Eliezer:
It is really off-topic, and I do not have a copy of Consider Phlebas at hand now, but
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dra%27Azon
Even if Banks have not mentioned ‘sublimed’ in the first novel, the concept exactly fits Dra’Azon.
Besides, Culture is not really advancing its ‘base’ technology, but rather rebuilding its infrastructure to war-machine.
Eliezer:
It is really off-topic, and I do not have a copy of Consider Phlebas at hand now, but
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dra%27Azon
Even if Banks have not mentioned ‘sublimed’ in the first novel, the concept exactly fits Dra’Azon.
Besides, Culture is not really advancing its ‘base’ technology, but rather rebuilding its infrastructure to war-machine.