Yeah I am more on your side here than pezzab. I wouldn’t call the Minds “profoundly sinister” or imperialistic (though absolutely manipulative!).
Though the Culture definitely has a tendency to meddle, and sometimes their meddling has disastrous consequences. On the other hand, they often don’t intervene when you kind of wish they would (see the decision not to welcome Earth into glorious space communism).
@Oleg_Alexandrov welcome, and thank you for your in depth thoughts.
I can’t say I’ve read enough in the series to take a stance, only having read Consider Phlebas and Player of Games. And the series, while I appreciate it was done well, never grabbed me like it obviously did you.
I do like there is enough meat there to have that type of meta discussion though.
