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culture touchups

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Alexander 2025-06-10 13:37:33 -04:00
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acl.cool/site/writings/culture.dj
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@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ I've generated a dependency graph for the Culture series reading order. The idea
![A dependency graph diagram of what Culture books must eb read before what others.](/culture.dot.png) Above is the graph, and [right here](/culture.dot.txt) is the vizgraph description file that lists my rationale for each dependency.
- _Consider Phlebas_ before _Look to Windward_--- both are about the Idiran War.
- _Use of Weapons_ before _The State of the Art_--- these share a main character in Diziet Sma. SotA was actually released before UoW but is more satisfying if read after it, in my opinion (and the author's, for what that's worth).
- _Use of Weapons_ before _Inversions_--- UoW gives the best idea of any book about what Special Circumstances is, which must be understood to fully appreciate Inversions in all its subtlety.
- _Excession_ before _The Hydrogen Sonata_--- Hydrogen Sonata is dual to Excession in many ways that can't be explained here without abject spoilage. This one is not a hard rule, but HS is better if you know Excession.
- _Excession_ before _Matter_--- GSV Sleeper Service is mentioned in Matter as "The granddaddy, the exemplary hero figure, the very God...", referencing events in Excession.
- _Use of Weapons_ before _Surface Detail_--- you must know who Zakalwe is, the main character of UoW, to fully appreciate the ending of Surface Detail.
- _Look to Windward_ before _Surface Detail_--- These book deal with some common themes and subjects. Some will disagree with me here, but LtW is more impactful _without_ certain knowledge revealed in Surface Detail.
- _Consider Phlebas_ before _Look to Windward_--- both are about the Idiran War, and _Consider Phlebas_ is first.
- _Use of Weapons_ before _The State of the Art_--- these share a main character in Diziet Sma. SotA was actually released before UoW but in my opinion is more satisfying if read after it.
- _Use of Weapons_ before _Inversions_--- UoW gives the best idea of any book about what Special Circumstances is, which must be understood to fully appreciate _Inversions_ in all its subtlety.
- _Excession_ before _The Hydrogen Sonata_--- _Hydrogen Sonata_ is dual to _Excession_ in many ways that can't be explained here without abject spoilage. This one is not a hard rule, but HS is better if you know _Excession_.
- _Excession_ before _Matter_--- GSV Sleeper Service is mentioned in _Matter_ as "The granddaddy, the exemplary hero figure, the very God...", referencing events in _Excession_.
- _Use of Weapons_ before _Surface Detail_--- you must know who Zakalwe is, the main character of UoW, to fully appreciate the ending of _Surface Detail_.
- _Look to Windward_ before _Surface Detail_--- These book deal with some common themes and subjects. Some will disagree with me here, but LtW is more impactful _without_ certain knowledge revealed in _Surface Detail_.
Assuming one agrees with the graph, the set of ideal reading orders (that is, the set such that for all orders it contains, no order exists which is strictly better) is the set of [topological sorts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topological_sortinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topological_sorting) of the graph.