I think a lot of people are frightened of technology and frightened of change, and the way to deal with something youre frightened of is to make fun of it. Thats why science fiction fans are dismissed as geeks and nerds. – Iain Banks
Science fiction is trying to find alternative ways of looking at realities. – Iain Banks
In so much of politics youre not allowed to disagree with whats been agreed. – Iain Banks
A lot of what the Culture is about is a reaction to all the science fiction I was reading in my very early teens. – Iain Banks
A permanent base on Mars would have a number of advantages beyond being a bonanza for planetary science and geology. If, as some evidence suggests, exotic micro-organisms have arisen independently of terrestrial life, studying them could revolutionise biology, medicine and biotechnology. – Paul Davies