I am also a big fan of Culture series. Iain M Banks is goated. In fact, I am currently reading Use of weapons (which is my second culture book)

Have no idea both these authors are trots though. Is that public knowledge though? I havent been able to find those associations

In late 2004, Banks joined a group of UK politicians and media figures campaigning to have Prime Minister Tony Blair impeached after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In protest, he cut up his passport and posted it to 10 Downing Street.

In 2010, Banks called for a cultural and educational boycott of Israel after the Gaza flotilla raid incident. In a letter to The Guardian newspaper, Banks said he had instructed his agent to turn down any further book translation deals with Israeli publishers: