History NightmareFuel / TheCulture

* The [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Hells]] in Literature/SurfaceDetail are designed to be this in-universe, and based on some NightmareFuel dreamed up by real-life religious fanatics and some bizarre transhumanists.

** In Literature/SurfaceDetail, there's a direct mention that the thought of remnants of such entities ending up in an [[MookMaker advanced manufacturing plant]] [[RagnarokProofing left behind]] by a [[NeglectfulPrecursors Sublimed civilization]] is the kind of thing that would disturb the sleep of even the notoriously laid-back Culture, especially those who deal with them on a regular basis.

** Then there's the fact that the factories and computational assets in question might soon be used to bring a virtual war into the Real, and may already be involved in simulating Hells, which just takes the whole thing UpToEleven.

* The Chairmaker in ''Literature/UseOfWeapons'' has the skeleton of his former lover, his adversary's sister, turned into a small chair, which he arranges to have delivered to his adversary! As if this wasn't horrifying enough, it has a particular effect on the protagonist because it resembles the chair he once walked in on his enemy, once a childhood friend, having sex with her on.

* The [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Hells]] in SurfaceDetail are designed to be this in-universe, and based on some NightmareFuel dreamed up by real-life religious fanatics and some bizarre transhumanists.

** In SurfaceDetail, there's a direct mention that the thought of remnants of such entities ending up in an [[MookMaker advanced manufacturing plant]] [[RagnarokProofing left behind]] by a [[NeglectfulPrecursors Sublimed civilization]] is the kind of thing that would disturb the sleep of even the notoriously laid-back Culture, especially those who deal with them on a regular basis.
** Then there's the fact that the factories and computational assets in question might soon be used to bring a virtual war into the Real, and may already be involved in simulating Hells, which just takes the whole thing UpToEleven.

Spoilers below:

* The [[spoiler:Iln warrior-ship]] from ''Literature/{{Matter}}''. That such an entity can arrive in the last fifty pages of the book ([[{{Foreshadowing}} although not without build-up]]) and unseat the story's until-then main antagonist as the most disturbing character in the book in a few short paragraphs is no mean feat.

** Then there's the fact that the factories and computational assets in question might soon be used to bring a virtual war into the Real, [[spoiler: and may already be involved in simulating Hells]], which just takes the whole thing UpToEleven.

* ''Literature/ConsiderPhlebas'' featured the horribly obese cannibalistic eaters.

* The entertainment on Azadian TV consists of horrible, sexualised torture in ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames''

* ''Literature/LookToWindward'' features terrorists from a civilization the Culture caused a civil war in trying to get revenge. They fail, and the Culture get revenge in the form of a {{nanotech}} construct. The first terrorist is ripped apart from the inside out be a swarm of nanotech bugs. They're only on the inside because they forced their way in through his mouth and eyeballs. The second terrorist is flayed alive by the construct, then pushed off a cliff while it still holds his intestines. The moral? Don't fuck with the Culture.

** The statement that some of the earliest civilizations to abolish their Hells only created them in the first place because they thought that was what was done and didn't want to seem backwards says some pretty frightening things in itself

** Then there's the fact that the factories and computational assets in question might soon be used to bring a virtual war into the Real, [[spoiler and may already be involved in simulating Hells]], which just takes the whole thing UpToEleven.

* The [[spoiler:Iln warrior-ship]] from ''Literature/{{Matter}}''. That such an entity can arrive in the last fifty pages of the book ([[{{Foreshadowing}} although not without build-up]]) and unseat the story's until-then main antagonist as the most disturbing character in the book in a few short paragraphs is no mean feat.

* The Chairmaker in ''Literature/UseOfWeapons'' has the skeleton of his former lover, his adversary's sister, turned into a small chair, which he arranges to have delivered to his adversary! As if this wasn't horrifying enough, it has a particular effect on the protagonist because it resembles the chair he once walked in on his enemy, once a childhood friend, having sex with her on.

* The Chairmaker in ''Literature/UseOfWeapons'' makes chairs out of skeletons. Worse, he has the skeleton of his former lover, his adversary's sister, turned into a small chair, which he arranges to have delivered to his adversary! As if this wasn't horrifying enough, it has a particular effect on the protagonist because it resembles the chair he once walked in on his enemy, once a childhood friend, having sex with her on.

Iain M. Banks's ''[[TheCulture Culture]]'' novels do have some NightmareFuel. Given that at their core, they are about a utopian civilization, this is surprising.

* ''LookToWindward'' features terrorists from a civilization the Culture caused a civil war in trying to get revenge. They fail, and the Culture get revenge in the form of a {{nanotech}} construct. The first terrorist is ripped apart from the inside out be a swarm of nanotech bugs. They're only on the inside because they forced their way in through his mouth and eyeballs. The second terrorist is flayed alive by the construct, then pushed off a cliff while it still holds his intestines. The moral? Don't fuck with the Culture.
* ''ConsiderPhlebas'' featured the horribly obese cannibalistic eaters.
* In ''{{Excession}}'' the Affronters genetically modify living beings into literal playthings, such as balls for a tennislike game.

* The entertainment on Azadian TV consists of horrible, sexualised torture in ''ThePlayerOfGames''
* The Chairmaker in ''UseOfWeapons'' makes chairs out of skeletons. Worse, he has the skeleton of his former lover, his adversary's sister, turned into a small chair, which he arranges to have delivered to his adversary! As if this wasn't horrifying enough, it has a particular effect on the protagonist because it resembles the chair he once walked in on his enemy, once a childhood friend, having sex with her on.

Iain M. Banks's ''[[TheCulture Culture]]'' novels do have some NightmareFuel. Given that at their core, they are about a utopian civilisation, this is surprising.

* ''LookToWindward'' features terrorists from a civilization the Culture caused a civil war in trying to get revenge. [[spoiler: They fail, and the Culture get revenge in the form of a {{nanotech}} construct. The first terrorist is ripped apart from the inside out be a swarm of nanotech bugs. They're only on the inside because they forced their way in through his mouth and eyeballs. The second terrorist is flayed alive by the construct, then pushed off a cliff while it still holds his intestines. The moral? ''Don't. Fuck. With the Culture.'']]

* [[spoiler: The Chairmaker in]] ''UseOfWeapons'' [[spoiler: makes chairs out of skeletons. Worse, he has the skeleton of his former lover, his adversary's sister, turned into a small chair, which he arranges to have delivered to his adversary!]]

* ''LookToWindward'' features terrorists from a civilization the Culture caused a civil war in trying to get revenge. [[spoiler: They fail, and the Culture get revenge in the form of a {{nanotech}} construct. The first terrorist is ripped apart from the inside out be a swarm of nanotech bugs. They're only on the inside because the forced their way in through his mouth and eyeballs. The second terrorist is flayed alive by the construct, then pushed off a cliff while it still holds his intestines. The moral? ''Don't. Fuck. With the Culture.'']]