Iain Banks books in order
Scottish writer
- Lived
- 1954–2013
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 30
- Series
- 1
- Also writes as
- Iain M. Banks
Iain Banks published 30 novels, beginning with The Wasp Factory (1984). The series is Culture (9 books, starting with Consider Phlebas). The best-known is Consider Phlebas (1987).
Updated September 2026
Culture books in order (9)Series page
Reading order: 1 Consider Phlebas (1987) · 2 The Player of Games (1988) · 3 Use of Weapons (1990) · 5 Excession (1996) · 6 Inversions (1998) · 7 Look to Windward (2000) · 8 Matter (2008) · 9 Surface Detail (2010) · 10 The Hydrogen Sonata (2012)
- 1.
Consider Phlebas (1987)
- 2.
The Player of Games (Aug 1988)
- 3.
Use of Weapons (1990)
- 5.
Excession (1996)
- 6.
Inversions (Jun 1998)
- 7.
Look to Windward (Aug 2000)
- 8.
Matter (Jan 2008)
- 9.
Surface Detail (Oct 2010)
- 10.
The Hydrogen Sonata (Oct 2012)
Where to start with Iain Banks
Start here
Consider Phlebas
Iain Banks's most-read book and the first of the 9 Culture books.
Highest rated
The Player of Games
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 83 readers.
Shortest way in
The Wasp Factory
One of the most-read, at about 194 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Classic Glamour Photography (1983)
The Wasp Factory (Feb 1984)
Walking on Glass (Mar 1985)
The Bridge (Jul 1986)
Espedair Street (1987)
Canal Dreams (1989)
The State of the Art (May 1989)
The Crow Road (1992)
Complicity (1993)
Against a Dark Background (May 1993)
Feersum Endjinn (1994)
Whit (1995)
A Song of Stone (1997)
The Business (1999)
Dead Air (2002)
Raw Spirit (2003)
The Algebraist (Oct 2004)
The Steep Approach to Garbadale (2007)
Transition (Sep 2009)
Stonemouth (Apr 2012)
The Quarry (2013)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Crow RoadTV · from The Crow Road
About Iain Banks
Iain Menzies Banks was a Scottish author, writing mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks. His books have been adapted for theatre, radio, and television. In 2008, The Times named Banks in their list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Iain Banks FAQ
- How many books has Iain Banks written?
- Iain Banks published 30 novels that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Iain Banks's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Culture with Consider Phlebas. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Iain Banks's last book?
- The Quarry (2013).
- What is Iain Banks's most famous book?
- Consider Phlebas (1987) is Iain Banks's most widely read book.
- Are Iain Banks's books connected?
- 9 books belong to 1 series (Culture); the other 21 books stand alone.
- Does Iain Banks write under a pen name?
- Yes: Iain Banks has also published as Iain M. Banks.
- Which Iain Banks books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including The Crow Road (TV).
Authors like Iain Banks
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Richard Stallman
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Kurt Vonnegut
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Cory Doctorow
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Robert Silverberg
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Doris Lessing
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.