“Ramarren, Banks added on that part later, and it renders a lot of the earlier books nonsensical—why didn’t the Culture or the Idarans increase their intelligence to win their war, if it was that easy? I refuse to regard Excession as canon; it never happened.”
Just a technical (or fandom?) note:
Sublimed civilization is the central plot of Consider Phlebas (Schar’s world, where Mind escapes, is “protected” by sublimed civilization—that is why direct military action by either Iridans or Culture is impossible).
Eliezer (about Sublimation):
“Ramarren, Banks added on that part later, and it renders a lot of the earlier books nonsensical—why didn’t the Culture or the Idarans increase their intelligence to win their war, if it was that easy? I refuse to regard Excession as canon; it never happened.”
Just a technical (or fandom?) note:
Sublimed civilization is the central plot of Consider Phlebas (Schar’s world, where Mind escapes, is “protected” by sublimed civilization—that is why direct military action by either Iridans or Culture is impossible).