human: Culture)
  • Li (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Tel (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Sodel (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Parharengyisa Listach Ja'andeesih Petrain dam Kotosklo (Pan-Human: Culture)

A Gift from the Culture

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Vreccile Economic Community
Places
  • Vreccis (Planet)
  • Vreccis Low City, a.k.a. Free City of Vreccis
  • Bryme (Settlement)
Characters
  • Bahlln-Euchersa Wrobich Vress Schennil dam Flaysse
    (Pan-Human: Ex-Culture), a.k.a Wrobik Sennkil
  • Kaddus (Pan-Human)
  • Cruizell (Pan-Human)
  • Maust (Pan-Human)
  • Risåret (Pan-Human)

Excession: book cover

Excession

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Zetetic Elench (part of the Culture Ulterior)
  • AhForgetIt Tendency (part of the Culture Ulterior)
  • Affront
  • Ishlorsinami
  • Tier Biomechanical Sintricates
  • Homomdan
  • Ashpartzi
  • Blitteringueh
  • Deluger
Places
  • Lower Leaf Spiral (region of the galaxy)
  • Upper Swirl (region of the galaxy)
  • Fernblade (region of the galaxy)
  • Esperi (Star)
  • Pittance (Wandering Asteriod)
    Culture Ship Store
  • Phage Rock (Culture Mobile Habitat)
  • Tier (Independent Stepped Habitat)
  • God'shole (Affront Habitat)
Main Characters
  • GSV Sleeper Service (General Service Vehicle Mind)
  • GCU Grey Area (General Contact Unit Mind)
    A.k.a MeatFucker
  • Interesting Times Gang (Minds)
  • Byr Genar-Hofoen (Pan-Human, Affront: Culture)
    Contact Ambassador to the Affront
  • Dajeil Gelian (Pan-Human: Culture): Ex-Contact
  • Ulver Seich (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Sisela Ytheleus 1/2 and 2/2 (Drones: Zetetic Elench)
Other Characters
  • Gravious (intelligent bird, Culture)
  • Major Fivetide (Affront): Military
  • Scopell Afranqui (Culture)
    Mind of Genar-Hofoen’s module
  • Amorphia (Avatar: Culture)
    Avatar of the GSV Sleeper Service
  • Churt Lyne (Drone: Culture)
    Recruited Ulver Seich
  • Zreyn Tramow (Pan-Human)
    Captain of GCU Problem Child, found first Excession
  • Leffid Ispanteli (Pan-Human)
  • Lellius (three-eyed Humanoid)
    Vice-consul for the AhForgetIt Tendency at Tier Habitat
  • Gestra Ishmethit (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Tishlin (Pan-Human: Culture)

Inversions: book cover

Inversions

Species/Societies
  • (Unnamed) Pan-Human
Places
  • Palace of Vorifyr
  • Crough
  • Tassasen
  • (TBC)
Main Characters
  • DeWar
  • Perrund
  • Doctor Vosill
Other Characters
  • TBC

Look to Windward: book cover

Look to Windward

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Chelgrian
  • Chelgri-Puen
  • Homomdan
  • Dirigible Behemothaur
Places
  • Masaq (Orbital)
    • Sintrier Plate
    • Aquime City
    • Soliton (Cermonial Barge)
    • Tulume River
    • Ribbon Lakes
    • Tirian Hills
  • Chel (Chelgrian Homeworld)
    • Aorme (Chelgrian World)
    • Cravinyr City
    • Golse City
    • Phelen Plains
  • Oskendari (Airsphere)
  • (Twin Novea?)
Main Characters
  • Major Tibilo Quilan (Chelgrian)
  • Sholan Hadesh Huyler (Chelgrian)
  • Mahrai Ziller (Chelgrian)
  • Kabe Ischloear (Homomdan)
  • E.H. Tersono (Drone: Culture)
  • Masaq Hub (Culture Mind)
Other Characters
  • Worosei (Chelgrian)
  • Uagen Zlepe (Human: Culture)
  • Yoleusenive (Dirigible Behemothaur)
  • Sansemin (Dirigible Behemothour)
  • Praf (Raptor Scout)
  • Estodien Visquile (Chelgrian)
  • Estodien Quetter (Chelgrian)
  • Eweirl
  • Olsule (Pan-Human: Culture): Chapter 1
  • Xossin Nabbard (Pan-Human: Culture): artist
  • Feli Vitrouv (Pan-Human: Culture): wing-flier

Matter: book cover

Matter

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Sarl
  • Deldeyn
  • Oct
  • Aultridia
  • Nariscene
  • Morthanveld
  • Involucra/Veil
  • Iln
  • Xinthian Tensile Aeronathaurs
  • Xolpe
  • Cumuloform
  • Kiters of the 12th
  • Naiant Tendrils of the 11th
  • Vesiculars of the 10th
  • Tubers and Hydrals of the 4th
Places
  • Meseriphine (Star of Sursamen)
  • Sursamen (Shellworld)
    • Hyeng-zhar (Ninth Level)
      • Sulpitine (River)
      • Lower Sulpine Sea
      • Rasselle (Deldeyne Captial City)
    • D’neng-oal (Tower)
    • Vaw-yei (Tower)
    • Peremethine (Tower)
    • Pourl (Sarl City)
  • Inner Caferlitician Tendril
  • Zaranche (Planet, Oct)
    • Jhouheyre (City Cluster)
  • Bulthmaas (Planet, Xolpe)
  • Chone (Star)
  • Foerlinteul Orbital: Home Orbital of Quintrilis
  • Gadampth Orbital
    Where Anaplian was introduced to the culture
    • Kusse (City)
  • Chyme (System)
  • Bulthmaas (Planet, Xolpe)
  • Sketevi (Continet)
  • Prille (Country)
  • Syaung-un (Nestworld; Morthanveld)
Main Characters
  • Ferbin (Human: Sarl)
  • Choubris Holse (Human: Sarl)
  • Mertis tyl Loesp (Human: Sarl)
  • Oramen (Human: Sarl)
  • Djan Seriy Anaplian (Pan-Human: Sarl, Culture)
    Special Circumstances Agent
Other Characters
  • King Nerieth Hausk (Human: Sarl)
  • Turminder Xuss (Drone: Culture)
    Special Circumstances
  • Seltis (Human: Sarl): Scholar
  • Vollird (Human: Sarl): Knight
  • Baerth (Human: Sarl): Knight
  • Tove Lomma (Human: Sarl)
    Friend of Oramen
  • Tohonlo (Human: Sarl)
  • Elime (Human: Sarls): Hing Hausk eldest son
  • Werreber (Human: Sarl): Field Marshal
  • Fanthile (Human: Sarl): Palace secretary
  • Harne (Human: Sarl)
  • Grand Zamerin
  • Expanded Version Five Zourd (Cumuloform)
  • Humli Ghasartravhara (Human: Culture)
  • Duke Wudyen (Human: Sarl): Brother of King Hausk
  • Ms Machasa (Human: Sarl): p231, Nurse and Tutor of Anaplian
  • Quitrilis Yurke (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Geltry Skiltz (Culture): p242
  • Acting Craterine Zamerin Alveyal Girgetioni (Nariscene): officer, p263 Tertiary Hulian Spine Strategic Mission Director General Shoum, of Meast, of Zuevelous, of T’leish, of Gavantille Prime, Pliyr (Morthanveld)
    Highest-ranked all-species office-holder on Sursamen and most senior Morthanveld official within the local galactic region. She is charged with oversight of all Morthanveld interests within approx. thirty percent of the Tertiary Spine.
  • Stafl-Lepoortsa Xide Ozoal Hyrlis dam Pappens (Pan-Human, Ex-Culture)

Surface Detail: book cover

Surface Detail

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Flekke
  • Geseptian-Fardesile Cultural Federacy (GFCF)
  • Nauptre Reliqaria (NR)
  • Jhlupe
  • Pavuleans
  • Sichultian Enablement
  • Ishlorsinami
  • Bulbitian
  • Hakandra
Places
  • Tsung (System)
    • Razhir (Planet)
      • Tsungorial Disk (artificial planetary nebula)
  • Ruprine Cluster
    • Quyn (System)
      • Sichult (Planet)
        • Ubruater City
        • Espersium Estate
        • Lombe
  • Chunzunzan Whirl
    • Vebezua (Planet)
      • Iobe Cavern City
  • Semsarine Wisp
  • Hell
Main Characters
  • Quyn-Sichultsa Lededje Samwaf Y’breq d’Espersium (Pan-Human: Sichultian, Culture)
  • Jolier Veppers (Pan-Human: Sichultian)
  • Jasken (Pan-Human: Sichultian)
  • Prin (Pavulean)
  • Chay (Pavulean)
  • Gyorni Vatueil (Pan-Human: a.k.a. Zakalwe)
    Vatueil is an anagram of Livueta
  • Demeisen
    Avatar of the Falling Outside the Usual Moral Constraints
  • Prebeign-Frultesa Yime Leutze Nsokyi dam Voslh (Human: Culture)
    Quietus Section
  • Himerance (Avatar of Me I’m Counting)
Other Characters
  • Buoyte-Pfaldsa Kreit Lei Huen da’ Motri (Pan-Human)
    Culture Ambassador to the Sichultian Enablement
  • Legislator-Admiral Bettlescroy-Bisspe-Blispin III (GFCF)
  • Administrator-Captain Quar-Quoachali (GFCF)
  • Jolicci (Avatar of the Armchair Traveller)
  • Sensia (Avatar of Sense Amid Madness Wit Amidst Folly)
  • Chanchen Kallier-Falpise Barchen-dra dren-Skoyne (Slap-Drone: Culture)
  • Shokas (Pan-Human: Culture)
  • Fal Dvelner (Pan-Human: Culture?)
  • Mr. Nopri (Pan-Human: Culture?)
  • Harem Trope Girls (Pan-Human: Sichultian)
    • Diamle
    • Sohne
    • Pleur
  • GCU Bodhisattva
  • GSV Total Internal Reflection
    Oubliettionaries - The Forgotten

The Hydrogen Sonata: book cover

The Hydrogen Sonata

Species/Societies
  • The Culture
  • Gzilt (non-mammalian humanoids)
    Nearly joined the Culture when it was forming
  • Zihdren
    • Zihdren-Remnant
      Remains of Zihdren after Subliming
  • Werpech (sublimed humanoids)
    Original builders of the Girdlecity
Places
  • Ablate (fragment of planet destroyed by a supernova)
  • Xown (planet)
    • Plains of Kwaalon
    • Girdlecity of Xown
  • Zyse (Gzilt home planet)
    • Pinicoln Sea
    • Land (major continent)
Main Characters
  • Lieutenant Commander (reserve) Vyr Cossont (Gzilt)
  • Ngaroe QiRia (Culture pan-human)
Other Characters
  • T’ikrin (T. C.) Vilabier (Gzilt composer)
  • Pyan (familar/artificial pet of Vyr Cossont)
  • The Lords of Excrement (Gzilt band)
  • Chuje (Gzilt child)
  • Warib (Gzilt, mother of Vyr Cossont)
  • Commissar-Colonel Yueweag Etalde, Regimental Intelligence
    Gzilt military officer
  • Nyomulde
  • Ny-Xandabo Tyun
  • Ziborlun
  • Banstegeyn
  • Chekwri
  • Orpe
  • Osselbri 17 Haldesib
  • efoy Geljemyn
  • Reikl
  • Gaed
  • Eglyle Parinherm
  • Scoaliera Tefwe (Culture pan-human)
  • Hassipura Plyn-Frie (Culture drone, retired)
  • Docent Luzuge