EXCESSION
Book ID/图书代码： 12844010B41826
English Summary/英文概要： Two and a half millennia ago, the artifact appeared in a remote corner of space, beside a trillion-year- old dying sun from a different universe. It was a perfect black-body sphere, and it did nothing. Then it disappeared. Now it is back.
Silent, motionless, and resisting all efforts to make contact, the artifact waits. The Culture ships, however, cannot. For the artifact is something they need to understand first, before it falls into less understanding hands - and triggers a political and military crisis which will threaten everything the Culture has achieved.
One person who saw the artifact when it first appeared may have information concerning its purpose, but she is living out her death in the immense Eccentric ship, the Sleeper Service. The Culture ships formulate a plan to retrieve her. The Sleeper Service has other things on its mind.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 2.5千年前，神器出现在太空某个偏僻的角落，在一个来自不同宇宙即将殆尽的一万亿岁太阳旁边。这是一个完美的黑体领域，无所事事，然后就消失了。现在又回来了。 沉默，毫无生机，阻止一切接触的努力，神器在等待。但是文化之船不能。对于神器来说，这是他们需要首先了解的东西，在它落入缺乏了解的人手中之前——并触发政治和军事危机将危及一切文化的成果。
有一个人在神器第一次出现时就发现了它。这个人可能掌握了关于神器出现的目的的信息，但是她一生都在巨轮“古怪”号——“沉睡服务”上度过。文化之船制订了抢夺她的计划，而“沉睡服务”正打着其他主意。(兼职翻译-JDM)
Awards/获奖情况：奖项
英国幻想协会(提名人) 英国科幻协会
回顾
“扣人心弦，感人而有趣。”——TLS
“这个故事让人感到致命而迫切，出彩而微妙决断。。。。。。令人疯狂的愉悦。”——Interzone
“一次令人眩目的冒险。”——《每日邮报》
“爆炸性的，但又不失温柔。”——《星期日泰晤士报》
About the Author/作者介绍： Iain Banks came to controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. Consider Phlebas, his first science fiction novel, was published under the name Iain M. Banks in 1987. He is now widely acclaimed as one of the most powerful, innovative and exciting writers of his generation. Iain Banks lives in Fife, Scotland. Iain Banks（伊恩•班克斯）：英国当代著名作家，现居于苏格兰。1984年，首部作品《捕蜂器》出版，作者一跃成，同时也备受争议。此后，随着更多独具造诣的小说和科幻小说的相继问世，作者蜚声日增，深受欢迎和好评。1993年，他荣获“英国最佳青年作者”称号。1996年，他的畅销书榜首作品《乌鸦街》被改编为电视作品。《时代》周刊声称：伊恩•班克斯是英国同时代作家中最具想象力的作者。
作者主要作品有《The Wasp Factory》（捕蜂器）﹑《The Crow Street》（乌鸦街）﹑《桥》（The Bridge）﹑《游戏玩家》（The Player of Games）﹑《运河梦》（Canal Dreams）﹑《如履玻璃》（Walking on Glass）﹑《腓肋巴斯猜想》（Consider Phlebas》） 及《爱斯佩达尔街》。
Format:TRADE PAPERBACK
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Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
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