@gerikson I second Use of Weapons, but I also like Excession and the Hydrogen Sonata, where the Culture has to do some self-reflection.

@mountainriver @froztbyte Yes, and if confronted the memelord can retreat into the more palatable-in-polite-company form of “they just repeat what they’re told _as if_ they were reprogrammable and without any individual thought”. And _clearly_ the confronter is one of them, because they didn’t recognize this important nuance, thus proving the point.

@cstross @mountainriver @froztbyte What's old is new again. I hear even phrenology is making a comeback.

@mountainriver @froztbyte The NPC meme says hi.

@BlueMonday1984 The machines are finally starting to understand art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K7aY-_b9sk

@smiletolerantly @gerikson AFAIR there was a short story where the Culture takes a look at Earth around the 70ies and decides to leave it alone for now.