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Adding Mildly Military trope

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* MildlyMilitary: When the Culture needs some armed forces the Minds politely inform more senior Minds that they are willing to take orders, the crews never wear uniforms, and the whole attitude is as civilian as possible, except that the Culture is amazingly good at kicking butt. Just ask the Idirians.
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** Gridfire is referred to in passing as the "weaponary of the end of the universe". Effects are not dissimilar to a potentially star-swallowing wall of antimatter travelling faster than light when used in anger; merely world-shattering if used with finesse.

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** Gridfire is referred to in passing as the "weaponary "weaponry of the end of the universe". Effects are not dissimilar to a potentially star-swallowing wall of antimatter travelling faster than light when used in anger; merely world-shattering if used with finesse.
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* TheButcher: in ''Use of Weapons'', the [[AxCrazy brutally insane]] character is referred to as "The Chairmaker". It makes sense considering what the chair is made of.

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* TheButcher: in ''Use of Weapons'', the [[AxCrazy brutally insane]] character is referred to as "The Chairmaker". It [[spoiler:It makes sense considering what the chair is made of.]]
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* HumanAliens: "Human" is an umbrella term referring to all the species of bipedal, hairless ape that have evolved independently on worlds across the galaxy. There are some differences in skin color and proportions, but they're all still pretty much the same shape.

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* HumanAliens: "Human" is an umbrella term referring to all the species of bipedal, hairless ape that have evolved independently on worlds across the galaxy. Indeed, as shown by Yalson in ''Consider Phlebas'', the "hairless" part is optional. There are some differences in skin color and proportions, but they're all still pretty much the same shape.
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fix rotted link


* CoolShip: The whole range between 200km long arks in space carrying hundreds of millions of people and warships which can obliterate whole star systems, every single last of them controlled by those wacky godlike [=AIs=]. Also, most of their names are slightly on the humorous/cynical side. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_(The_Culture) See for yourself.]]

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* CoolShip: The whole range between 200km long arks in space carrying hundreds of millions of people and warships which can obliterate whole star systems, every single last of them controlled by those wacky godlike [=AIs=]. Also, most of their names are slightly on the humorous/cynical side. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_(The_Culture) [[https://theculture.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_spacecraft See for yourself.]]
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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with [[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] [[{{Superweapon}} superweapons]]. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.

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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with [[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] [[{{Superweapon}} superweapons]]. {{superweapon}}s. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The the Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.
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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with [[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] [[{{Superweapon} superweapons]]. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.

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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with [[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] [[{{Superweapon} [[{{Superweapon}} superweapons]]. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.
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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with [[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] {{Superweapon}}s. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.

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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with [[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] {{Superweapon}}s.[[{{Superweapon} superweapons]]. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.
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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with nukes. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.

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** The Culture's whole [[PlanetOfHats hat]] can be nicely summed up as "Space Hippies". Hippies with nukes.[[RealityWarper reality-shattering]] {{Superweapon}}s. When outsiders are quizzed on the topic of The Culture and Warfare, the standard response is just: "Don't fuck with the Culture." A particularly apt example would be the fate of the Chelgrian conspirators in ''Look to Windward''. If you threaten the lives of 50 billion citizens, then there are people in the Culture who will find you, will use their most potent weapons against you, will learn all your fears, and will kill you in the most anatomically and ''philosophically'' horrific way possible.
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*** Especially in Look To Windward. Oh, sorry that your society was torn apart by a savage civil war, but [[OmniscientMoralityLicence our methods almost always work]].

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*** Especially in Look ''Look To Windward. Windward''. Oh, sorry that your society was torn apart by a savage civil war, but but [[OmniscientMoralityLicence our methods almost always work]].
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*** Especially in Look To Windward. Oh, sorry that your society was torn apart by a savage civil war, but our methods almost always work.

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*** Especially in Look To Windward. Oh, sorry that your society was torn apart by a savage civil war, but but [[OmniscientMoralityLicence our methods almost always work.work]].
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* SomeCallMeTim: Culture citizens, both humanoid and drone are bearers of [[OverlyLongName overly long names]] but commonly go by a shorter version. One of the closest examples to the trope is Diziet Sma, whose actual name is much longer and is nicknamed "Dizzy" by her RobotBuddy.

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* SomeCallMeTim: Culture citizens, both humanoid and drone are bearers of [[OverlyLongName overly long names]] but commonly go by a shorter version. One of the closest examples to the trope is Diziet Sma, whose actual name name[[note]]Rasd-Codurersa Diziet Embless Sma da' Marenhide[[/note]] is much longer and is nicknamed "Dizzy" by her RobotBuddy.
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* FreeLoveFuture: Monogamy is stated to be rare.

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* FreeLoveFuture: Monogamy is stated to be rare.rare in the Culture, where the vast majority of citizens are {{Ethical Slut}}s who can change gender more or less at will. Furthermore, near-universal BioAugmentation means they can generate aphrodisiacs from implanted drug glands and have artificially extended orgasms.
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** The short story ''A Gift from the Culture'' mentions an antimatter-powered handgun capable of firing 10^8 W of plasma. The protagonist reflects that he would be able to level the entire city around him, in the end opting for just shooting down a starship. The gun is officially rated as a general purpose "peace" weapon not suitable for full battle use.

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** The short story ''A Gift from the Culture'' mentions an antimatter-powered handgun capable of firing 10^8 W of plasma. The protagonist reflects that he would be able to level the entire city around him, in the end opting for just shooting down a starship. The gun is officially rated as [[NormalFishInATinyPond a general purpose "peace" weapon not suitable for full battle use.use]].

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** The short story ''A Gift from the Culture'' mentions an antimatter-powered handgun capable of firing 10^8 W of plasma. The protagonist reflects that he would be able to level the entire city around him, in the end opting for just shooting down a starship. The gun is officially rated as a general purpose "peace" weapon not suitable for full battle use. Cheradinine Zakalwe, mercenary extraordinaire from ''Use of Weapons'', packs an arsenal of more capable arms. And, amusingly enough, an arsenal of ''less'' capable, but more entertaining, arms. He seems to think that the Culture's coherent radiation energy weapons simply aren't enough fun, what with them being small, convenient, and not really bothering to waste energy on visual effects. There's a scene in which Zakalwe blows up several targets (large chunks of ice, dyed black) with a relatively primitive weapon, simply for the fun of watching it make them go boom. There's more to BFG status than merely doing a lot of damage, after all.

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** The short story ''A Gift from the Culture'' mentions an antimatter-powered handgun capable of firing 10^8 W of plasma. The protagonist reflects that he would be able to level the entire city around him, in the end opting for just shooting down a starship. The gun is officially rated as a general purpose "peace" weapon not suitable for full battle use.
**
Cheradinine Zakalwe, mercenary extraordinaire from ''Use of Weapons'', packs an arsenal of more capable arms. And, amusingly enough, an arsenal of ''less'' capable, but more entertaining, arms. He seems to think that the Culture's coherent radiation energy weapons simply aren't enough fun, what with them being small, convenient, and not really bothering to waste energy on visual effects. There's a scene in which Zakalwe blows up several targets (large chunks of ice, dyed black) with a relatively primitive weapon, simply for the fun of watching it make them go boom. There's more to BFG status than merely doing a lot of damage, after all.
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-->'''Cheradenine Zakalwe:''' You might call them soft, because they're very reluctant to kill, and they might agree with you, but they're soft the way the ocean is soft, and, well; ask any sea captain how harmless and puny the ocean can be.

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-->'''Cheradenine --->'''Cheradenine Zakalwe:''' You might call them soft, because they're very reluctant to kill, and they might agree with you, but they're soft the way the ocean is soft, and, well; ask any sea captain how harmless and puny the ocean can be.

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