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Banks, Iain (Menzies)

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | 700+ words | Copyright

Banks, Iain (Menzies) (1954– ), Scottish novelist and science fiction writer, born in Dunfermline. He came to controversial prominence with his first novel, The Wasp Factory (1984), a macabre tale of teenage fantasies of death and destruction, narrated by a 16-year-old who lives with his ‘scientist’ father on the East Coast of Scotland. It was condemned by some for its graphic violence but praised by others for its targeting of macho values. Succeeding novels, such as Walking on Glass (1985), The Bridge (1986), Espedair Street (1987), Complicity (1993), A Song of Stone (1997), and Dead Air (2002), more than fulfilled his early promise. He has also written science fiction novels under the name Iain M. Banks.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Banks, Iain (Menzies)." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Banks, Iain (Menzies)." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-BanksIainMenzies.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Banks, Iain (Menzies)." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-BanksIainMenzies.html

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