BANKS, Iain M. ~ Against a Dark Background. A Science Fiction Novel. Signed and dated in the year of publication.

FIRST UK PRINTING. Orbit, London: 1993.

Large 8vo., black boards lettered in silver to spine with Orbit device to foot; black endpapers; in the vibrant unclipped pictorial dustwrapper (£15.99 to front flap) featuring a futuristic wraparound scene; THE BOOK slightly bumped at spine tips, else fine; THE WRAPPER ever-so-slightly sunned to the backstrip, near-fine. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. FIRST UK EDITION. This copy signed by the author in blue biro to the title page, and dated 27. 5. 93. A science fiction work by the acclaimed author Iain Banks, who had already at the time of publication achieved great success with a series of thirteen novels which centred around 'The Culture'; a fictional utopian, post-scarcity society in which humanoid aliens and AI exist in artificial habitats across the Milky Way. The present work was the first not to feature this society, and instead revolves around Lady Sharrow, a former military pilot and antiquities thief who is given a choice; run from 'Huhsz' assasins attempting to kill her in order to bring about the birth of a prophecised messiah; or retrieve the 'Lazy Gun' - a WMD stolen from her would-be killers by her ancestor. A lovely copy in the fabulous wraparound dustwrapper.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Near Fine