Orbital (The Culture) - Appearance in Novels

Appearance in Novels

• Two books describe attempts to destroy Orbitals:
  • Vavatch Orbital (an Orbital being strategically abandoned by the Culture due to the Idiran war) is the setting for a large part of Consider Phlebas. Vavatch's circumference of fourteen million kilometres and width of thirty-five thousand kilometres - significantly larger than most Orbitals built by the Culture - also produce greater simulated gravity. Vavatch also does not provide the Culture's typical omnipresent hub mind assistance.
  • Masaq' Orbital is the main setting for Look to Windward. The hub mind of Masaq' was previously the ship Lasting Damage, and is both tormented by its actions during the Idiran-Culture War as well as the main target of another faction seeking revenge on the Culture.
• Jernau Morat Gurgeh sets off from Chiark Orbital in The Player of Games on his quest to play Azad.
• Prebeign-Frultesa Yime Leutze Nsokyi dam Volsh sets off from Dinyol-hei Orbital in Surface Detail on her mission for the Quietudinal Service.