The Culture against Patriarchy: Djan Seriy Anaplian, Pariah and Defector in Iain M. Banks’s Matter

Djan Seriy Anaplian is, possibly, the most accomplished female character created by Iain M. Banks for the Culture series (1987-2013). In Matter (2008) she shares protagonism with her step-brothers Ferbin and Oramen but she is the real hero. As a woman, Djan Seriy is a pariah in her patriarchal homeland, and eventually becomes a defector to Banks’s utopia, the Culture. Born a princess in the backward kingdom of her father King Hausk, Djan is raised to be used in matrimonial alliance at her father’s convenience. The Culture rescues Anaplian to transform her into a free posthuman citizen and, later, into a Special Circumstances secret agent (thus, a sort of inner pariah). Anaplian’s singular trajectory, her personal empowerment, and conflicted attitude towards the Culture have, however, been overlooked by scholarship on Banks’ work, despite being the most positive example of the author’s own anti-patriarchal stance. The article seeks to fill this gap by examining the latter.