Talk:Feersum Endjinn

Not set in the Culture universe?
While it's safe to say there are no direct references to the Culture in this book, I think you can interpret as being set on Earth after the Culture has departed, and that the Feersum Endjinn itself was perhaps constructed by the Culture/Minds in anticipation of the coming Encroachment. I'd go as far as to say that's what the book is implying, even though it doesn't call out the Culture directly.

Tarcieri (talk) 23:18, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

Unknown

 * Unknown to most of humanity, the Solar System is drifting into an interstellar molecular cloud ("the Encroachment"), which will eventually dim the Sun's light sufficiently to end life on Earth.

I got the impression everyone knew this was happening? Did I read it wrong..? I did leave the book and come back to it, so maybe I did... -- Sam


 * It is indeed common knowledge.

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I've removed this: (though the story is compatible with the sci-fi universe Banks has created in the Culture books, meaning it could be assumed to be a prelude). IT's in Earth's distant future, so how can it be a prelude to the Culture? (Given that, for example, the Idiran War takes place around 1100 AD) -- Tarquin 12:57 23 Jul 2003 (UTC)


 * Oh, yes, of course; and I wrote the article on the Idiran-Culture War too... (though I think you'll find you are 200 years out : ) -- Sam


 * oops! - Tarquin


 * I won't tell them if you don't. -- Sam

Not an ant?
Thought this was interesting. When you look up what an 'ergates' is, it is six-legged and black but not exactly an ant: https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1008+0033  Spined woodborer, which explains a bit. "Came out of the woodwork" and all that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.72.57.58 (talk) 22:36, 26 December 2017 (UTC)