The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks

 I'm not a fan of short stories--I get involved in the story and characters, and then it ends abruptly, transitioning to an unrelated story. These were no different, but their saving grace was the stories related to the Culture series. There were stories unrelated to the series, but they were interesting.

Banks brings back characters from Use of Weapons in a story that not only expands on the characters, but also on our knowledge of the Culture. In the titular story, a ship visits Earth, and one of the characters wants to stay. The author does an excellent job of examining our history and cultures in a way that brings into focus both the positive and less positive aspects of humanity. This was my favorite story in the collection.

This book doesn't change my stance on short stories, but I did enjoy them. There is humor and moral reckoning in them. These stories are a good addition to the series. 

4/5 stars.

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