The Business

Iain Banks doesn't just write science fiction; he's also a fine writer of other sorts of novels. The Business is his recent novel about a semi-sinister keiretsu which is large, rich, powerful, invisible and nameless. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of The Business is their method for promoting talent: you get promoted to the next level of The Business when your peers agree that they want you leading them.

The Business author Iain Banks pages 393 publisher Simon and Schuster rating 9/10 reviewer Michael Sims ISBN 0-7432-0014-4 summary life in the world's most powerful and least visible corporation

The tale starts off with the protagonist getting woken up at 4AM: one of her subordinates, who is due to participate in an important deal the next day, has woken up with half of his teeth surgically removed.

Who controls the British Crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?

The Business is the world's largest and most powerful entity that you've never heard of. Supposedly predating the Christian Church, the Business once owned the Roman Empire (but only for a little while -- it didn't work out), and now has a great many fingers in a great many pies. Swiss banks? Yes. Offshore islands? Yes. Covert operations? Yes. The Business is like a sort of capitalistic fantasy come to life, the Illuminati made real.

Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?

Kathryn Telman is a Level Three in the Business, which makes her Rather Important in the scheme of things but she still has ambitions to make it to the top. Kate is one of the Business' experts in the modern world of high technology, and this expertise has allowed her to rise quickly -- she has a natural gift for buying low and selling high, as you will see. But besides the day-to-day operations, the Business is moving strategically: they want to purchase a nation so that they can have a seat at the United Nations. This is one of the few perks that the Business does not already possess, and they are a bit envious of the other Seats ... errr, Nations.

Who holds back the electric car?
Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?

The whole book is written in the lyrical, flowing, pleasant style that characterizes several of Banks' less gruesome books, such as Look to Windward or Inversions. It's a bit odd, since most writers would write a book like this in a very tense, clipped fashion and Banks rejects that. It's a fun read, all the way through, and even if it won't leave you with a feeling of wonder like some of Banks' books, it's still well worth your time.

Who robs cave fish of their sight?
Who rigs every Oscar night?

We do, we do!

You can find this book at Fatbrain, which also features an excerpt from the book.