Chapter 5, “Conditions of Passage” (p. 298)
“
Which was more likely: what appeared to be the case, or this all being a lie, a set-up, a vast and incomprehensible joke? Discuss.
— Iain Banks
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Which was more likely: what appeared to be the case, or this all being a lie, a set-up, a vast and incomprehensible joke? Discuss." in the context of "Chapter 5, “Conditions of Passage” (p. 298)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Iain Banks" (Quotes, Non-Culture Novels, The Algebraist (2004): All page numbers are from the trade paperback edition published by Night Shade Books, , in 2006
All spelling and punctuation as in the book )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Iain Banks
Iain Menzies Banks (February 16, 1954 – June 9, 2013), officially Iain Banks, was a Scottish writer. As Iain M. Banks he wrote science fiction; as Iain Banks he wrote literary fiction.
About Iain Banks
Iain Menzies Banks (February 16, 1954 – June 9, 2013), officially Iain Banks, was a Scottish writer. As Iain M. Banks he wrote science fiction; as Iain Banks he wrote literary fiction.
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