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Iain M Banks - The State of the Art

A spaceship lands in 1977 finding Earth obsessed with property and money. An agent sparks alarm going native. Stars Antony Sher.

The Culture ship Arbitrary arrives on Earth in 1977 and finds a planet obsessed with alien concepts like 'property' and 'money' and on the edge of self-destruction.

When Agent Dervley Linter decides to go native, can Diziet Sma change his mind?

Sci-fi thriller novella written by Iain M Banks.

Dramatised by Paul Cornell.

The Ship ...... Antony Sher
Diziet Sma ...... Nina Sosanya
Dervley Linter ...... Paterson Joseph
Li ...... Graeme Hawley
Tel ...... Brigit Forsyth
Sodel ...... Conrad Nelson

Director: Nadia Molinari

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.

45 minutes

Last on

Sat 19 Aug 2023 16:00
BBC Radio 4 Extra

Broadcasts

  • Thu 5 Mar 2009 14:15
    BBC Radio 4
  • Fri 29 Apr 2011 14:15
    BBC Radio 4
  • Tue 21 Jul 2015 11:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Tue 21 Jul 2015 21:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Wed 26 Apr 2017 11:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Wed 26 Apr 2017 21:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sat 19 Aug 2023 00:00
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sat 19 Aug 2023 16:00
    BBC Radio 4 Extra