There has seldom if ever a shortage of eager young males prepared to kill and die to preserve the security, comfort and prejudices of their elders, and what you call heroism is just an expression of this simple fact; there… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
People can be teachers and idiots; they can be philosophers and idiots; they can be politicians and idiots... in fact I think they have to be... a genius can be an idiot. The world is largely run for and by… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all! — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
“Looking at me, you'd never guess I'd killed three people. It isn't fair.” — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
“The flames had passed over those flattened blades and consumed their heather neighbours on either side while they themselves had remained, made proof against… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
All you ever were was a little bit of the universe, thinking to itself. Very specific; this bit, here, right now. All the rest… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
“We're not in prison, we're not junkies and we're not Young Tories...it's no small achievement.” — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
Torture is such a slippery slope; as soon as you allow a society or any legal system to do that, almost instantly you get… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
“Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
If you have any helpful suggestions I'd be pleased to hear them. If all you can do is make snide insinuations then it would… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
“He hit and fatally injured my innocent and unfortunate uncle whose muttered last words in hospital, before his coma became a full stop, were:… — Iain Banks Copy Share Image
