Iain Banks Iain Banks Iain Banks! I can stop right there. No more to say, it’s Iain Banks! The one without the sandwiched M! Iain Banks, author of the best first sentence in the history of writing. A sentence so brilliant it doesn’t even stretch to the end of the first line:

“It was the day my grandmother exploded.”*

Iain Banks, who named the lead character of his first novel after me.** Iain M. Banks, whose Feersum Endjinn is my favourite novel of all, one that I resist re-reading too often just so I’ll enjoy it more. Iain Banks. Even his worst books are better than everyone else’s but two (Charles Stross, China Miéville as you well know).

Oh yes, I shall not get much work done the coming days. Evenings. Nights. Goodbye everyone, I have Iain Banks.

* The Crow Road
** The Wasp Factory, ok not really, but …